Star Tech Journal
Issue: 1983-September - Vol 5 Issue 7 - Page 3
STAR.TECH JOURNAL/SEPTEMBER 1983
3
NEWS BITS/
...sTAR...!...
IECH~
JOU
The Technical Monthly
for the Amusements Industry
P.O. Box 1065
Merchantville, NJ 08109
609/662-3432
SEPTEMBER 1983
VOLUME 5, NO. 7
Publisher/Editor
James Galore
Administrative Assistant
L.T. DiRenzo
Art/ Advertising Coordinator
Paul Ehlinger
FUNTASTIC SIGNS WITII THE GAMES NETWORK
HOME COMPUTERS TO WIN IN ELECTRONIC GAME MARKET
GAMELINE OFFERS ON-LINE VIDEO GAMES FOR THE ATARI VCS
Funtastic Signs with The Games Network
Funtastic, Inc. has leased the cable-television rights for its games to The Games
Network, a new cable-delivered videogame programming service. Funtastics' best
seller, Snack Attack, will be one of the first games offered by the new service.
The new network is viewed as an additional revenue source for videogame
manufacturers and designers; it will pay royalties for games offered on the service. It is
also expected to provide a test market for new games.
The Games Network will offer a variety of videogames in both educational and
entertainment formats. Cable viewers will pay a monthly fee, and will be able to choose
from a selection of 20 games, at least five of which will be rotated monthly. The service
is expected to start late this year.
Home Computers to Win in Electronic Game Market
Traditional video game consoles ·md software sales growth will moderate markedly in
the 1983-85 period as low-price home computers and entertainment/game software
make inroads into their market, according to a new analysis from Frost & Sullivan.
Based on a retailer survey, the report predicts an average annual current dollar
growth rate of 55 to 7 5% for home-computer hardware over the next two years and 60
to 85% for home computer software. Programmable video-game console sales will rise
20 to 30% a year and the cartridges to be played on them will rise 35 to 50%.
A much sharper curtailment may be taking place in the coin-operated electronic
video game market. Unit sales are expected to fall 3 2% in 19 8 3. Operator revenues will
drop steadily from $7 .0 billion in 1982 to $4.6 billion in 1987.
Gameline Offers On-Line Video Games for the Atari VCS
Circulation Promotion
Linda Geseking
Layout
Dale Meloni Graphics
Contributing
Technical Writers
Todd Erickson
Don Becker
Mark "Bear'' Attebery
Peter Gurko
Brad MacPherson
Sam Cross
Gameline, a new telecommunication system for owners of the Atari Video Computer
System 2600 (VCS), is available from Control Video Corp., Vienna, VA. CVC will
offer video games and information services to VCS owners who buy a Master Module
cartridge, which includes an autodial modem and memory to store downloaded games
or text.
Founded by William von Meister, who created The Source, Gameline will be priced
at about $ 1 per game, after the initial $50 to $60 charge for the Master Module and a
one-time $15 membership fee.
SEGA
MONITOR REPAIR POLICY
Subject: Monitor Repair and RMAs (Return Materials Authorization)
STAR*TECH JOURNAL, September
1983, Vol. 5, No. 7. Copyright 1983
byStar*TechJournal, Inc.All rights
reserved. Star*Tech Journal is
published monthly. ISSN 0739-1048.
Address inquiries to: P.O. Box 1065,
Merchantville, NJ 08109. Phone:
609/662-3432. Subscription rates:
USA-$40.00. Canada-$45.00. Other
countries-$70.00. Please remit
payment in US funds. Advertising
rates available upon request. All
manuscripts become property of
Star*Tech Journal. No part of this
Journal may be reproduced without
permission. Contents of the articles
herein are verified as much as
possible. However, any reader using
this information does so at his/her
own risk. Star*Tech Journal
accepts no responsibility for its
advertisers' activities.
Problems have arisen from distributors requesting RMAs or sending in for repair
portions of a monitor. In most cases, Sega is unable to provide repairs without having
the complete unit.
To preclude future problems, Sega Customer Service is instituting a policy of only
repairing a complete monitor and they will only issue RMAs for a complete monitor.
If you have a problem with any portion of a monitor, you must send in the entire
monitor for repair, or if under warranty, you must request an RMA for a complete
monitor.
This policy took effect on August 8, 1983.
S*TJ 4TH ANNUAL READER SURVEY RESULTS
Next month's issue will highlight the results of our Fourth Annual Reader
Survey. We thank the many readers who participated in this survey and
shared their insights with us. Look for some interesting comments and
opinions along with the assessments of service-minded manufacturers.
