GameRoom "It's Time to Play" T-Shirt - XL Long Sleeve
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NOTICE:If you did not receive a July or August issue
It has come to our attention that there was apparently a mixup with the mailing databases for GameRoom Magazine which affected both the July and August mailings.
If you have not received your July or August issue, please email us at subscriptions@gameroommag.com and let us know and we will promptly mail you out a replacement copy. Thank you for being a subscriber.
Kevin Steele Editor and Publisher
August 2010 GameRoom Magazine
The Big Bang: The Video Game Hall of Fame
Resurrection: The Art of Recreating Art
Lost Arcade Classics: Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters (Atari, 1989)
If you've been holding off on buying a new Mr. Pinball Price Guide, now is the time - the 2010 Mr. Pinball Pinball List and Price Guide is now on sale for just $15, while supplies last.
More that just a list of prices (although it has that as well!), the guide includes production runs, cross-references for games sharing layouts, listings by chronology, game name, and manufacturer, game and price lists for bingo and pitch n' bat baseball machines, even game-only lists for ball and puck bowlers and rifle galleries. An invaluable resource that no coin-op hobbyist should be without.
Get yours before the 2011 price increase!
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Wondering what GameRoom Magazine is all about?
Download a free sample issue and check it out! (Adobe PDF format)
If you like what you see, you can also try out our special introductory "trial subscription": $15 for six issues ($25 for Canada. Not available outside US and Canada). Just click on "GameRoom Subscriptions" on the left to order. We're sure that you're going to love it!
Written by Kevin Steele
//
Thursday, 26 August 2010
The city of Beacon, NY is going to have a public meeting to discuss a modification to their law banning pinball and arcade games from the town. The meeting will be held at 7pm on August 30th.
The dispute came to a head when noise complaints about Fred Bobrow's Retro Arcade Museum led to a landlord using an arcane law banning pinball machines to shut down the museum.
The new law would allow exemptions, by special permit, for vintage amusement devices built before 1980. It does not repeal the general ban on amusement centers on Main Street.
Written by Kevin Steele
//
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
The second volume of COIN-OP.TV is now back in stock! This exciting DVD features interviews and event coverage from the world of arcade and video gaming, including record holders, game designers, and artists from all over the world!
Over 90 minutes of COIN-OP TV episodes re-mastered for DVD
Interviews with Eugene Jarvis, Cliff Bleszinksi, Tommy Tallarico, Falcoon, Donald Hayes, Leonard Herman, Jeff Anderson (Videotopia), Adam Wood, Man-Faye (Anime Expo 06), artists from "I am 8-bit" art shows, a Galaxian tribute, and more!
Now available once more for the low price of $9.95!
Two new Seeburg jukebox repair books from Ron Rich!
Ron Rich has established himself as one of the foremost experts on jukebox repair, and his latest two repair guides once again prove to be an invaluable resource for owners of Seeburg jukes.
Designed as a procedural guide to tracking down problems, the Seeburg Microlog Jukebox Troubleshooting Guide includes both service notes and procedure charts to aid in your phonograph (Seeburg never called their music players "jukeboxes") repair adventure.
In Ron’s own words, "This guide was written to assist you in locating and pinpointing any problems, down to the component…[it] is for use by a person who as a basic understanding of ‘117 VAC,’ ‘low voltage’ circuits, and how the jukebox is supposed to operate."
Another essential tool for Seeburg jukebox (okay, Seeburg phonograph) enthusiasts, the Seeburg Mechanism Guide was written, in Ron’s words, "to explain how the mechanism, in its various versions, works." Seems straight-forward, but as anyone who’s worked on any sort of electro-mechanical device, these machines are hardly as simple as they appear on the outside.
From "Pin Bank" 100-selection models through SMC mechs, this guide covers all variants of Seeburg mechs and their operation. If you’re trying to wrap your head around what your Seeburg juke is supposed to be doing, this is the guide for you.
Together these two books can help get that bargain "clunker" of a Seeburg juke you picked up at an auction back into shape, and help keep it working for years to come. Both are now available from GameRoom Magazine!
If you've been holding off on buying a new Mr. Pinball Price Guide, now is the time - the 2010 Mr. Pinball Pinball List and Price Guide is now on sale for just $15, while supplies last.
More that just a list of prices (although it has that as well!), the guide includes production runs, cross-references for games sharing layouts, listings by chronology, game name, and manufacturer, game and price lists for bingo and pitch n' bat baseball machines, even game-only lists for ball and puck bowlers and rifle galleries. An invaluable resource that no coin-op hobbyist should be without.
Written by Kevin Steele
//
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR JULY OR AUGUST ISSUE:
It has come to our attention that there was apparently a mixup with the mailing databases for GameRoom Magazine, a mixup which affected both the July and August mailings. This problem primarily affected anyone who renewed or subscribed during the last two months.
