Cyclone Arcade Redemption Machine SCAM!

[RIP-Felix]

I hate redemption machines. They encourage gambling instead of rewarding skill and undermine gameplay. It should be about the game, not the tickets.

[RIP-Felix]

The claw machines let the operator set claw strength on grip, lift and travel. Claw strength increases once the minimum amount of money is met, to allow a prize to be won, then resets back to scam mode afterwards. It's criminal IMO.

[tthurman]

Don't play them

They're no worse than the games at the fair midway!

There's a sucker born every minute!

 

 

[ClassicGMR]

When i play redemption games I stick to the Ball Drop game shown here. Of the 5 balls Funspot uses 2 of them are the same weight. I never walk away with less than 1000 tickets on maybe $3-$4. Mechanical owns digital every time.

[RIP-Felix]

On 2/20/2019 at 6:41 AM, tthurman said:

Don't play them

They're no worse than the games at the fair midway!

There's a sucker born every minute!

How would you feel if you give your kid $10 for the arcade and instead of playing Galaga, Centipede, Bobble Bobble, Crusin USA, Hydro Thunder, Area 51, or freaking Donkey Kong, he tells you he spent it on the Cyclone and redeemed the tickets for a sticky wall creeper that will stain your walls, get ground into the carpet, and could have been bought from a vending bubble for 25 cents?

Would you tell him, "you learned a good life lesson, didn't you. I hope you had fun"?

I'm an adult and can make an informed decision to waste my money on a machine I know is unfair (Gamble). Kids spend money on them in hopes of redeeming prizes, unknowingly gambling. It's illegal to sell one thing and deliver another. It's called "bait and switch". That's what redemption scams do (and games at the fair too for that matter). They trick you into thinking the game is fair, but instead cheat you. Worse, they cheat real arcade machine operators who would otherwise see more profits. Game designers suffer too. Worst, they expose kids to the thrill of winning at someone else's expense & the shame of loosing more than they get in return. It's like casinos are marketing to minors in arcades.

What bothers me is that it exploits ignorance, especially the most vulnerable demographic - Kids. I'd prefer to live in a world where no one ever tried to corrupt human decency by exploiting naivety. It's wrong to take advantage of innocence in this way...it's criminal. They beg their parents for money and are faced with the option to choose a ticket redemption machine or a true arcade game. They can buy candy from the candy store or the creepy man parked in the car outside it. Redemption scam machines are parasites in the arcade. A redemption game of skill is one thing. You have a fair chance to win and they can be quite fun (the bowling ball jump into a target, that ball drop game, and many others). I have no problem with games of skill and winning prizes if you get good at it. A device designed to circumvent a players skill and cause them to lose more often than not is categorically different. That's gambling and should be illegal for minors.

I have a problem with games that make you think you could do better if you got better, only to find out it's not you...it's rigged...and it (the operator) stole your money. That's not fun. THAT PISSES ME OFF!