Jump to content

Kings Island 2016 New Game Cards


Italian Job 2005
 Share

Recommended Posts

No, you don't, at least not in a special step. For table games you typically can hand over cash at the table to be exchanged for chips (the parallel is handing cash directly to the guess-the-weight operator). For slot machines, you can feed cash directly into the machines. There are some small exceptions, but any casino that /forces/ gamblers to use something other than cash or leave playing, effectively giving players time to think before cash leaves their hands, is doing it unwillingly due to regulations. Casinos don't want one to think one's playing with "real" money, which is why winnings are chips or vouchers until cashing out (turning /back/ into cash is an extra step, of course). So they want to make it exceedingly easy for one to turn cash into play, in whatever way the player desires.

At Kings Island, the most modern coin-op games (including the Wizard of Oz coin pushers that are my weakness) you /may/ use tokens, but you aren't forced to. They happily accept cash as well.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do think they will decline, yes. However, since I don't think this decision is being made to maximize game returns, but minimize game expenses (employees' pay), I don't foresee it going anywhere.

Kids (or anyone, really) already don't seem to play the games anywhere near the amount that they/we did twenty or thirty years ago. There used to be, from what I remember, twice the number of arcades in the park (the one in Hanna-Barbera Land and the second Coney one are gone, the main Coney and Rivertown one remain). There also used to be much more usage of the other games (like the "competition" games, where players are racing), which I almost never see/hear played. There also used to be more standalone games in the park. The only games that still get a fair amount of traffic are the basketball ones.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is true.  I have a couple of friends who work in Games and they say it's always really frightening when they have to count their money, because if they're just a couple cents over or under for whatever reason, they could be fired.

 

This eliminates that stress on the game employees.

 

 

It really wasn't frightening at all. We carried $500 when I worked there, count the money out before and after shift. I never had anything missing. 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Ok, while I haven't actually bought a game card yet, I have a few further thoughts after seeing the range of implementation.

I had previously assumed that the token-op machines would continue to use tokens or bills in addition to the game cards, similar to how they still took tokens after bill-takers were added. This is not the case, though, there are metal plates over the coin slots, and no longer take bills directly either. Which makes the handful of tokens I had leftover at the end of last season collectors items, sweet! Look for them soon on eBay ;p

Unfortunately, from what I could see, there does not seem to be a corresponding bonus to loading more on a card at one time in the way there was with buying more than $1 worth of tokens. $1 was worth two tokens, but changing out $5, $10, or $20 offered increasing numbers of bonus tokens. For $20, you received 60 (or $30-worth of) tokens. If you load $20 to a game card, you get $20-worth of play. It makes me personally unlikely to load very much to the card at one time, while it wasn't unusual for me to spend $20 on tokens once I learned of the bonus (which explains my leftover tokens at the end of last season).

On the other hand, carrying tokens was quite the pain in the butt, especially if I wanted to keep enough on me to get the secondary bonus for playing $5, $10, or $20 at one time on the Wizard of Oz coin pushers, if I happened to run into one that looked really good to play. 40 tokens was too much for my little change purse I carry at the park. I'm going to quite enjoy only needing to carry one extra card in my wallet, regardless of how much "play" I have loaded to it.

It's funny that the only game I played all weekend, the new soccer game (which I only played because I got to be the first park-goer to play it), I ended up handing cash to the attendant, because the card system wasn't working properly yet.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

$1 was worth two tokens, but changing out $5, $10, or $20 offered increasing numbers of bonus tokens. For $20, you received 60 (or $30-worth of) tokens.

 

I remember not that many years ago (two or three, I think), that it used to be 1 token equaled 1 quarter. So $1 was worth 4 tokens, $5 worth 20 tokens, etc., up to $20 being worth 80 tokens. Then just a few years ago, they switched to the system you described, which smacked to me as a money grab, attempting to pressure people into committing to buying a huge pile of tokens, more than they needed, up front because of the perceived "value". At that point, I quit playing the arcade games.

 

It's nice to see that it's back to a fixed rate that doesn't change based on how much you load at a time, which is the way it should be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From what I saw on Opening Day, 95% of people that I saw going to the games, were redirected to the card stations. Now that I look back at it, I didn't see as many people playing the games. Not to mention that I personally didn't feel right buying a card, with a card, to use at a game, then to loose that card would mean I lost all of that money. It may just be growing pains, but I'm still not buying the cards.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it's genius.  My feelings are this.  I'm a master at the bank a ball game.  I will spend less than $10 to win my two prize limit.   I'm disappointed that there is a 2 prize limit per year at KI and at CP there is not, but anywho...I'm the kind of guy that will drop money to win something and play until I get it also.  I felt when I saw this two weeks ago, that, what happens to that impulse player that plays and plays, and loses and loses and won't stop until he's out of cash or...(you following me?)...he plays until he wins what he wants, but, when the cash runs out NOW he has to have a recharge card....so you take the same guy that has the impulse playing habit that drops the cash in the bucket and he now has to walk away from the game to go recharge the card and return.  Why is this genius?  Because hopefully he'll have enough sense to realize how much money he's invested and will maybe think twice before returning.  I know that people have different addictions and winning carny games is one of them...You know...beating the house where they have the edge.  The next time you go to the Casino, take a look around the Blackjack Table and real close you'll find an ATM for those who can't just walk away so easily.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I noticed some issues with the new system Sunday but most of them had been mentioned before. Since you have to go to a kiosk to get a game card a lot of people I would see just walk away instead of impulse playing. I really don't mind the new plan as I tried it out but I noticed a lot of empty games that normally have people huddled around them. 