If you have not received your July or August GameRoom magazine, please email us at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
and let us know and we will promptly mail you out a replacement copy. The problem has now been fixed, but we sincerly apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you for being a subscriber.
The city of Beacon, NY has decided to enforce an old law banning pinball in the city limits, effectively shutting down the Retro Arcade Museum run by Fred Bobrow (featured in the July issue of GameRoom Magazine). This is unbelievable in this day and age that pinball is still illegal in some places, and it's even worse that this law is being used to shut down a truly unique store that features a great collection of old EM arcade games (including the evil pinball machines).
I'd urge you to contact Beacon's mayor and let him know your feelings about this. It's incredibly unjust, and just mind-boggling that they decided to enforce this arcane law 18 months after he had opened for business.
A new high score record is made public by Twin Galaxies. Billy Mitchell's score of 1,062,800 points passes Hank Chien's record score of 1,061,700 points for Donkey Kong. To make matters more interesting for those keeping score at home, Billy also became the new Donkey Kong Jr. champ with a score of 1,270,900. Both scores were verified live at Boomers-Grand Prix Arcade in Florida by veteran Twin Galaxies referees Todd Rogers and Morning Dove Mahoney.
Namco Bandai announced late Tuesday that it was working on a new television program featuring its most popular character – one that would air in stereoscopic 3D. The show features a teen Pac-Man who is thrust into greatness and must save Pac-World when it is overrun by ghosts. The only way to do that: Eat the ghosts. He’s aided in this mission by a teacher/mentor, a group of Pac-friends and four friendly ghosts – Pinky, Inky, Blinky and Clyde (who, ironically, were the arch-enemies in the original arcade game). Since he’s not an adult, Pac-Man will suffer the usual angst of teenagers, including being forced to deal with his split affections for a friend and fellow student as well as one of the ghosts.
Written by Kevin Steele
//
Wednesday, 02 June 2010
Now available for Pre-Order! In Stock 6/14!
Well, it's taken far longer than expected, but we finally have the new Michael Ford books on the way, and will have them in-stock on June 14th!
Digital Restoration Secrets
Restoring an old game to "like new" condition is a challenge, even if replacement artwork is available. If you have a game that has no replacement art available, it becomes almost an impossible task.
Fortunately, digital art restoration has made it possible to repair or replace damaged artwork—everything from scratches to faded colors can be fixed with the click of a mouse.
Michael Ford’s book Digital Restoration Secretstakes you through the complete restoration process, showing you the best techniques for generating shiny new artwork for that classic old game. It’s an invaluable resource for the dedicated coin-op hobbyist who has a machine in need of new art.
Antique Arcade Games
There’s something wonderfully wacky about looking at ads from the past. From the dated fashions, to the outlandish hyperbole and blunt sales tactics, it’s like you’ve found a window into an entirely different civilization. No matter how strange the culture was, they still needed entertainment. Michael Ford has compiled a treasure trove of coin-op history, preserved in the form of the famous Mike Munves Amusement Device catalogs.
Antique Arcade Gamesis a collection of Mike Munves distributor catalogs from 1939 through 1962. Mike Munves Corp. supplied every type of coin-operated amusement device, from fortune tellers to jukeboxes and more. It’s like a reference guide to every vintage coin-op game ever made.
From the political-incorrect "Poison this Rat" game (where you try and kill HItler) to ads for early Seeburg jukeboxes with "Scientific Sound Distribution," its an informative look at the early coin-op industry and society as a whole.
compiles coin-op flyers and advertisements from the 1930’s and 40’s. In addition to providing more details on the games, the ads are a hilarious look at the advertising techniques of the past.
The city of Beacon, NY is going to have a public meeting to discuss a modification to their law banning pinball and arcade games from the town. The meeting will be held at 7pm on August 30th.
The Seeburg Microlog Jukebox Troubleshooting Guide
Ron Rich’s Seeburg Mechanism Guide, 2nd Edition
A new high score record is made public by 
Namco Bandai announced late Tuesday that it was working on a new television program featuring its most popular character – one that would air in stereoscopic 3D. The show features a teen Pac-Man who is thrust into greatness and must save Pac-World when it is overrun by ghosts. The only way to do that: Eat the ghosts. He’s aided in this mission by a teacher/mentor, a group of Pac-friends and four friendly ghosts – Pinky, Inky, Blinky and Clyde (who, ironically, were the arch-enemies in the original arcade game). Since he’s not an adult, Pac-Man will suffer the usual angst of teenagers, including being forced to deal with his split affections for a friend and fellow student as well as one of the ghosts.
