MOM RULES THE CIRCUS

.. in which our self-
confessed  videophile
Eric Eggertson takes an
objective look at one of
hts haunts.

IN ONE of the most
unpredictable shifts of
popularity in the en-
tertainment industry,
video games are taking
over as the one definite
money-winner for the
companies who make
them and the stores and
arcades which house
them.

And this trend toward
electronic amusement is
wiping out the old myth
about the pinball arcades
being dens of crime.

Today’s . arcade has a
different look, fresher and
less oppressive.

While the bleeping
machines seem noisier and
more impersonal to the
observer, they appeal to a
wider market, and so bring
mewcomers to the arcades

who have never played
pinball in their lives.
Phyllis Riggs runs the

Circuit Circus arcade on
Lonsdale with her husband
Bud. She describes how the
character of the place has
changed since they took
over in November.

“It’s not a hangout. If the
kids aren't playing the
games, I ask them to leave.
Even the police don't come
in and bother the kids any
more.” .

Circuit Circus advertises
as a family establishment.
The television ads may be a
bit hard to take — complete
with the old, “Hey, why

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don’t we go to Circuit Cir-
cus!" — but Phyllis swears
she gets whole families in for
video games.

“A guy and his wife come
in every week with their four
year old son. The kid gets
the highest score on one of
the machines.”

Known affectionately as
“Mom” by her young
patrons, she tries to establish
some basic rules, which, if
followed, make the arcade
run smoothly. NO FOUL
LANGUAGE, the sign says,
and “Mom” enforces it
strictly. “We have only
thrown out a handful,” she
says.

At Christmas, “Mom”
gave each of the regulars a
Christmas card, to their.
delight. She also has pians
for future activities, making
the arcade a kind of home
away from the house. She
agrees that some of them go
through a lot of money on
the games, but feels the
atmosphere is healthier in
the arcade than out on the
street.

She is constantly  at-
tempting to convert
disbelievers, and encourages
people in the neighborhood
to drop in and see what the
place is like.

Younger kids have to
bring a letter signed by their
parents allowing them to
play pinball or video games,
and they receive a mem-
bership card which is
checked regularly. “Mom”
runs a tight ship, but no one
seems to complain.

While
housewives,

kids and
doctors and

business types pour quarters
into the buzzing, flashing
video games,

one has to

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January 24, 1982

Lite among the flashing lights

MOM AND HER friends have turned the games shop
into a place where families really do take their children
for some enjoyable entertainment. (Eric Eggertson

photo)

wonder where the trend is
leading.

The United States army

uses a modified video game

train tank drivers to

respond to attack situations
from machine gun fire to a
nuclear attack.

The president of the

Philippines has taken the
drastic action of outlawing
video games.

“Mom” is not a _ video
game fan herself. she is a
pinball lover. But as long as
the customers like the
shimmering screens, she will
be happy to accommodate.

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