 

My son flipped out when he saw the minion prizes on the $1 basketball game so I won him one. He was flipping out and dancing all over the place over it. the picture doesn't do his excitement justice at all. 13015610_10207276953294494_5482014444718

  • Like 12
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I assume the main reason that they switched to the card system was to minimize the amount of people who have to go through money handling training and reducing that aspect of the job

 

My wife was a Games supervisor in the past and they had tons of problems with people stealing money, having to count their money before the went to the restroom, before they went on break, etc.  Switching to a card minimizes that.  I assume that only higher associates (team leaders, supervisors) actually handle money anymore.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I worked in games when it was still owned by Paramount I never had issues and rarely heard of issues with stolen money. The thing that happened most was accidently giving a person a ten instead of a one and stuff like that. We also didn't count money before and after restroom breaks. You would go put your money in your locker. The money would be counted at the beginning of shift and the end of shift. If i remember correctly it was a three strike system and the amount missing didn't matter whether it was $1 or $100 it was a strike if it was missing. I loved that job and never saw it as stressful. 

 

Actually the picture I posted of my son is the area I worked it, it was known as Coney one. You can see the door were our little office would be to the right of the Monster queue. 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I forgot about the card this weekend. In the kid area, my son wanted to shoot hoops. I didn't have a card and so we went to go find a card (prob my fault for not asking where to find one but I did mention I don't have one). Well my son was over it, I saved a few bucks, and we rode some rides

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I forgot about the card this weekend. In the kid area, my son wanted to shoot hoops. I didn't have a card and so we went to go find a card (prob my fault for not asking where to find one but I did mention I don't have one). Well my son was over it, I saved a few bucks, and we rode some rides

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the new game cards.  I don't tend to carry much if any cash in the park, but I do carry my cc, which came in handy this past Saturday when my daughter wanted to play the goblet toss game.  She assured me that "she only needed one try" to hit the pink (grand prize) cup (one of 2 on the "grid" if you will).  So, I loaded a few bucks onto a card, she stepped up (well was allowed to stand on top of) the ledge, aimed, tossed, and after a few bounces, it landed in a pink cup!  She was over the moon and I couldn't help but laugh.  The games op said she's been working that game sev seasons now and very rarely if ever had she seen someone hit a pink cup, much less on the first try.  She disappeared into the attic of the game for a few mins to grab her prize.  She chose a giant, plush "Shopkin".  We used the rest of the money on the pop the balloons game with darts, which I played (sharp object!) and won some plush emojis for her and her brother, who wasn't interested in going to the park.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I was working the one ball milk can game by The Racer (before bank a ball) a family had bought whatever the largest amount was they could to try. before they even got a shot off the 2-3 year old had stolen one of the softballs and launched it as the parents were reaching to try and stop him. It went in, most amazing thing I have seen at games. 

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the new game cards.  I don't tend to carry much if any cash in the park, but I do carry my cc, which came in handy this past Saturday when my daughter wanted to play the goblet toss game.  She assured me that "she only needed one try" to hit the pink (grand prize) cup (one of 2 on the "grid" if you will).  So, I loaded a few bucks onto a card, she stepped up (well was allowed to stand on top of) the ledge, aimed, tossed, and after a few bounces, it landed in a pink cup!  She was over the moon and I couldn't help but laugh.  The games op said she's been working that game sev seasons now and very rarely if ever had she seen someone hit a pink cup, much less on the first try.  She disappeared into the attic of the game for a few mins to grab her prize.  She chose a giant, plush "Shopkin".  We used the rest of the money on the pop the balloons game with darts, which I played (sharp object!) and won some plush emojis for her and her brother, who wasn't interested in going to the park.

When I was working the one ball milk can game by The Racer (before bank a ball) a family had bought whatever the largest amount was they could to try. before they even got a shot off the 2-3 year old had stolen one of the softballs and launched it as the parents were reaching to try and stop him. It went in, most amazing thing I have seen at games. 

 

Conclusion: we adults try too hard, while the kids just do it without thinking. I guess Yoda was right after all! :lol:

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...