Star Tech Journal

9
STAR*TECH JOURNAL/MAY 1983
AOEASIDES
Exidy showed a draw poker video called Guys & Gals, but instead of
playing cards the game has people (guys and gals) holding numbers. Exidy
now sells direct to operators as well as through their distributors ... Food
Fight, Atari's newest video release, was designed by GCC. The
Massachusetts based development company also designed Quantum ...
Gottlieb has reintroduced two pins that were previously released in
electromechanical form: Super Orbit and Royal Flush Deluxe. They are
System 80A based and start a series of convertible pins that can be
upgraded to any current production model for half the price. Convert-a-pin
kits will include playfield, back panel, program PRO Ms, and documentation
... Bally Midway's Journey video game incorporates the faces of the
band members into the game graphics. They are so realistic that they look
like black and white photographs. In fact, they are video photos! A video
tape of their faces was digitized (like a computer portrait) and stored in
ROM as part of the game's graphic memory. The size of the band members'
faces is small because of the large amount of memory required to store the
digitized video info ... One Midway rep remarked, "Next there'll be a
video camera that takes the player's picture at the start of a game, transfers
it to RAM and incorporates the player's picture into the game - even play
against your friend!" ... Wi Ilia ms showed a new shuffle alley, Big Strike,
and says there's a demand ... Sega's Congo Bongo video is entirely
manufactured in their San Diego plant except for the circuit boards which
are shipped in from Japan. The 3-PCB set (CPU, PROM, and Sound) is
enclosed in an FCC cage to comply with recent regulations that apply to all
video games ... The biggest attention getter at this year's show was another
"concept" piece, this one by Cinematronics. Dragon's Lair is a laser
disc based video with incredible graphics ( done by Disney affiliated
animators) and excellent audio accompaniments. The game theme is of a
knight who must defeat villains, monsters, and traps that surprise him on his
journey through a medieval castle. The video imaging is high quality and the
audio consists of realistic sound effects and dialog. The prototypes at the
show, however, had a noticeable delay in the controls ( 4-way joystick and
"action" button) which made it difficult to play and the video action was
interrupted by annoying blackouts between scenes. The software for the
game was said to be 80% completed and when finished should solve these
two problems. Incidently, every time the software is modified, the master
disc must be redone at the cost of $250,000. (The cost of cutting a master
disc should slow down the game copiers!) The system is being designed as a
convertible type by exchanging discs and marquees to make the changeover.
Factory reps say the unique game is due out in June. Dragon's Lair may
just be the game to pick up the industry (not to mention Cinematronics!),
and more than a few industry insiders say this technology is the future of
coin-operated entertainment.
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PINBAl,L
&VIDEO
• Used Parts Available at
Bargain Prices
• Hard-to-Find Items
• Quarter Coin
Mechanism (Working
Order) $2.00 ea.
• Logic Boards for Older
Pinballs & Videos
• Marquees for Older
Videos
• Complete Coin Doors
• Flippers
• Bumpers
• Much Much More
FOR INFORMATION CALL
GENE LEWIN
(213) 841-111 0
501 N. Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, CA
91502
WILL SHIP
ANYWHERE
IN U.S.
CR/Melectronics
VG-1
Color and Black & White
Raster-Scan Monitor Tester
~
"'
.
Complete with operating
instructions, interfacing cables,
and schematics. Also: complete
pin-out information for constructing
your own interface cable for
virtually any raster-scan monitor.
Star*Tech Journal has a few units
left of this versatile video generator.
First come, first served at this low,
low price ...
$69.95
Please make checks payable to:
Star*Tech Journal
P.O. Box 1065
Merchantville, NJ 08109
Your test unit will be shipped
immediately upon receipt of payment.