Star Tech Journal

STAR*TECH Journal
Redemption/Merchandising
Summer Updates
By Frank "The Crank" Seninsky
Alpha-Qmega Anusements
Fdison, New Jersey
&
Sales
SKILL IX>ZER by Kramer Mfg.
After thorough testing of this game in New
Jersey arcades, I am quite distressed to
say that it is not earning what many had
hoped it would. It is constructed fairly
well and hasn't been a headache to
operate, but the players are not getting
"hooked" on it.
This should not be taken as "doom and
destruction" because there have been many
games in the past that do not fair well on
the New Jersey shore but do very well in
other parts of the country. The reason for
this is that there is just too much
conpetition from other games here, such as
legal slot machines, coin pushers,
pokers ... and these games generate all the
excitement (there are elements of chance
involved).
I have by no means given up on SKILL
OOZER. We have put signs on the game
stating that the player receives "25 cents
for half a tank of gas/50 cents for a full
tank." It is well worth it to the player
to have a full tank of gas, as it is very
difficult to win a prize with only half a
tank.
We have lowered the time of play to under
20 seconds (28 seconds was originally
recomnended) and have used high quality
and high value prizes. some operators have
made the game rore challenging by adding
"barriers" to the playfield so additional
skill would be required, but this just
plain turned off players. I' 11 keep you
posted on this one.
(XIIBR
by wedges/Ledges.
The people at Wedges/Ledges had a
prototype CDMER air freighted to me last
week. I am very inl)ressed with this
self-loading skill merchandiser. After
several days of toying with CDMER, I feel
that it should be an excellent "street
game" that both adults and kids will
enjoy. I don't think it will "knock 'em
dead" in arcades, but it should be a
steady earner there too.
July 19 87 ( 12)
My design inl)rovement suggestions are:
1) Different size and shape "feet"
attachments on the prize pusher need to be
adapted to give operators rore flexibility
in the types of prizes they can use;
2) The magnetic rod adjustment which sets
the distance to the prize hole (that the
player has no control over), should be
made similar to a TV antenna so an
operator could just pull it out or push it
in to make the game harder or easier. This
rod now has a set screw adjustment that I
wouldn't want to keep playing with;
3) I don't like the way the game ends if
"time" runs out. The pusher returns to the
start position without conpleting its
travel to the win hole. I think the
players would like it nuch rore if they
always got to conplete the pusher cycle
even if time should run out. It's like not
having a crane claw get to drop and close
over a prize before the claw returns to ,...._
home position.
/ •
As soon as this game is conpleted, we will
be putting it out on test and reporting
back to you. It is very well constructed
(it hasn't had any problems yet) and looks
to be an excellent game.
Reply to BIG by migene Riddell, Jolly Time, DoVer, m.
Since writing the "Reduce PUff" article in
the May STAR"'TECH issue, I have received
many calls regarding voltage line
conditioners, some from manufacturers
outside of our industry. I just read the
June issue of STAR"'TECH and noticed a fine
article on another method for reducing the
BIG CHOICE chaser lightbulb burnout.
A Radio Shack light dinmer will increase
the life expectancy of the attraction
lights, but only by about 10%-15%. A light
dimner decreases the bulb supply voltage
but has very limited "itiase control." The
BIG CHOICE bulbs will still bum out
r-"
because the bulbs will still be blinking ~ ,
off and on at the peak voltage of 115
volts!