monday, march 10, 1980
daily nebraskan
page 9
hobbiesinto the 80shobbtesinto the GOshobbiesinto the GOshobbiesinto the 80s
Pinball game changes , but still man vs. machine
Retting rid of frustrations," Hughes said, saw that they could increase the cost and games, but Hughes said pinball wUl still
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By Jim Faddis
The game is still called pinball, athough
much about it has changed.
Mechanical levers have been replaced by
flashing lights, sound effects, electronic
and computer circuitry. The mxhines are
brighter, noisier, faster, more complex,
cost more and give less for the money.
One could argue that pinball machines
reflect society. But that argument can be
made for anything that changes.
Pinball does seem to go through the
same fads that society does. Disco- and
Star Wars-type games were in, but are now
out, being replaced by middle earth
fantasy, Star Trek and super hero games.
Captain Fantastic and Top Forty machines
are being pushed aside by Gorgar, Lost
World and Superman.
But the classic confrontation that the
game presents, man vs. machine, is still
the lure behind the electronic digits, just as
it was behind the mechanical numerals.
But that challenge is not the only reason
people play pinball. The game is also relax
ing, Rollie Hughes, recreation manager of
the Nebraska Unions, said.
"Pinball is an entertaining way of
tie Said the mnh.il! mnrhinM in fh
union are used the most during finals and
dead week, when students are looking for
something relaxing that will take their
minds off of studies.
UNL freshman Joel Warner said he plays
the game to relax.
"It helps me forget about school, he
said.
Sophomore Mike Crooks said he plays
pinball to kill time between classes.
Sarah Root, a freshman, said she also
plays pinball because it's a fun way to kill
time.
Warner, Crooks and Root all said a game
of pinball is too expensive, but that they
still play it. One game of pinball, consisting
of three balls, costs a quarter on most of
the new machines. The new machines also
offer a "special deal" of three games for
50 cents and five games for a Susan B.
Anthony dollar.
Just a year or two ago, the machines
gave two games and five balls per game for
a quarter, Hughes said. He said there is a
simple reason for the increased cost of pin-ball-greed.
"The manufacturers of the machines
Mental advantage essential,
even in physical activities
By Lori McGinnis
A mental edge on an opponent may be
the difference between winning and loosing
a game, whether the game be football or
chess, downhill skiing or crazy eights.
Psyching out an opponent can give a
player a definite advantage, said Glenn
Potter, assistant professor of health,
physical education and recreation.
Psyching out an opponent means getting
a mental edge on him, he said.
Potter said more people are realizing
that the psychological aspect of sports can
be as important as physical conditioning.
Potter teaches psychology of sports.
Psyching out an opponent has an impact
on the mind, actions, attitudes, interests,
emotions and feelings, he said.
It is common in athletics, he said. There
are many ways it can be done.
"A home crowd can definitely give a
team a psychological advantage," Potter
said. Players who are familiar with the
surroundings play with more confidence,
he said .
The home crowd noise can distract the
opposing team, he said.
Distractions such as players talking to
one another during the game can cause a
loss of concentration, Potter said. Because
no one can concentrate on two things at
once, distractions often affect perfor
mance. Incorrect height and weight figures in
sports programs can psych out an
opponent, he said. Someone expecting to
play against a 6 foot 3 inch basketball play
er may be shocked to see the player is
actually three inches taller. It's bound to
affect his attitude, Potter said.
Another tactic used to psych out an
opponent is to report that a star player is
injured. It will improve the opponent's
attitude, he said, until the supposedly
injured player comes into the game.
Time-outs during a crucial part of the
game can have an impact, he said, because
a time-out will build pressure and make the
team think about the upcoming play, he
said.
Robert Narveson, adviser of the UNL
chess club, said psyching out an oppon
ent is common in chess. There are two
ways it can be done, he said.
The first way can be used if a player
knows his opponent or has seen him play .
By preparing for the opponent's errors, the
player can take advantage of the mistakes,
he said.
The second way is by watching the
opponent during the game and looking for
his weak points. A player then can prepare
to take advantage of the opponent's
mistakes, Narveson said.
By playing on his weaknesses, an
opponent can be forced into an unfavor
able game plan, he said.
Psyching out an opponent is ethical, he
said, but it doesn't always work.
"If you can play perfect chess, you
don't have to try to psych out an oppon
ent," he said. "But nobody plays perfect
chess."
Potter said players are always looking
for an advantage, and a psychological edge
is one such advantage. If it wasn't an ad
vantage, Potter said, people wouldn't do it.
Muhammad Ali was good at psyching
out his opponents by claiming he was the
greatest, Potter said.
"He had some of his opponents psyched
out before he came into the ring," he said.
The place to go
in Lincoln for all your
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244 N. 13th
(comer of 13th G "Q")
474-2402
make their machines more attractive to reien.
vendors, and people would still play
them," Hughes said. "The game manufacturers won't let it
The popularity of pinball has not out." ne W. "They'll keep improving
decreased since the cost went up, he said. the games to keep them popular.
ra t it i e
rinoiiu nas iacea many cnauenges to Its
seat on the throne of the arcade, Hughes
said, but it is still king.
-A few years ago, foosball. was
threatening to destroy it. But now, foosball
is dying out while pinball is still going
strong, he said.
The challenge now is from video
One of the biggest innovations in recent
years is the addition of sound effects,
Hughes said. A Harlem Globetrotters ma
chine plays "Sweet Georgia Brown, a
Sharpshooter machines gives out cries of a
man in pain, and a Stellar Wars machine
has the sound of rockets firing.
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Dairy Nebraskan Photo
Alex Rossell and Andy Cheung try their hands on a regular pinball machine, which
delivers three balls for a quarter.
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