Play Meter

Roger C. Sharpe
PLAY METER: Do you see a problem that
threatens t he state of the industry today?
SHARPE: Yes, I do. I don't think many people are
willing to accept that there is a problem in the
industry today because what they see is a growing
acceptance of the games. They see locations are
opening up; they see a wider acceptance of solid
state technology, even an easing up of legislative
restrictions in the last five to six years: Los
Angeles, New York, and Chicago, for instance,
have all allowed pinball machines in. And this has
led to a problem of attitude, from the operator on
up to the manufacturer, of take the money and run.
There is no concern about giving anything in
return, either into the community or to a type of
-group that could help turn around die-hard beliefs
that have been going on for the last forty years.
Instead, we see that there's a total disregard for
what the equipment is and what kind of shape it's
in. And you wonder how long this can happen.
Why isn't there some combined charity effort by
the industry? Why isn't something done for the
Jerry Lewis Telethon? or for any other charity on
an industry-wide basis? It doesn't take very much
imagination to come up with ways to help people
out. What about all those old electro-mechanicals
from the mid-seventies that no one wants anymore?
They could be donated to hospitals, to halfway
houses for teens, maybe vocational schools, even to
schools to help them with their own fund-raising
drives. These are the kinds of things that help
improve an industry's image. Instead, all we hear
about is people redefining their involvement in the
coin industry where they want to avOid saying they
run an arcade because it has a bad connotation.
They say instead that they run a "family
amusement center."
PLAY METER: So you think the industry should
be looking to improve its image. Do you think a
good or bad image can be translated into dollars and
cents?
SHARPE: Let's put it this war: If this industry had
a clean image; if the industry were to donate old
machines to hospitals, halfway houses for teen-
agers, maybe vocational schools; even donate some
games to the local schools so that they could run
their own fund-raising events- what you'd find
would result would be an easing up of local
legislation against the industry. Until that happens,
however, operators can always expect to be
harrassed by some newsman or by some budding
politician who thinks that pinballs are bad or video
games are bad. If operators took an interest in their
communities, things like that wouldn't happen.
You see, right now pinballs are accepted
begrudgingly, and people in the industry seem
willing to accept that. They tell themselves they
have turned the crossroads, but that's not the case
at all. With increased revenues, they seem willing
to overlook the negative tinge of operating coin
machines; and that, I think, is really the major
problem confronting the industry today. One of the
10
big business problems is that as long as everybody
is making money, no one is going to stop and take a
look at how he could better his business. No one
thinks outside himself, of fulfulling what social
responsibilities he might have.
The problem is that although this industry is
big-time now, everybody is still thinking small-
time. It's at all levels in the industry- how can I
screw that guy so he gets less business. Theyll
undercut prices, take lower margins. They'll do
anything because everybody's thinking bottom line.
The important thing is for everybody to band
together and try to present a solid front. I think
we're getting to t he point where, if the machinery is
as good as we think it is, and if we're really a big
business now, and if people are going to start
scrutinizing us more because we are a multi-million
dollar industry- we've got to clean up our act. But
right now there's no lobbying support in Congress.
There's no struct ure where people can go in with
their problems, especially if their state associations
are weak or mismanaged. There has to be an overall
advertising campaign, one that is industry
sponsored, such as there was with the oil companies
and such as there were with the tobacco industry
and with the automotive industry, where an entire
industry suddenly took a stand together. Some-
thing like this has to be done in this industry to end
all the negativity that is generated by parents who
still think their kids are squandering their money. I
can see a great many things that could be done if
people in t his indust ry banded together, but
unfortunately they don't.
PLAY METER: So you think some sort of national
lobbying force is needed for this industry?
SHARPE: Yes. If this industry were to try to set
forth some sort of case on a national level it would
definitely help at the local level. I think the biggest
thing is what you see with the state associations.
They get no help. How often is interest taken in a
local problem? Not very often. People have to be
willing to take the time and think of it as something
that is going to benefit the entire industry.
PLAY METER: And how would such a national
lobbying force be funded?
SHARPE: There could be something like a
five-dollar per-machine surcharge on every piece of
equipment that is sold. That might be enough to
create a pool t hat could fund some overall
organization that would handle the industry's
advertising and promotions, and such an organiza-
tion could also go from state-to-state and talk with
the local people and find out if they're having any
problems. Such an organization could keep tabs on
each state's laws, direct the industry's energies,
and could present a solid front. But it would need
some sort of funding, perhaps like a five-dollar per
machine assessment. And maybe it could be
extended to insure you that there was always
somebody there to help- whether he be from Bally,
Gottlieb, Williams, Stern, or whatever-even for
the smallest operator. This industry has got to
realize that every step that's taken, no matter how
small, if it's taken with the right things in mind,
PLAY METER , September, 1979