Play Meter

Letters to
the editor • • •
Convertible games
I have been reading with great interest
article ' in your magazine regarding "con-
vertible games ." I was particularly inter-
e ted in Mr. David R osen's view in the
Sept. IS, 19 I i sue .
Although thi letter is too late to re pond
to those article , neverthele ,the ubject
still remain with us .
I would like to make a few comments
abou t this ubject. and offer some c10 ely
related idea about what the future may
hold for thi indu try.
We all know that the game indu try will
change in the future, and we will ee dra tic
changes in the total concept of video game
entertainment centers. as we know it today.
One of the mo t important factor will
be the nexibilit y of the "software" or pro-
gram s for these machine. to pla y. The
ugge t ion from operator, to update old
programs or exchange them for new. i a
ver y attractive olution to continually
purchasing new "hardware" or machines.
H owever. di s tributor are trongl y
oppo ed to thi olution. ince their very
existence i at take . Game manufacturer
are also oppo ed . though to a somewhat
lesser degree.
Mr. Ro en' article / interview deal onl
with the top-gap solution by the . ega
Gre mlin device. Other companie offer
somewhat of the same type ofarrangement.
This may be great. for the time being. but it
falls s hort of the long-range solu t ion th i
indu try need s .
Mr. Louis Boa berg's e a y in the 19 2
March issue of an industry trade maga7ine
came right to the point in dealing with the
"de pre sion ."
Quote : "Let the manufacturers mak e
more and more ingeniou and appealing
equipment. Let the di tributors see to it
their operator cu tomer get the e new
games a often a s to keep the re enue and
pla yer. intere t ah a ys at the highest
peak ."
If Mr. Boasberg's ideas have all the
PLAY METER. September 1. 1982
elements we wa nt. the y till would be too
expensive and a slow proce if the indu -
try conti nues th e way it i today. In my
o pinio n . th ere are many things that have to
be considered t o accelerate the indu try
into high gear.
The manufacturers have to originate the
.. econd video game revolution ." New
hardware along with a new programming
language mu t be developed. which makes
it impossible to cop any program . ew
program would be very cost effecti ve.
ince all the hardware would remain the
ame. Once the machine were purcha ed .
only the program would have to be
updated . I am referring to true software,
not plug-in boards etc.
Here is a not her po itive a pect to thi
revolution . It i a lot ea ier to sell oft ware
than whole machines . If tre co t of a new
program for the operator would bearound
$)00 or Ie s, I think we woulrl have a itua-
tion where the co t of playing the game
ma even go down to a dime. like the good
01' da y !
There would al so be less opportunity for
the progra ms to be copied , ince they
would function onl y in conjunction with
the ma c hine a igned to them by the
factor y. Bes ide . $)00 or Ie ? for a new
gam r? I don't ee any reason for tealing.
Once the machine are depreciated ... .
( a y. in a two to three year time span) the
operation ha onl y some repair and occa-
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