Play Meter
Issue: 1980 December 01 - Vol 6 Num 22 - Page 1
UPDATE EDITION
Volume 6 , Number 22
December 1 , 1 980
Not launching at once
Roc k-Ola maps video entry
By RAY E. TILLEY
Rock -Ola Manufacturing Corp. is
considering three approaches to
entering the coin -op video games
market, but the signal for launching
prior to the 1980 AMOA Show is "no
go," said its officials .
The Rock -Ola route to video was
disclosed in a September 29 new pro -
duct presentation to distributors in a
Lincolnshire, Illinois meeting. One
option actively pursued by Rock -Ola
at late September was a purchsae
into an existing video manufacturing
concern .
The phonograph manufacturer had,
in the past several months, "field
tested" the play appeal of 11 game
units which Rock -Ola had considered
licen sing from a reputable supplier,
said Hugh Gorman, vice president!
sales for Rock -Ola.
PLAY METER.
By contrast to the projected image
of corporate experience over five
decade and of reliability in prod uct
development, Rock -Ola saw t he
video ·market as "wild and wooly," in
Gorman's terms. And a conservative
stance was taken, with the aim of
eventually prod ucing a game piece
t hat wo uld have high play ap peal and
a desir ed level of income.
It is "very possible" that Rock-Ola
will acq uir e "a fu lly -integrated video
game produce r in t he near futu r e,"
said Gorman. Negotiations were
continued on page 6
Results showed income from the
two upright versions and one cocktail
table were "average" and below
standards set by the Chicago firm in
earlier huddles with its distributors.
"We said, 'What does it take to make
a winner?' And they set up a
criterion,' ' a Rock -Ola spokesman
told PLAY METER, explaining the
company's strategy.
P honograph line on v iew
The main thrust of the Lincoln -
shire meeting on September 29 was
to unveil the 1980 -81 Rock -Ola
phonograph line to distributors. The
new 484, Grand Salon II. 507 wall -
box, compact 508wallbox, and Max 2
upright compact jukebox will be
detailed in the December 15 issue of
Pizz a Tim e Th eatre, led by its mascot Chuck E . Cheese, sponsored the
f irst "R oll forMS" National Sk ee -Ball Tournament Octob er 6-16 at -its 14
lo cations in California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, with proceeds from
th e ev ent go ing to local chapters of National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Boy s and girls 12 years and younger entered "Roll forMS" and Pizza Tim e
Th eatre will donat e fiv e cents for every 50-point ticket redeemed to the
charity. Mor e details inside Update .
Volume 6 , Number 22
December 1 , 1 980
Not launching at once
Roc k-Ola maps video entry
By RAY E. TILLEY
Rock -Ola Manufacturing Corp. is
considering three approaches to
entering the coin -op video games
market, but the signal for launching
prior to the 1980 AMOA Show is "no
go," said its officials .
The Rock -Ola route to video was
disclosed in a September 29 new pro -
duct presentation to distributors in a
Lincolnshire, Illinois meeting. One
option actively pursued by Rock -Ola
at late September was a purchsae
into an existing video manufacturing
concern .
The phonograph manufacturer had,
in the past several months, "field
tested" the play appeal of 11 game
units which Rock -Ola had considered
licen sing from a reputable supplier,
said Hugh Gorman, vice president!
sales for Rock -Ola.
PLAY METER.
By contrast to the projected image
of corporate experience over five
decade and of reliability in prod uct
development, Rock -Ola saw t he
video ·market as "wild and wooly," in
Gorman's terms. And a conservative
stance was taken, with the aim of
eventually prod ucing a game piece
t hat wo uld have high play ap peal and
a desir ed level of income.
It is "very possible" that Rock-Ola
will acq uir e "a fu lly -integrated video
game produce r in t he near futu r e,"
said Gorman. Negotiations were
continued on page 6
Results showed income from the
two upright versions and one cocktail
table were "average" and below
standards set by the Chicago firm in
earlier huddles with its distributors.
"We said, 'What does it take to make
a winner?' And they set up a
criterion,' ' a Rock -Ola spokesman
told PLAY METER, explaining the
company's strategy.
P honograph line on v iew
The main thrust of the Lincoln -
shire meeting on September 29 was
to unveil the 1980 -81 Rock -Ola
phonograph line to distributors. The
new 484, Grand Salon II. 507 wall -
box, compact 508wallbox, and Max 2
upright compact jukebox will be
detailed in the December 15 issue of
Pizz a Tim e Th eatre, led by its mascot Chuck E . Cheese, sponsored the
f irst "R oll forMS" National Sk ee -Ball Tournament Octob er 6-16 at -its 14
lo cations in California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, with proceeds from
th e ev ent go ing to local chapters of National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Boy s and girls 12 years and younger entered "Roll forMS" and Pizza Tim e
Th eatre will donat e fiv e cents for every 50-point ticket redeemed to the
charity. Mor e details inside Update .
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).