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WHICH TRAITS TRAITS DICTATE DICTATE THE THE WHICH FROM THE EDITOR A mood OF YOUR YOUR BUSINESS? BUSINESS? OF Japanese proverb proverb says, says, "Fall ''Fallseven seven times, times, Japanese up eight."Street eight. "Street operators operators take take heed, heed, II standup stand thinkthey theyhad hadyou youin inmind! mind' think Street operators are theheartbeat heartbeatofofthe the Street operators are the coin-op industry. They've taken more falls coin-op industry. They've taken more falls butalways always get getright right thanjust just about about anyone, anyone, but than backup. up. Ever Eversince sincethe thefirst firstcrude crudeancestor ancestor back of the jukebox collected its first coin, theininof the jukebox collected its first coin, the dustry has been providing entertainment to dustry has been providing entertainment to theworld. world.And Andoperators operatorshave havebeen beenprovidprovidthe the best entertainment ing locations with ing locations with the best entertainment possible. Certainly Certainlythings things are are possible. different than they were at different than they were at theturn turnofofthis thiscentury, century,but but the they are also the same. Come they are also the same. Come on,you yousay, say,you're you'recontradictcontradicton, ing yourself. ing yourself. TheininHere'swhat whatIImean. mean. The Here's dustry is different because we dustry is different because we have more sophisticated equiphave more sophisticated equipmentand andplayers, players, more moreprofesprofesment sionals, grander expectations, sionals, grander expectations, andit's it's more morerespectable. respectable.But But and it's the same from negotiating it's the same from negotiating withlocations, locations,dealing dealingwith with with legislative bodies, and offering legislative bodies, and offering funin inlittle littleincrements. increments.CusCusfun tomers have been parting with tomers have been parting with nickels,dimes, dimes,and andquarters quarters nickels, Valerie Cognevich Cognevich since Ballyhoosat saton on aabar barcounter. counter. Operators Operators since Ballyhoo Valerie continue to find new ways to adapt to changEditor Editor continue to find new ways to adapt to changing times. Now there are games costing $1 ing times. Now there are games costing $1 per play that promise more excitement, more per play that promise more excitement, more crushing moves, more decapitations, and crushing moves, more decapitations, and moreviolence violencethan thanever everbefore. before.Maybe Maybethis this more would have been frowned on 20 years ago; would have been frowned on 20 years ago; ofcourse, course, it'swhat whatplayers playerswant wantnow. now.We're, We're,of it's talking about video. It began with two padtalking about video. It began with two padbe a tennis dles loping a dot we envisioned to dles loping a dot we envisioned to be a tennis our imaginations was ball across a line that in ball across a line that in our imaginations was a net. net. a Wedon't don'thave haveto toimagine imaginemuch muchanymore anymore We out for us complete with because it's all laid because it's all laid out for us complete with brilliant graphics, real life characters, and brilliant graphics, real life characters, and unprecedented realism. realism. But Butmixed mixedin inwith with unprecedented new genre of games are the favorites this this new genre of games are the favorites Ms. Pac-Man Pac-Mancontinues continuesto to fromyears yearspast. past.Ms. from charm. But through it all street operators charm. But through it all street operators been called called upon upon to to buy buy the the games, games, havebeen have keep them clean, move them around, and keep them clean, move them around, and still try to make a nice return on their investstill try to make a nice return on their investThat might not have seemed like such ment. ment. That might not have seemed like such PLAYMETER METER PLAY 10 10 loftygoal goal at atone onetime; time; ititisisnearly nearlyimpossiimpossiaalofty ble today. That investment is expensive and ble today. That investment is expensive and it takes more planning to keep an even keel it takes more planning to keep an even keel thanititperhaps perhaps did did years years ago. ago. than Street operators are called uponto tooveroverStreet operators are called upon You can't come overwhelming challenges. come overwhelming challenges. You can't butadmire admirethem. them. And Andbecause becauseititseems seems helpbut help implausible to expect anyone to endure implausible to expect anyone to endure throughititall, all,we weoften oftenhear hearcomments commentslike, like, through "Street operators are nearing extinction!" "Street operators are nearing extinction!" II don'tknow know about aboutyou, you, but butIItake take great exdon't great exception to remarks like that. Streetoperators operators ception to remarks like that. Street still have opportunities. Never have there still have opportunities. Never have there been such marvelous jukeboxes to satisfy been such marvelous jukeboxes to satisfy the most mostsophisticated sophisticated location. location. The The even the even crisp, clear sound is good enough even for crisp, clear sound is good enough even for on being teenagers who pride themselves teenagers who pride themselves on being musicexperts. experts. music Pool tables and and other othersuch suchequipment equipment Pool tables will always be considered the coreof ofaa will always be considered the core be taktakstreet operator's business. But it can't street operator's business. But it can't be en for granted. An operator we talked to citen for granted. An operator we talked to cited details as the difference between a suced details as the difference between a sucand one onedoomed doomedto tofail. fail.But But cessful operator operatorand cessful darned easy to overlook and details are so details are so darned easy to overlook and no one onereally really wants, wants, or orfeels feelsit's it'snecessary, necessary, no them a priority. I read this quote to make to make them a priority. I read this quote and never realized how apt it was for operaand never realized how apt it was for opera"Everyone wants to save the world, but tors: tors: "Everyone wants to save the world, but no one wants to wash the dishes." The big no one wants to wash the dishes." The big things matter, matter, but butyou you already already know know that. that. things do the little things and maybe those But so But so do the little things and maybe those need to be washed. dishes dishes need to be washed. youtalk talkto to aahundred hundred operators, operators,you'll you'll IfIfyou get a hundred different comments on the get a hundred different comments on the state of the industry: it's great, it stinks, state of the industry: it's great, it stinks, II wantout, out,IIlove loveit.it.Some Someoperators operatorsclaim claimto to want be seeing light at the end of a rough tunnel be seeing light at the end of a rough tunnel industrymutation, mutation,some somebitterly bitterlycomplain complain ofofindustry but admit they're still making a decent living but admit they're still making a decent living but with more effort, and some are finding but with more effort, and some are finding theminto intomore more opportunitiesbeckoning beckoningthem opportunities generous bottom lines. Isn't it a commentary generous bottom lines. Isn't it a commentary itselfon onour ourindustry industry when whenso so many, many, dodoininitself ing basically the same thing, can have such ing basically the same thing, can have such varying opinions? opinions? varying Enthusiasm, eagerness, commitment, commitment, and and Enthusiasm, eagerness, high expectations can't be far away when high expectations can't be far away when aa successful.Pessimism, Pessimism,trepidatrepidabusinessisissuccessful. business and shallow efforts tion, discouragement, tion, discouragement, and shallow efforts of a failing business. are close companions are close companions of a failing business. Which dominate dominate your your business? business? A Which AU GUST1997 1997 AUGUST