Astrovision Acquires Bally's Consumer Products Division: New Marketing Drive Planned for Home 'Bally Professional Arcade' (Sept. 1980) COLUMBUS, OHIO --- Astrovision, Inc., a Columbus-based electronics firm is mounting a three-pronged marketing and manufacturing drive for the 'Bally Professional Arcade'. Astrovision purchased the consumer products division of Bally Manufacturing Corp. in August. The 'Bally Professional Arcade', with 14 cassettes and 28 existing games and educational programs, is the most technically sophisticated home electronic video game center available. It is the only such unit with programming capabilities which through the addition of a low cost add-on feature, called BASIC with an audio interface, expands capabilities for self-teaching and other uses. "Astrovision's plans for the 'Bally Professional Arcade' include an international marketing thrust into Europe and Latin America, the introduction of seven to nine, new 'Videocade' cassettes, and the introduction of an add-on keyboard to make existing 'Bally Professional Arcade' units into full scale home computer systems," Dan Dawson, Astrovision vice president stated. "Astrovision will position the 'Bally Professional Arcade' as a complete home computer system with state-of-the-art games plus all at-home needs," Dawson continued. Astrovision will introduce a new 'Videocade' cassette named "Dogpatch" in time for Christmas, 1980 sales and will launch six to eight additional cassettes with new programming in 1981. These cassettes will include the long sought- after second generation space invader game. The full scale add-on keyboard will also be available in 1981, according to Dawson. "The 'Bally Professional Arcade' today is far more than a game machine. It offers basic programming capabilities with the "Brain", a powerful microprocessor that creates a memory bank and which holds more than 12,000 instructions, even before a cassette is inserted. Each unit includes skill games such as Checkmate, Gunfight and Scribbling and features a full five function, ten key memory calculator," Dawson said. "With the add-on keyboard scheduled for 1981, the 'Bally Professional Arcade' will be a complete home video computer center offering versatile family entertainment plus vital bookkeeping, business management and household management programs." Games and educational programs currently offered for the 'Bally Professional Arcade' include: 280Zzzap, Bally Pin, Sea Wolf, Red Baron, Football, Tornado Baseball, Star Battle, Astro Battle a space invader game, Amazin' Maze, Tic- Tac-Toe, Black Jack, Poker, Acey Ducey, Dodgem, Missile, Panzer Attack, Brickyard, Clowns, Tennis, Hockey, Handball, Bingo Math, Speed Math, Letter Match, Spell 'N' Score, Crosswords and BASIC. BASIC, a unique feature for the 'Bally Professional Arcade' permits the user to create his own programs. It provides an entire library of video games, art, music and more, plus a self-teaching course that lets users develop programs in minutes. The 'Bally Professional Arcade' will be available through Montgomery Ward stores and other leading retailers. For further information contact: Astrovision, Inc., 6460 Busch Blvd., Suite 215, in Columbus, Ohio 43229, 800- 848-4377. 'Bally Professional Arcade' units will have a suggested retail price of about $299 with cassette programs at $19.95 and $24.95. For More Information Contact: Barbara Zollinger Turner Business Phone: (614) 436-4444 Home Phone: (614) 488-8447