Close Encounters of the Third Kind (EM)

The games pictured here show that the operator was provided a choice of equipping the game with EM chimes or with a System-1 soundboard with speaker to provide electronic sound. Reportedly, either option was at extra cost to the operator. We know this option was provided for other Gottlieb EM games of this time period. The Prototype game has no serial number stamped in its cabinet. Reportedly, a prior owner said it was once owned by a Gottlieb executive. From the outside, the game looks the same as a production game except the front of the backbox has the blue and yellow stripes last seen on Gottlieb's 1976 'Surfer'. We wonder if the inside of the game is hand-labeled. We previously showed a date for this game of October 1978. The new date is per Gottlieb documentation. We previously showed a production run total of 470. Quantity produced - domestic: 136 Quantity produced - export: 343 Total quantity produced: 479