Play Meter

Arcade scores in Olympics
North Am erica produced the winner
of the 1980 Winter Ol ympics Arcade
Tricathelon grand prize at Lake
Placid. New York . Steve Collins. 15 .
a member of the Canadian ski jump
team won th e thre e-pronged game
room even t with scores exceeding
645 .000 on Ball y's Harlem Globe -
trotters pingame and 4. 700 on the
Space Invade rs electronic video
game by Midwa y .
All athletes at Lake Placid were
able to test th eir skills at th e newest
game room in town. Irving Kaye ,
along with Bally and Midway , spon-
sored a five -day tricathelon at
Olympic Village ending February 22.
and free play was available from
January 25 onward into th e regular
athletic competi tion .
TRG Communications. In c . . coor-
dina tors of the event. reported
athletes crowded into th e special
games arcade to practice for the
amu ement machines event. Forty
pinball. video. foosba ll . and pool
table games were made available for
their use .
In the tricath elon compe tition.
Olympian Steve Collins fou nd his
kills focu ed mainly on th e video
and flipper games rather than on the
table
occer game
( " foosba ll")
manufactured by Irving Kaye. ec-
ond and third place arcade cham -
pions . Alex Michaelide of Cyprus
and Paul Gibbons of Great Britain .
re pectively .
found
their
skills
touched on all thr<:!e game modes but
could not match Collins' total
scoring .
Th e games represen ted th e first
tim e an Olympic arcade had been or-
ganized with full approval o f the loca l
committee level. (See UPDATE .
February 1. 1980 .) The manufactur-
ing companies in providing the
games hoped to ca tch wide attention
to them as a clean . wholesome form
of leisuretime competition enjoyed
by the be t young athletes of Am erica
and other countries .
Planning had taken over two years
with the cooperation o f Jack LeHart.
resident of Lake Placid and owner of
Upstate V ending Service in New
York State.
Steve Collins. who lives in
Thunder Bay , Ontario , has been
skiing for five years and playing
pinball about three years . H e said the
same kinds of talent. discipline. and
reflexes are necessary to exce l in
both types of competition . "Luck
may be a factor now and again. but
you shouldn't depend on it." Steve
asserted . As a member o f Canada's
three -man ski jump team. Steve
travels to many even ts. but he said
he tries not to let training interfere
with a " rigorous pinball schedu le."
ED ITOR 'S NOTE : The Ma y 15
issue of PLAY METER will focus o n
arcade operations . Features will
examine. among other things. token
play . game mix. traffic flow. decor.
and management .
Pinball enjoys popularity in Ontar-
io. but this was Collins' first pinball
and coin -operated games competi -
tion . With the future for suc h games
looking bright in Canada. he said he
is r ady to en ter more con tests in the
arcade field as they come open .
Obviou ly. the sponsors for the
Ldke Placid tricathelon were motiva -
ted by the marketing potentials
rooted in extensive media exposu re
of coin -operated games in the
Olympic Arcade. It was expected to
boo t the recognition factor of
coin -op game in the U . S . and
coun tries where pinball. video elec-
tronic. and foosball games are not
already household words .
The three manufacturers involved
were pleased with the response to
th eir Olympic Arcade. but not sur-
prised . aid Thomas J. Nieman . vice
president marketing of Bally's Pin -
ball Divi ion: "It is our belief the
games provide an excellent release
from the rigors of preparing for
Olympic competition. Coin -operated
games represent a truly American
lei ure time activity." Pinball was
"born in Chicago." he observed.
Bill Currier. sales manager of
Irving Kaye. stated : " We regularly
conduct amateur compe titions in
table game . particularly pool and
foosball . We see them as healthy
competitive sports activities. which
have th advantage of not requiring
special strength. speed. or physical
prowess . so they have widespread
appeal. Being played indoors . they
are truly games for all seasons . W e
wanted to help set up an Olympic
Arcad to give athletes from all over
th e world an opportunity to see and
experience
a typical
American
arcad situation. which is so much a
part of leisuretime activity in the
U.
"Olympic athletes are the right age
group for us too." noted Currier .
According to Stan Jarocki . vice
pre id nt of marketing. M idway.
"Electronic video games are an
Am erican innovation that comes
directl y ut o f the space program . It
repr esent a miniaturization of space
technology : an advanced electron -
ization of coin -operated machines .
" If a privilege to be offering this
unique form of American entertain -
ment to the greatest athletes from all
over the world . We see it as the best
offering the best."
Inti. Sales Marketing relocates
International
ales Marketing &
M anagement Consultants has moved
from southeast regional offices in
Marietta. Georgia to Atlanta. where
th e firm will be located at 203 South
hase .
announced
Peter
J.
Petropoulos. president of the firm .
James Taylor was named vice
pre id nt for the Southeast. At the
Atlanta o ffice. Jackie Barnett handles
cu tomer rela tions for the coin -op
industry and amusemen t machin es .
Internationa l also manages real
e tate and investments . as well as
con !ruction project .
The firm's executive offices are
locat ed in Pompano Beach . Florida.
with offices also in Ellsworth . Main e
and Frankfurt. Germany.
As a sale con ultant. International
handles vending . bottling. military
it es. fa t foods. OC . and music
and game .
International's n w Atlanta tele-
phone number i ( 404) 252 -8371.
Standard Change -Makers . In c. . of
Indianap olis recognized Atlanta's
Jack McE/waine [ above] recently as
the leader in sales gains of the
company 's fourteen district repre-
sentatives . Overall sales for the
company were up fifteen percent.
National Sales Manager John S.
Dugan told the recent 25th annual
sales and service meeting of the
company reps .