Play Meter

ROBBINS: Oh, I think that's great, just super. It's
probably one of the most significant developements
in the history of this business. Nothing but good can
come of it. They have lent such a degree of
respectability to this business that it's warming to
anybody who's been in it as long as I have. To have
been through all the things that we have gone
through and then see companies like that want to
get in- it's fantastic. And the effect will go all the
way down through the industry. It will make people
want to distribute, it will make people want to
operate, it will make people want to take games in.
It's just great from the lowest level to the top.
PLA Y METER: What do you think made these
companies want to enter into the business?
ROBBINS: Well, for one thing it is a good
industry- it still has tremendous growth possibil-
ities. And it's a cash flow industry- it thrives off
cash.
PLA Y METER: Speaking of cash, could we come
back to the dollar coin for a moment? Do you see
that as a real possibility?
ROBBINS: It depends largely on the efforts of the
associations. You know, it has always been
astonishing to me that the enrollment in the AMOA
is so small. Did you know it's only about a thousand
operators? Why every operator in the United
States would not pay a small amount of money for
dues to join AMOA when it's the only organiza-
tion-and I say this without completely agreeing
with AMOA in everything they do-it's the only
organization the operator has going for him
legislatively. And anything the association does will
benefit the operator directly, witness this copyright
legislation. The association's efforts have saved
operators countless thousands of dollars, everyone
of them. But most of them don't belong.
PLAY METER: You mentioned that this dollar coin
might change future pricing, on video games in
particular; but let's talk a bit about pricing today.
Do you recommend 25 cent play for flipper games?
ROBBINS: All the games we order now from the
factory, all of them, come in here on 25 cent play,
three balls. We ship them all that way. If the
operator wants them another way, he must come
get them. We will not ship them any other way but
25 cents, three ball play. That's for his benefit, and
ours.
PLAY METER: What about phonographs?
ROBBINS: All of our phonographs go out on
quarter play.
The jukebox is a problem of course. The income
of the jukebox is relatively stable, and we have not
had anything innovative from the standpoint of
point of sale, anything that can put more money
into the cashbox, for quite some time.
PLAY METER: Do you foresee anything like that?
ROBBINS: It's got to come.
PLAY METER: What do you think it's going to be?
ROBBINS: rm not really sure, but the video disc is
one possibility. The video disc, properly put into a
jukebox, could revolutionize the business, and
make the jukebox operation once again a good
thing.
PLAY METER: How would that work exactly?
ROBBINS: Well, you would have the choice when
[continued on page 60]
the
pool table with
the Velvet Touch
innovators of
the industry
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Zenith, Crest, Adjust-a-price
Pool Tables
Sportacard
Sportaball
TV Cocktail Table
Bimbo
United-Sardi Soccer Tables
United Billiards Inc.
51 Progress St ., Union , N.J . 07083
(201) 686 -7030
13