Play Meter

ANOTHER VIEW
ON A SERIOUS SUBJECT
'II say right up front that this will be about parallel imports to alleviate the problem before it is placed in operators' laps.
and copied games. You may groan that you've heard enough It should be dealt with before blame is put on operators simply
and refuse to continue. But please, read what I have to for buying the boards. Konami's Contra was not sold in Japan
say, whether you agree or not. But keep in mind that this under that name. So any boards coming from Japan will be
is only an opinion, although I feel that what I have to say called something else and no one but Konami can sell a game
may be important.
called Contra. A game could also be sold in the U.S. first.
Several months ago I had a three hour lay-over in an airport That way the used boards coming from Japan would not be
waiting to get back to New Orleans. The time ended up being competing with new boards over here--at higher prices.
well spent because during a conversation I had with an operator
But I'm not finished. Parallel boards may not be illegal
there I realized that we are far from having the parallel import but one thing, beyond any possible doubt, counterfeit or copied
issue laid to rest. In fact, that conversation led me on a campaign board~ are illegal. Under no circumstances is any operator
to talk about it more with others.
justified in purchasing a copied board. And I mean UNDER
We've all heard about parallel imports, maybe you operate NO CIRCUMSTANCES. Buying a copy of a game that someone
them, and maybe you even sell them. Whatever, it's a spent quality time and money to develop is despicable. Someone
controversial subject that keeps crossing our paths. An operator told me recently that copying a game is like stealing someone's
sees an ad for a game he'd like to get but then he wonders brain and that is as low as a person can get. But 111 go
"is it legal?" Even if he knows for sure that it is a par-.tllel one step f urther--a person can get even lower by supporting
game. he may still ask, "is it legal?"
a company that copies games.
And amid this confusion is a deluge of information and
I've been told that operators are justifying the purchase
misinformation. Operators are engulfed with opinions and that and use of copied boards by pretending they are par.tllel boards.
is where the real difficulcy lies. Operators are coerced into Come on, guys, don't do it. You aren't "getting even" with
believing that parallel boards are illegal and that there will the manufacturers, you're not helping yourself, and you're not
be serious repercussions if they buy them. On the other hand, helping the industry you work hard to support. If you are
many prominent operators are operating them on their own operating copied games, please think about what you are
doing--not just to yourself but the coin-op industry.
routes, which only adds to the turmoil.
There may be a place for the used boards coming from
You probably read the article by attorney Richard Stem
in the last issue of Play Meter. It, too, was only an opinion Japan, the verdict is still out on that. But there is no place
but a startling one indeed. He r-.tises the question about whether whatsoever for copied games. There never was and never will
it is even possible for a parallel imported board to be declared be. Don't fall into a trap of thinking what you do doesn't
illegal. What is surprising is that these boards coming into count; if it didn' t I'm sure you would go find some other
the U.S. from overseas are often referred to as original boards. line of work. And if you really don' t believe your actions speak
Because that's what they are! These controversial boards were in tllis industry, there are a lot of us who hope you do go
originally sold in Japan, by the company that owns the rights find another career. There are too many conscientious people
to it. They are not counterfeit and they are not copies. They who know they are important to the successful future of the
are original boards intended for the Japanese market. They coin-op entertainment industry.
~how up here as used boards and as such are usually cheaper
7
than new ones.
TI1e U.S. company that buys the U.S. rights to a game from
~~u;;-~.__.
a Japanese company should have some provisions for dealing
with the problem of used boards being shipped to the U.S.
Valerie Cognevich
I know that's an oversimplification of a complex problem
Editor
and I' m just as sure that if it was that easy everyone would
do it immediately. But in talking with various industry veter.ms,
I believe that there are avenues that manufacturers can take
I
~A~~///~/J
ll PLAY MffER/ Ocwhcr 1987