000
3
NEWS BITS/
...sTAR...!...
IECH~
JOU
The Technical Monthly
for the Amusements Industry
P.O. Box 1065
Merchantville, NJ 08109
609/662-3432
SEPTEMBER 1983
VOLUME 5, NO. 7
Publisher/Editor
James Galore
Administrative Assistant
L.T. DiRenzo
Art/ Advertising Coordinator
Paul Ehlinger
FUNTASTIC SIGNS WITII THE GAMES NETWORK
HOME COMPUTERS TO WIN IN ELECTRONIC GAME MARKET
GAMELINE OFFERS ON-LINE VIDEO GAMES FOR THE ATARI VCS
Funtastic Signs with The Games Network
Funtastic, Inc. has leased the cable-television rights for its games to The Games
Network, a new cable-delivered videogame programming service. Funtastics' best
seller, Snack Attack, will be one of the first games offered by the new service.
The new network is viewed as an additional revenue source for videogame
manufacturers and designers; it will pay royalties for games offered on the service. It is
also expected to provide a test market for new games.
The Games Network will offer a variety of videogames in both educational and
entertainment formats. Cable viewers will pay a monthly fee, and will be able to choose
from a selection of 20 games, at least five of which will be rotated monthly. The service
is expected to start late this year.
Home Computers to Win in Electronic Game Market
Traditional video game consoles ·md software sales growth will moderate markedly in
the 1983-85 period as low-price home computers and entertainment/game software
make inroads into their market, according to a new analysis from Frost & Sullivan.
Based on a retailer survey, the report predicts an average annual current dollar
growth rate of 55 to 7 5% for home-computer hardware over the next two years and 60
to 85% for home computer software. Programmable video-game console sales will rise
20 to 30% a year and the cartridges to be played on them will rise 35 to 50%.
A much sharper curtailment may be taking place in the coin-operated electronic
video game market. Unit sales are expected to fall 3 2% in 19 8 3. Operator revenues will
drop steadily from $7 .0 billion in 1982 to $4.6 billion in 1987.
Gameline Offers On-Line Video Games for the Atari VCS
Circulation Promotion
Linda Geseking
Layout
Dale Meloni Graphics
Contributing
Technical Writers
Todd Erickson
Don Becker
Mark "Bear'' Attebery
Peter Gurko
Brad MacPherson
Sam Cross
Gameline, a new telecommunication system for owners of the Atari Video Computer
System 2600 (VCS), is available from Control Video Corp., Vienna, VA. CVC will
offer video games and information services to VCS owners who buy a Master Module
cartridge, which includes an autodial modem and memory to store downloaded games
or text.
Founded by William von Meister, who created The Source, Gameline will be priced
at about $ 1 per game, after the initial $50 to $60 charge for the Master Module and a
one-time $15 membership fee.
SEGA
MONITOR REPAIR POLICY
Subject: Monitor Repair and RMAs (Return Materials Authorization)
STAR*TECH JOURNAL, September
1983, Vol. 5, No. 7. Copyright 1983
byStar*TechJournal, Inc.All rights
reserved. Star*Tech Journal is
published monthly. ISSN 0739-1048.
Address inquiries to: P.O. Box 1065,
Merchantville, NJ 08109. Phone:
609/662-3432. Subscription rates:
USA-$40.00. Canada-$45.00. Other
countries-$70.00. Please remit
payment in US funds. Advertising
rates available upon request. All
manuscripts become property of
Star*Tech Journal. No part of this
Journal may be reproduced without
permission. Contents of the articles
herein are verified as much as
possible. However, any reader using
this information does so at his/her
own risk. Star*Tech Journal
accepts no responsibility for its
advertisers' activities.
Problems have arisen from distributors requesting RMAs or sending in for repair
portions of a monitor. In most cases, Sega is unable to provide repairs without having
the complete unit.
To preclude future problems, Sega Customer Service is instituting a policy of only
repairing a complete monitor and they will only issue RMAs for a complete monitor.
If you have a problem with any portion of a monitor, you must send in the entire
monitor for repair, or if under warranty, you must request an RMA for a complete
monitor.
This policy took effect on August 8, 1983.
S*TJ 4TH ANNUAL READER SURVEY RESULTS
Next month's issue will highlight the results of our Fourth Annual Reader
Survey. We thank the many readers who participated in this survey and
shared their insights with us. Look for some interesting comments and
opinions along with the assessments of service-minded manufacturers.
000
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).