mancuso@psuvax.UUCP (01/23/84)
To add flames to the discussion of the dark side of arcade games, (accounting, skill levels, etc) I would like to contribute the following description of the features of a pinball machine that I recently bought (this weekend to be exact). The game is Bally's Space Invaders pinball machine (not the video game) The date on the manual is 1980, so this info may be a little dated, but here goes anyway. The machine is put into the maintenance mode by pressing a button that is on the inside of the coin door. The first mode entered is a lamp test mode that blinks all the lights so you can find burned out bulbs. Pressing the button again gets the operator into the score display driver module test mode. The credit/ball# display and all of the score displays cycle through 000000-111111-...999999 to check for burned out displays, bad driver chips, etc. Another press gets you into the solenoid test mode where all of the solenoids are energized in sequence (with the solenoid number appearing on the credits display). If there is a bad solenoid, it can be identified by the number on the display. The next test checks the sound module by continuously playing the 'end of game' song. The next press checks the switches to make sure that they are all 'open'. If one or more switches are shorted, a number referring to the switch is flashed on the credits display. The next part is the bookkeeping section of the machine. Pressing the test button again gets you into the first section. An 01 will appear in the credits display to indicate the first 'register' is being accessed. this is the first point threshold. A 'special' is awarded at this threshold as programmed (x-ball, replay, points). The setting can be changed in intervals of 10,000 by holding in the credit button. To change the interval to -10,000, press the test button while the credit button is held. When the desired threshold is reached, release the credit button and push the test button to get to threshold #02 and #03. Any or all of these may be set to 0 to disable them. Pressing the test button again displays the current high score. this may be cleared and reset in the same way as the threshold values. After the high score is set, pressing the button again displays an 05 in the credits display, and the current number of credits on all 4 of the score displays. More credits can be added (up to a total of 5) by holding the credit button in. These credits will show up on the 'service credits' register (see below). Pressing the test button again displays the total number of payed and free games played. (this and any of the other registers can be cleared by putting a coin in slot #3 while the register is being displayed) The next register displays the number of free games awarded. Register 08 shows the number of times the high score has been beaten + the number of times the machine has been turned over (>1,000,000 points). Reg 09, 10, 11 is the number of coins through coin slots 1, 2, and 3 respectively. reg 12 is the number of specials awarded by board targets. Register 13 is the number of minutes of game play. and register 14 records the number of service credits that have been added. Recap: lamp test display test solenoid test switch test sound test 01 threshold #1 02 threshold #2 03 threshold #3 04 high score to date 05 current credits 06 total plays (payed & free) 07 free games 08 # times high score beaten 09 coins in chute #1 10 coins in chute #2 11 coins in chute O#3 12 number of specials from targets 13 minutes of game play 14 service credits The play personality of the game can be programmed with the 32 dip switches on the MPU board (a motorola 6800 for those who are interested). The credits/coin can be set for slots 1 & 3 and for slot 2 in the range from 2 coins/credit up to 15 credits/coin. The number of balls/game can be set to 3 or 5. The result of a 'special' can be set to be a free game, an extra ball, or points. Some of the targets can be set so that if (for example) 3 out of 5 of the targets were hit, and the player's turn ends, on the next turn those targets would be still considered hit, or they can be set so that they are reset at each ball. The maximum number of credits can be set to 10, 15, 25 or 40, the 'match' feature can be turned on or off, the award for beating the high score to date can be set to 0 1 2 or 3 credits or an extra ball. The sounds can be set to eliminate the background 'thumping', and to make noise when the flipper buttons are pressed. the point values of some of the targets can be set reset at each ball, or to hold their values between balls. All in all, the machine can do much more than I ever expected when I was playing it in the arcade. The manual also goes over how to move the outlane posts to make the game more difficult, or to make it easier, so the computer is not the only one that can make the game harder. The dark side of the arcade business? I think it is alive and well. --- Overall there is a smell of fried onions. (fnord) :+: Pat Mancuso :+: Penn State University Usenet: :+: allegra!psuvax!mancuso Bitnet: :+: mancuso@psuvax1