My guess is that most people reading this are not only in the jukebox and games business, but folks who just might be curious about what makes people do what people do. I’m not talking about professionals like Dr. Skinner who sort of invented the behavioral sciences, but average folks often heard to say things like: “What the hell did you do that for?” or “I really love to travel, but I really don’t know why.”
I’ve attended a lot of classes and seminars during my time on earth, and forget which was the one in which I heard that human beings are motivated by four basic drives. The two biological ones are: 1. hunger, and 2. the desire to procreate the species. It’s the next two that hold my attention right now. . . the two social ones: 1. the desire for variety, and 2. the need for recognition.
I think you see right now how our products and services play into these two, like at the bar where folks get a chance to get out of the house and blow the dust off themselves (variety). And joining a pool, dart or other coin-op league, whether put on by a single operator or an association of a dozen companies or more, just might be the best way average people ever get to compete for the check, trophy or both bestowed on the best (recognition).
Both of these needs are also served at the FEC’s game room or the local arcade. Competitive play against another player or even the game’s computer for high-score recognition is the berries. How about those winner tickets you nail with skill on the novelty games? Or by squeezing that stuffed bunny just right out of a crane-full of toys to bring home this trophy; that can mean the whole world to a young kid. I just saw that in a local Denny’s and loved hearing the whoop and holler from him and his pals.
Speaking of recognition, the coin-op business has finally gotten its Hall of Fame and has been saluting some of the industry’s greats from way back until present times. . . and irrespective of their stations. To name but a few, we’ve seen notable operators Dick Hawkins, Millie McCarthy and Don Hesch inducted, as well as distributors like Al Simon, Rich Babich and Rick Kirby, and machine makers like Sam Stern, Dave Gottlieb and David Rockola.
So, now that nominations for next year’s newbies are open (being accepted until July 18), how about doing your part: put up your own selections and make a coin-op family happy. The nomination form can be found at tinyurl.com/mwshn6u5.