Greetings readers. It is my duty to inform those of you who are still involved in the arcade scene of a pernicious, and I can only assume enduring threat: Arcade Terrorism. My source is the Stinger Report. Being so named I can only assume it will post any updates on this grave security issue. Rather than paraphrasing, I will simply quote directly:
| Date: 24th November 2008 | Location: Milky Way Express Arcade, Chongqing, China | Injuries: 5 Fatalities |
| Incident: The amusement venue was operating normally when a gang of over 20 men with knives and metal bars attacked employees of the arcade facility. At the end of the attack five individuals (four men and a woman) employees of the venue had been fatally injured at the scene; over 80 police and ambulances then rushed to the scene. | ||
| Suspected Cause: A police investigation suggested the incident started when a local gang leader approached the venue owner and then called assailants; the woman murdered was the venue owner’s wife and worked in the cashbox, in this Rider Misadventure incident. | ||
NOTE – The number of organized gang-related attacks on amusement and attraction venues has soared – this latest mafia style attack in China is becoming a common problem, with corruption and protection money a factor of operational life in this country. Many countries are extremely secretive regarding the level of the problem, with a number of arcade venues in the UK recently seeing organized gang attacks for the ready money they carry.
That’s right, arcade terrorism. Not yet in America thankfully, but elsewhere; to an extent we cannot be sure of no less, thanks no doubt to bureaucrats more interested in national image than the actual safety of their citizens. So for those of you gamers who travel or live in any non-American country, look out for yourselves. I’m wishing best of luck to S34n and Rosie in particular, since you’re both active in the UK and Chinese competitive dance game scenes, respectively. May you both avoid any Rider Misadventure.
American gamers! You are not without risk of your own! Again, to quote directly:
– Guest Problems
[…]
It was reported in the Wall Street Journal that law-enforcement agencies across numerous States of the USA had seen an alarming number of serious disorderly conduct calls to what they called ‘Pizzacades’ – this term referring in the majority to some of the 540 ‘Chuck E. Cheese’ venues. This situation mirrors park riots at Six Flag venues in California and a riot of guests at a LotteWorld in Soul South Korea
The law-enforcement offices in the WSJ interview stated that it was a mixture of high tensions over children’s parties, crowded conditions and the mixture of alcohol that caused many of these incidents – in some cases arriving at mass riots between children and adults throwing chairs. This bad publicity of the CEC chain was countered by a statement that the sites were instigating measures to address these incidents. The list included the removal of alcohol from the menu (only 70 per cent of the chains sites have it on their menu), hiring of security staff, screening of weapons on site, and the addressing of gang colors and signs on clothing. Guest-on-Guest and Guest-on-Staff violence rose in intensity during the year, a number of near riots and fatal shootings taking place on park property or at FEC venues.
One example of the severity of the incidents for the ‘Eater-Tainment’ scene was revealed recently with the winding down of the METREON entertainment location in San Francisco – it was revealed that four individuals had been shot (three fatally) at the site. A number of venues have become gang turf with the incidents that engenders – though facility operators are keen to play down the association.
So for those of you playing games on American soil, be wary that you are not patronizing a gangland arcade. It is my belief that riots instigated by debauchery are fairly readily predicted and hence reasonably avoided even without warning. The issues of gang violence and terrorism are less so, however. It is my hope that this article encourages gamers to pay attention and stay on their toes, and avoid any grievious physical injury or death.
Infinity Injun no Chousenjou 