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THE EUROSLOT PROFILEwww.euroslot-online.comQ&A: Warren FrissApple Industries’ president regards the amusements sector as part of the entertainmentindustry – and the Internet as the big game-changerHow did you first get involved with theamusements industry?I’ve been in the entertainment business for over 20years – through my work as an attorney in theentertainment industry and then as head of ToppsSports & Entertainment – and I see theamusements industry as another form ofentertainment. It’s all about creating fun for theconsumer and that’s what I love to do.Why? What attracted you to this sector?It’s a much, much bigger industry than most peoplerealise, with lots of opportunity. Everywhere you goyou see amusement equipment, whether it’s amovie theatre, bowling centre, theme park, shoppingmall...the ability to create products that can beeverywhere is very exciting to me.Do you think it has changed much since then?Not since I started a year ago! But the industry isdefinitely changing. Products that offer the benefitsof Internet connectivity have become a must inorder to attract people of all ages – not just kids.What are the biggest positive factors for thesector right now – the drivers of growth anddevelopment?It’s definitely the ability to use the Internet. Our newphoto booths allow you to email your photos, andpost them to Facebook and Twitter. And, for theoperator, the photo booth provides daily emailreports showing usage, whether the booth isworking properly and whether it needs paper. Thiswill make photo booths much more profitable andefficient to operate.It’s all about creatingfun for the consumerLooking at your whole career, what do youreckon was your smartest move (large orsmall)?Negotiating an exclusive licence with Major LeagueBaseball was definitely the highlight of my career.It was very difficult to accomplish and requiredthat some difficult decisions needed to bemade – but it was an extremely important dealfor Topps.And your dumbest one?In 1998, when we were launching Etopps, an onlinetrading card platform, we were looking for a partnerto host the trading floor for the Etopps cards. It wasbetween Amazon Auctions and eBay. I choseAmazon Auctions...oops! Luckily, Amazon Auctionstold us they were shutting down before we signedthe deal and I was still able to convince eBay topartner with us.Where do you hope you’ll be, professionally, inten years’ time?Still running Apple Industries/Face Place!And finally – if you’d never embarked on thiscareer, what other line(s) of work would youhave liked to pursue?A professional baseball player. Is it too late?And what are the negative ones – the obstaclesto growth?With all of the mobile devices that provide gamesand other forms of entertainment, we need to makesure our products provide value and a uniqueexperience. It used to be that the games in alocation were the only form of entertainment, butnow people carry their entertainment with them.We, as an industry, need to be aware of thatcompetition.Curriculum vitaeWarren Friss, president of Apple Industries/Face Place, earned a law degree from the University ofPennsylvania and began his career as a corporate attorney at the New York law firm of Shea & Gould. In 1995he joined The Topps Company, where he served as general counsel, and in 2000 Warren invented andsuccessfully launched Etopps, an Internet trading card platform now in its 11th year.Following this, Warren headed Topps’ sports and entertainment division, with more than 125 employees,from 2006 to 2011. Warren led that division to dramatic growth and, ultimately, to a sale of the firm toMichael Eisner’s Tornante Company in 2007.34 JULY/AUGUST 2012 THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF THE AMUSEMENT AND STREET GAMING INDUSTRY