I know arcade games are designed with durability in mind, but I still think that this would help arcade employees know if people are abusing the machines, etc.
I think that arcade games should have several sensors or switches placed around the inside of the machine, that activate when someone hits the machine, shakes it, is excessively rough with the controls, etc.
Upon activation of these sensors, depending on the design of the machine, it would do one of these things-
1.A loud siren noise is emitted from the machine, and all the lights flash
2. if the controller is being abused (like yanking on the cable for a gun controller, or just generally being WAY too rough with the controller, to the point where you may end up breaking it) the controls should leak red ink that is non-toxic.
3. Make a bunch of random, garbled noises and display "This machine is out of service, please call attendant" and then 10 seconds later, say NOT!!!! and then start working normally again. this'll really freak them out because they'll think that they broke the machine.
4. Have a boxing glove on a spring behind a trapdoor, mounted somewhere on the machine, in such a place where someone standing in front of the machine will get punched by it. the trapdoor is released by the abuse-detterent sensors, and after the boxing glove is sprung, the screen will display "I hope that pissed you off, you S-O-B!!!"-- Dickcheney6, Sep 06 2008 [+], especially for number four.-- Gallus, Sep 06 2008 pinball machines do something like this-- sninctown, Sep 07 2008 5. Have the display show "TILT" and lock out the controls until the current iteration of the player's avatar passes away.-- phoenix, Sep 07 2008 Something similar should also apply to consoles and PCs. My son is always abusing his when he gets frustrated. Here's a question though: if i approve of an idea that involves punching the user for console abuse, am i vicariously responsible for child abuse?-- nineteenthly, Sep 07 2008 Phoenix, I can't believe I didn't think of that. Great idea-but it wont help if someone's hitting the machine because it ate their money.
However, that is baked in pinball machines. In addition to having a tilt/shake detection which disables all flippers until the balls go to the bottom, if the machine detects that someone's pounding on the coin door a lot of them will get really cranky and end the game immediatly.
That would be a good thing to have in consoles as well-but not handheld consoles, because unless you never, ever take it anywhere outside the house, it is likely going to be dropped at least once in it's life.
The red-ink thing is most likely the best way to catch anyone who is abusing the machine, so that the arcade employees WILL find out, because when they leave they'll have red ink all over them!
Another idea- have a vibration unit in the controls, which vibrates very quickly so that it feels like you're getting an electric shock from the controls. (like those prank-shocker toys that vibrate at such a speed to make it feel like getting shocked)
After thinking about it for a while, I think that the boxing glove thing, upon being triggered, would make them even MORE pissed off.-- Dickcheney6, Sep 07 2008 Maybe a cage could drop around them, preventing them from touching the machine thenceforth. Then it could carry them off on rails to a subterranean misdemeanour depository, full of repentant gamers and their skeletons.-- nineteenthly, Sep 07 2008 //Are there still actually arcades?//
I've seen one :P
Anyway the way for an arcade to survive nowadays, and back then, is to have rather expensive equipment, that costs far to much for the average person to own, and charge people for it's use
There are several such technologies available like a rather cool human hamster ball...
They are also a place for wagging kids to hang out, as it is basically the only place a computer addicted kid can get his fix witought his parents finding out-- xxobot, Sep 12 2008 random, halfbakery