Play Meter
Issue: 1985 February 01 - Vol 11 Num 2 - Page 10
nEWS
(continued from page 9)
element" of the business.
He said further that the video
lottery test was not fairing well in
Illinois, and so there was not yet
cause for alarm. However, both the
state lottery commission and Bally
have termed the video lottery test as
successful and are asking for an
extension of the test period to try
better games in the machines.
The AGMA executive said AGMA
would, howeve r, appoint a task
force comprised of AGMA mem-
bers at a later date to "look at the
Illinois video lottery by factual
results ." However, even if that task
group found at that later date that
video lotteries were a real threat to
the coin-op amusement industry,
Braswell said the association pro-
bably could not take any position on
the matter anyway. He said AGMA's
bylaws prohibit the association from
taking a position which either
endorses or opposes gambling.
Braswell discounted the chance
that the task force's decision would
be biased or that the association's
position to this point is indicative of
the members' bias in favor of video
lottery games .
Said Braswell, " To my knowl -
edge, only one AGMA member is
involved in the video lottery, and
that' s Bally." He went on to say that
the part of Bally that's involved in
the video lottery is separate from
the coin-operated amusement
industry.
When asked why the association
wouldn 't make Bally accountable
for its actions, Braswell countered
angrily, " I know the rumors, and it's
not true . Bally does not run this
association . When one company
runs an association, you don ' t have a
fair trade association ."
The manufactuers' association
ran into a similar conflict with oper-
ators two years ago when it refused
even to consider a manufacturer
moratorium on selling the copy-
righted video game properties to
the home market. Operators com-
plained that manufacturers were
releasing-sometimes simultane-
ously, oftentimes within weeks-
the same video games to the home
game market that they were selling
to the coin-op market at significantly
higher prices.
Operators contended this was
drawing players away from the coin-
op games. Manufacturers main-
tained this practice was creating
more visibility for all video games.
The manufacturers' association said
it could not ask its members to curb
a naturall y "competitive element"
of their business.
Braswell once again stressed that
th e association must differentiate
between the competitive element
and a true industry problem .
Just recently, however, even the
pre sident of the manufacturers'
ass ociation , Joe Robbins, conceded
t hat the influx of new games into the
home market helped cripple the
coin-op market.
•
Illinois wants video lottery extension
Illinois state lottery superinten-
dent Michael Jones said he wants to
extend the six-month lottery test
another three months to try some
new marketing ideas and, more
importantly, some new game ideas .
The Illinoi s video lottery tes t
started August 1 and was scheduled
to end January 31. It has attracted
industrywide attention because it
''NEW'' PUPPET VENDING
"The Creative Choice"
• Marionette Style Puppet Shows
• All Shows are Replaceable
SHOWS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
1 . The Circus
Santa's Workshop
Underwater Adventure
Farm Friends
Space Adventure
Nursery Rhymes
Magic
(Custom Themes Available)
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
0-SUN CO.
( 414) 242-6200
P.O. BOX 334
THIENSVILLE, WI 53092
incorporates video game play as the
attraction to get players to play the
machines.
The machines do not pay off for
skill , but the play on the games is
designed to suggest to the player
t hat his skill does influence his
chan ces of winning . (See related
fe ature st ory elsewhe re in this
iss ue. )
The Illinois lottery commission
anticipated the video lottery ma-
chines would average $1,000 per
week with the video games. The
machines, however, are grossing
slightly over $300 per week.
The Illinois lottery commission
attributes this low average in a large
part to poor video games.
The four video games in the cur-
re nt video lottery machines are The
Lady and the Tiger, Space Marau-
ders, Chicago, and Ballyhoo. All
(co ntinued on page 12)
PLAY METER. February 1. 1985
(continued from page 9)
element" of the business.
He said further that the video
lottery test was not fairing well in
Illinois, and so there was not yet
cause for alarm. However, both the
state lottery commission and Bally
have termed the video lottery test as
successful and are asking for an
extension of the test period to try
better games in the machines.
The AGMA executive said AGMA
would, howeve r, appoint a task
force comprised of AGMA mem-
bers at a later date to "look at the
Illinois video lottery by factual
results ." However, even if that task
group found at that later date that
video lotteries were a real threat to
the coin-op amusement industry,
Braswell said the association pro-
bably could not take any position on
the matter anyway. He said AGMA's
bylaws prohibit the association from
taking a position which either
endorses or opposes gambling.
Braswell discounted the chance
that the task force's decision would
be biased or that the association's
position to this point is indicative of
the members' bias in favor of video
lottery games .
Said Braswell, " To my knowl -
edge, only one AGMA member is
involved in the video lottery, and
that' s Bally." He went on to say that
the part of Bally that's involved in
the video lottery is separate from
the coin-operated amusement
industry.
When asked why the association
wouldn 't make Bally accountable
for its actions, Braswell countered
angrily, " I know the rumors, and it's
not true . Bally does not run this
association . When one company
runs an association, you don ' t have a
fair trade association ."
The manufactuers' association
ran into a similar conflict with oper-
ators two years ago when it refused
even to consider a manufacturer
moratorium on selling the copy-
righted video game properties to
the home market. Operators com-
plained that manufacturers were
releasing-sometimes simultane-
ously, oftentimes within weeks-
the same video games to the home
game market that they were selling
to the coin-op market at significantly
higher prices.
Operators contended this was
drawing players away from the coin-
op games. Manufacturers main-
tained this practice was creating
more visibility for all video games.
The manufacturers' association said
it could not ask its members to curb
a naturall y "competitive element"
of their business.
Braswell once again stressed that
th e association must differentiate
between the competitive element
and a true industry problem .
Just recently, however, even the
pre sident of the manufacturers'
ass ociation , Joe Robbins, conceded
t hat the influx of new games into the
home market helped cripple the
coin-op market.
•
Illinois wants video lottery extension
Illinois state lottery superinten-
dent Michael Jones said he wants to
extend the six-month lottery test
another three months to try some
new marketing ideas and, more
importantly, some new game ideas .
The Illinoi s video lottery tes t
started August 1 and was scheduled
to end January 31. It has attracted
industrywide attention because it
''NEW'' PUPPET VENDING
"The Creative Choice"
• Marionette Style Puppet Shows
• All Shows are Replaceable
SHOWS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
1 . The Circus
Santa's Workshop
Underwater Adventure
Farm Friends
Space Adventure
Nursery Rhymes
Magic
(Custom Themes Available)
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
0-SUN CO.
( 414) 242-6200
P.O. BOX 334
THIENSVILLE, WI 53092
incorporates video game play as the
attraction to get players to play the
machines.
The machines do not pay off for
skill , but the play on the games is
designed to suggest to the player
t hat his skill does influence his
chan ces of winning . (See related
fe ature st ory elsewhe re in this
iss ue. )
The Illinois lottery commission
anticipated the video lottery ma-
chines would average $1,000 per
week with the video games. The
machines, however, are grossing
slightly over $300 per week.
The Illinois lottery commission
attributes this low average in a large
part to poor video games.
The four video games in the cur-
re nt video lottery machines are The
Lady and the Tiger, Space Marau-
ders, Chicago, and Ballyhoo. All
(co ntinued on page 12)
PLAY METER. February 1. 1985
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).