Midway 4-Player 25" Dedicated Video Game - Manual (Page 80)

Diagnostic, Audit & Adjustment Menu System for NBA 4-26
The Custom Pricing Menu employs the same terms that appear on the Current Pricing Table. See the
table below for definitions of these terms.
PRICING MENU TERMS
MENU TERM DISCUSSION
Slot Units;
Bill Validator (DBV)
Units
Cyber-currency. This adjustment assigns a number of “units” to each coin mechanism
or bill acceptor. For instance, if a quarter buys 1 unit, then $1 buys 4 units. (See Coins
per Bill.) You insert a coin into a 1-unit coin acceptor. The system, due to its
programming, knows that your coin is worth one unit.
Units per Credit How many units equal one credit. (Units buy credit, the price of one game.)
Units per Bonus Units awarded when a player earns a bonus.
Minimum Units Until this many units accumulate, the system awards no credits.
Credits to Start Number of games a player must purchase to begin play.
Credits to Continue Number of games a player must purchase to resume play.
Max Credits Limits the number of credits that the game will accept.
Coins per Bill How many coins one bill is worth.
BASIC CUSTOM PRICING. Custom pricing creates an imaginary currency exchange. In this currency
exchange, the coins of the realm are “units.” Think of units as a type of cyber-currency, useful only within
the game software. By inserting coins, you purchase units.
Since units are only negotiable within game software, the system stores your units for you. When the
system receives enough units, it buys a game for you. The price of a game is one “credit.” You can think
of credits as a second form of cyber-currency.
Even though you’ve now bought one game, you may not be able to begin playing. In many pricing
schemes, you must buy two or more credits to begin play. The idea here is something like a minimum
order of goods at a store. That is, the operator can “shrink-wrap” two or more games in a package. You
can’t play unless you buy the entire package.
• 1 / 25¢ COIN; 1 CREDIT TO START . In a simple, quarter pricing scheme, the player inserts one coin to buy
one unit. The system exchanges that unit for one credit. If CREDITS TO START contains the value one,
then play commences. A dollar bill buys four units.
Left Slot Units Validator Units Units / Credit Credits to Start Coins / Bill
1 4 1 1 4
• 1 / 3 X 25¢; 2 CREDITS TO START. Again, assuming quarter slots, here’s one way to implement 75¢
pricing… In this scheme, each coin that the player inserts buys one unit. The system exchanges three
units for one credit. CREDITS TO START contains the value two. To play, the player must pay for two
credits. In this scheme, a dollar buys four units.
Left Slot Units Validator Units Units / Credit Credits to Start Coins / Bill
1 4 3 2 4
• 2 / 1 COIN; 6 CREDITS TO START . Now let’s consider a more unusual pricing scheme. Here, the player
can buy two units with one coin. The system exchanges each of these units for one credit. Notice that
CREDITS TO START contains the value six. To play, the player must insert two more coins to pay for six
credits. Also notice that if the player pays with a bill, the system throws in an extra unit.
Left Slot Units Validator Units Units / Credit Credits to Start Coins / Bill
2 9 1 6 4