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,•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• News Notes ./NICKELS & DIMES INSTALLS LASER TAG Nickels and Dimes has installed LaserTrek laser tag by Heads Up Technologies of Dallas, Texas, in its West Road Mall location in Omaha, Neb. Called Virtual Laser and located on the ground floor of the mall, it can accommodate up to 30 players at a time in the 5,000-square-foot arena. According to Heads Up president Rob Harshaw, the company's proprietary Real Time Operation System (RTOS) allows for over 350 adjustable game parameters, which guarantees that LaserTrek is never the same game twice. Said Ron Kostelny, president of Nickels and Dimes, "Heads Up offers a total game experience, from a moviequality pre-game briefing to the excitement of the actual game." Nickels and Dimes, which is based in Carrollton, Texas, currently operates over 200 family amusement centers in shopping malls throughout the United States and several locations in Australia. ./LOUISIANA VIDEO POKER OPERATORS PLAN STRATEGY The climate has not been good for video poker operators in Louisiana. Allegations of legislative corruption, and other unsavory charges, have given the state's legalized video poker industry a black eye. A new governor and changes in the Legislature may combine to jeopardize the foothold established by the three-and-a-halfyear-old industry. In an effort to gain public support for video poker, operators and locations are banding together to mount a public relations campaign emphasizing the contributions of video poker to the state. In the works are 30-minute infomercials and an intense six-month advertising campaign. While video poker has been a success, some of the state's riverboat operations have floundered . The city of New Orleans and the state are grappling with the recent shutdown of Harrah's temporary casino and the halt of construction on the permanent facility (see "Coin-Op News" page 20). ./ MKJTHIEVES APPREHENDED BY AUTHORITIES New England operators report that authorities arrested three suspects in connection with a rash of video game PCB thefts at locations in several states. The alleged thieves were targeting Mortal Kombat 3 games. Stanley Halgas of Fun Stop in Springfield, Mass., said the thefts occurred at locations such as FECs and bowling centers. "I don't know of any street accounts that were hit," he said. Halgas, who lost five boards to the thieves, said authorities have not determined whether the games were being sold domestically or overseas. "They have to have a market," he said. The thefts occurred in early November, and the suspects have been released on bail. Several other companies, including Melo-Tone Vending of Somerville, Mass., T & M Distributors of Willimantic, Conn., and Dream Machine of Boston, Mass., reportedly suffered losses ..& ./ATE AND IMA DRAW INTERNATIONAL CROWD Europe will play host to two prestigious trade shows this month: ATE and IMA. The Amusement Trades Exhibition International welcomes visitors to London, England, Jan. 20-23 for the new separate Parks, Rides, and Family Entertainment section and the International Casino section on the first floors of Earls Court 1. Immediately afterwards, the international trade fair for amusement and vending machines (IMA) will occupy two halls at the Frankfurt Fairgrounds in Frankfurt, Germany, Jan. 24-27. Hall 1 will house slot machine exhibits while Hall 2 will feature the new Billiards, Sports, and Innovations section. ./AAMA CHOOSES AD AGENCY FOR MARKETING The American Amusement Machine Association has chosen DiMeo Rosen Partners of Chicago, Ill., to launch an advertising and promotions plan for the industry. Explained Bob Fay, executive director of AAMA, "The time is right for our industry to get aggressive in marketing itself, and the first step in that direction is teaming up with an agency that understands aggressive marketing." The first DiMeo Rosen project will be a test market radio campaign during the first quarter of the year, which will probably be tied into a retail promotion in the Minneapolis market. AAMA's objectives are to promote the coin-op entertainment experience and increase the player base and frequency of play. ./VIRTUAL REALITY COMES TO CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, OHIO Virtual Images has installed its Reality+ virtual reality systems in several new locations. In California, the systems are featured at the Wharf Center in San Francisco and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk in Santa Cruz. In addition, two systems are now in the main arcade at Cedar Point Amusement park/resort in Sandusky, Ohio, and four systems are at Church Street Market in Orlando, Fla. Columbus, Ohio-based Virtual Images is continuing a research and development project in conjunction with Synthetic Images of Orlando, with plans to incorporate new technology in the company's upcoming next-generation product, CyberPak. ./MICRO MFG . ADDS REGIONAL DIRECTORS Micro Mfg. of LaVergne, Tenn., has added three regional marketing directors to its staff to better serve its customers. Company officials say the move is a direct result of demand for its Magical Touch countertop trivia game. Brian Gorsich takes charge of the Southeast region; he is at the LaVergne headquarters (800-277-6136). Dave Kelly has the reins of the Northeast region; he is based in Londonderry, N.H. (800- 793-1520). Dave Winton will direct the Midwest region; he is located in Bloomington, Ill. (800-290-5031). Micro president Larry Hartley continues to oversee the national and international markets and will also handle the West Coast region until a fourth regional director is appointed. Hartley can be reached at the Peoria, Ill., office (800-211-4313) or at the factory (800-277-6136). PLAY METER 3 JANUARY 1996