Play Meter

No great changes
foreseen for use of
•
• games
microprocessors
tn
By Zac Oliver
The metal spheroid, freely spin-
ning, rolls and compresses a rubber
band . The rubber band stretches as
pushed by the ball's kinetic energy ,
and moues a switch blade . The blade
bends and its contact point touches
the one in the facing switch blade .
Typical pinball action is repeated
over and over simultaneously in
many places around the world .
Making no considerations for human
behavior and tribal customs , one
cannot keep from looking at games
as by-products of the society we are
in and a representation of a
technological influence on our lives .
Technologies have been applied
to our games at a slower rate in
relation to technology's own de-
velopment. Only in recent years has
electronics been applied to the game
industry . Since its introduction, the
electronic pinball microprocessor has
changed the game , creating systems
more reliable , expandable , flexible ,
cheaper , compact , and complex.
However, electronics still shares
the link to the human world through
other technologies . Microprocessor
development is slow and it is quite
certain that no major change will
occur in the next two years , although
larger systems , with bigger bite size,
are lil games . Again, the obstacles will be
found in the interface between player
and machine . Even the all-time
winner , Space Invaders , suffers from
this problem . Those control buttons
are definitely not spill proof .
Electro-mechanic and mechanic
components , units , and systems play
a substantial part in a game . In the
electro-mechanic game , control cir-
cuitry is the usual main failure. A set
of contact somewhere fails resulting
in a service call . The breakdown of
mechanical parts is equally high and
seems to be , proportionately, the
only area in the electronic games
subject to higher failure .
Indeed every manufacturer has
made an effort to reduce down time
due to control circuitry failures and it
is noticeable in the improvements .
There is also an attempt to solve the
problems in the mechanical and
electro-mechanical sections of the
game , although not so successfully.
Almost every new game brings a new
solution to field problems . However,
with change in old designs , new
designs and variations of old mecha-
nisms are also introduced . These
mechanisms do not always cor-
respond to the play demand and
sometimes it is really apparent why
not!
Of course , in any line of equip-
ment , especially mechanically orient-
ed , failures will occur. However,
rubber mounting posts on pin games
and player controls on video games
do fall apart too often . The game
cabinets are not designed for abuse .
Thousands of dollars are lost every
year due to the simplicitv of
break-ins . The front door is another
area where vandalism is constant and
often successful. Leg and leg levelers
get damaged frequently . (Evidently ,
generalizations like the ones above
do not apply to every system of
different manufacturers .)
If you know your location, try your
best to find the game that is most
suitable there , and by all means
protect it! Lock bars in the front door ,
padlocks , reinforced back doors,
back cabinet and buttons , alarm
systems : you name it! Whatever time
and money you spend in such
addition will pay in the long run .
Service in the field has tried to
follow the steps to understand and
adapt to new generations of games.
Since Atari's Pong, some seven
years , the individual concern for
upgrading knowledge has become
coincidental with the development
of the equipment.
The electronic pinball created the
change . The servicemen will have to
study to catch up with the industry .
Education is available but scattered .
Classes are too heterogeneous and
brief. The most complex part of the
games, the logic , does not fail
frequently on street repair level and
often the seminar student forgets part
of what he has learned . Maybe a
sequence of seminars or a better
selection in technical level would be
more productive . Notwithstanding ,
the coin machine industry is growing .
No one can really foresee what is
going to happen in the next few years
in the coin machine industry , as
microprocessors are yet to be fully
used to their potentiality . Playfield
conceptualization might change dras-
tically if the player and other
inventive minds are ready for it.
Also , new development in display
systems will be created . Holography
may be one answer to a less
electro-mechanical pinball.
Opening a new game carries the
excitement of opening a toy , and
lately manufacturers have been
supplying the market with excellent
games . These games are creating
new types of players (portions of the
market we did not have before) . The
trends are open!