public schools have funding problems. they conduct numerous programs to help alleviate these problems. these programs have the disadvantage of not being continuous, and are also the targets of ridicule by students.

one solution to the fundraising problem could be the installation of a video arcade in the school. of course parents and administrators wouldn't go for it unless they could monitor the level of violence present in the games.

as this arcade would only be available to students during break periods, a way to influence students to exercise would be to install highly physical games like ddr.

in order to provide incentives to students, access to the arcades could be limited to those who have at least a passing grade and no incidences of disciplinary problems.

the room would be soundproofed as to not cause problems with the surrounding classrooms, and should probably require tokens rather than normal coins so that the school can get the money regardless of whether or not the games are actually played, and they can limit who has access to the tokens. the standard assortment of video cameras and security devices would be implemented, and, although adding decent lighting to the place would eliminate some of the charm of an arcade, it could prevent misbehaving with the addition of a monitor patrolling, as long as the lighting isn't great enough to cause glare on the screens.
-- tcarson, Aug 18 2006

Tokens can be stolen, I think quaters would be better, and there could be change machines for it.
-- BJS, Aug 18 2006


I like this. Might incentivize revolutions in those academic types of games.

For the lobbyists involved in promoting such programs, a great point would be that children who partake in video games have markedly better reaction times and visual differentiation skills. [++]
-- daseva, Aug 18 2006


My goodness, if this had been implemented I could have conquered the world by the age of 13. I'd have be a great student as well as an coin-op nut.

[tcarson] wins, boneless victory!
-- Jinbish, Aug 18 2006


i think a good series of games to place in this would probably the arcade games where the controller or light gun is replaced by a keyboard. my personal favorite though would have to be the drum kit simulator that lets me flail around wildly with a pair of wired down drumsticks.

[bjs], sure tokens could be stolen, but it's easier to control use of the machines when they only work when a proprietary monetary system is used. the main thing you'd have to ask yourself would be why the students would want to steal tokens they could instead use to play games. otherwise they've just spent their quarters on a number of otherwise useless metal disks.
-- tcarson, Aug 18 2006


[BJS] tends to come up with odd objections that have nothing to do with the central premise, and that add to the confusion of the discussion. Yes, tokens could be stolen, but so could quarters. Possession of a stolen token would be evidence of the theft. A token dispensing machine would be much the same as a change-making machine, so that is not an issue.

Tokens would be a must. Teachers could give them away as rewards for good schoolwork, or as tips for classroom assistance. A student given one token would be quite likely to purchase additional tokens. Special colors and imprints could be used to monitor the flow of tokens.

Back on topic: I don't see this raising great quantities of money, and I can see a few people objecting. But what the heck, it would pay for itself at least, and be an interesting experience. [+]
-- baconbrain, Aug 19 2006


The junior high school I attended (grades 7-9) had an arcade for use during lunch period.
-- supercat, Aug 19 2006


My only concern is that I suspect video game arcades are becoming a thing of the past. Large capital investments have to be made to install the devices, and often, new home entertainment technology makes the old devices outdated... Sort of ruins the charm of playing "Street Fighter" when you realize the graphics are worse than the ones on your Gameboy Advance...

For my own selfish reasons, I would prefer a pinball arcade, which does improve hand-eye cooridnation, and does not generally encourage violence in any believable way.
-- ye_river_xiv, Aug 19 2006


The proper way to get money out of schoolkids is to charge them for existing priveleges, not create new ones. For example, charge students a dollar for every day they want to have recess. 50 cents every time they open a text book. Three bucks to ask a teacher a question. A locker that requires a certain amount of coinage to open. A bathroom tax. Bun.
-- jellydoughnut, Aug 20 2006



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