Gambling at Chuck E. Cheese
Yesterday, I had a conversation with one of my friends during lunch. While we were talking, the subject of childhood came up. Eventually, we arrived at the topic of Chuck E. Cheese’, the popular kids arcade. He jokingly told me about what he perceived to be similarities between Chuck E. Cheese and Las Vegas. I laughed at his joke at the time, but later on, I began to think more about what he had said. Whether we care to admit it or not, we know that Las Vegas is widely considered to be the most entertaining city in the world. Even the most rational of people have gone to this gambler’s mecca to test their luck or chance at the slot machines, knowing that the casinos have set up all of the games in their favor. If you think about it though, when does this behavior start? It starts at little Jimmy’s fifth birthday party at
Chuck E. Cheese. Just like Las Vegas, these types of places require tokens (chips) to spend. Just like Las Vegas, these places have an ultimate goal: earning tickets by winning games, and collecting them until you can spend those on prizes. Although Las Vegas is all about high stakes, when you’re a kid, that shiny action figure is just as good. As a result, just like an obsessive gambler, you beg mom and dad for more money, so you can win more tickets and get that action figure. It’s an addiction, and Chuck E. Cheese has used this fact to their advantage in their business model: simple, elegant and profitable. Now that I think about it, that kid reminds me of myself. It is this type of action that starts at childhood and blossoms until we have a society of people who are more concerned about themselves than the needs of anybody else. How is that working out for us? You may be doing well, which is obviously great, but how about the human race in general? I wish I could go on, but I actually have an exam to get back to studying for, and I think everyone knows the rest of the details. If not, I’d encourage to check out http://www.iamsecond.com/ and watch some of the videos on that website. They will make you think.
In conclusion,
It’s all not about you.
Chuck E. Cheese. Just like Las Vegas, these types of places require tokens (chips) to spend. Just like Las Vegas, these places have an ultimate goal: earning tickets by winning games, and collecting them until you can spend those on prizes. Although Las Vegas is all about high stakes, when you’re a kid, that shiny action figure is just as good. As a result, just like an obsessive gambler, you beg mom and dad for more money, so you can win more tickets and get that action figure. It’s an addiction, and Chuck E. Cheese has used this fact to their advantage in their business model: simple, elegant and profitable. Now that I think about it, that kid reminds me of myself. It is this type of action that starts at childhood and blossoms until we have a society of people who are more concerned about themselves than the needs of anybody else. How is that working out for us? You may be doing well, which is obviously great, but how about the human race in general? I wish I could go on, but I actually have an exam to get back to studying for, and I think everyone knows the rest of the details. If not, I’d encourage to check out http://www.iamsecond.com/ and watch some of the videos on that website. They will make you think.
In conclusion,
It’s all not about you.
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