Dave & Buster’s new Big Brother System, the Power Card!

[btalex1990]

Source: http://uswgo.com/dave-buster%E2%80%99s-new-big-brother-system-the-power-card.htm



Author: Brian D. Hill

At Concord Mills Mall in North Carolina when I just walked around all over the mall and found a nice little arcade called the Dave & Busters Arcade and when I started coming in there and found Skee Ball and wanted to play it until I found a scary little system called the Power Card, and I had to had a minimum of $25 in order to play their arcade games.

The Power Card is a new form of active submission to tyranny and bringing us closer to RFID Chips or DATA Cards will be mandatory just to play arcade games or even shop.

I could hardly play any game there because instead of requiring arcade tokens it required cards to be slide in called the Power Cards.

Why would they want me to register, with my ID Card information, to the Power Card System just to play regular non-adult arcade games such as skee ball? They are submitting you to their Power Card System to get people ready to give their IDs and digital money just to play arcade games.

Here is my parody of their Power Card System:

powercard-loss-of-privacy

Even if I am willing to be forced and dictated to pay a minimum of $25 to even play their arcade games this means my activities of any arcade game I play is possibly recorded within the Power Card ID System which means the government can now know if I play very good at games.

I rather stick with the old arcade games tokens then submit to a ID Card system to play arcade games.

If you still don't have a clue to what this Power Card system is about, it is a special sliding card, you have to slide at most of their arcade games, and you cannot play games such as Skee ball without this Power Card, and from what I could tell you have to pay $25 minimum to even have a Power Card. I know this is themed more for adults and not a average kid themed arcade but it scares me that they no longer use arcade tokens but a Power Card ID Card system just for regular arcade games and if all other arcades adopt this system you can no longer freely come in with a few dollar bills and convert them into arcade tokens but now you are obligated to purchase, and dictated to purchase a certain amount of credits before you can even play arcade games. The very idea of that is very scary and is very well Big Brother.

Also according to their scary Big Brother terms and conditions they claim the right to your money and that after you pay and submit to their system, if they decide they don't like you, they can terminate your money, and bar you from playing arcade games in their arcades. This new system means if all arcades decide to use it they can decide to steal your money using the Power Card style system.

Eligibility
Limit one membership per person. Open only to legal residents of the US. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. Dave & Buster's reserves the right to deactivate or cancel any membership or Power Card® at any time. In such cases, Dave & Buster's will attempt, but is not required, to contact the member. Membership is non-transferable.

It's the fact that their particular arcade forces you to get a Power Card just to even play their arcade games, and they can decide to evoke your hard earned money if they don't even like you.

Last month I typed up a article about how her own arcade has become Big Brother and police cops became a underground spy movement and no longer are public cops but undercover cops.

Arcades are becoming more and more Orwellian across the country as a preconditioning process such as, you must submit to controls, you must submit to tyranny, if you ever want to play arcade games again, sorry and you have to submit ID as well, if you ever to play arcade games again, and we don't accept arcade game tokens.

This is the future where kids can no longer play arcade games, or they are restricted where the government knows what arcade games you are playing, when they are being played, and who is playing them.


Pretty soon you will have to have ID Cards just to ride to Merry Go Round. Once you say yes to the Power Card, then you will say yes to tyranny just to goto a ride a Ferris wheel!

[BlackTerrel]

I feel dumber having read this article. FYI you do not need to tie your power card to your ID and you do not need an ID to get one.


If you still don't have a clue to what this Power Card system is about, it is a special sliding card, you have to slide at most of their arcade games, and you cannot play games such as Skee ball without this Power Card, and from what I could tell you have to pay $25 minimum to even have a Power Card. I know this is themed more for adults and not a average kid themed arcade but it scares me that they no longer use arcade tokens but a Power Card ID Card system just for regular arcade games

What else is this guy scared by? The talking gecko in insurance commercials?

[BuddyRey]

Why is it tyranny when you have the choice to voluntarily patronize or refuse to patronize their business?

[btalex1990]

I feel dumber having read this article. FYI you do not need to tie your power card to your ID and you do not need an ID to get one.



What else is this guy scared by? The talking gecko in insurance commercials?

You are insulting me instead of looking at my message here.

The message I am bringing out is the fact they now require ID Cards to play arcade games in certain places and even if they are adult themed if regular arcade centers implement this this will be the beginning of 1984 style ID Cards made mandatory when in the good old days you only needed tokens and now it's a special card system and that means the US Government can now track what arcade games you like to play which violates your privacy and puts us more into a Orwellian police state.

[btalex1990]

Why is it tyranny when you have the choice to voluntarily patronize or refuse to patronize their business?

you don't understand once they set up the systems they will implement it everywhere until you can't goto competition and will either be forced to give up arcades altogether or submit to tyranny.

It's like a terrorist using a new method of terrorism, once it's created it will happen in droves.

This Power Card type of system may be used everywhere. Remember the RFID Chip being used by gamers to implant information.

[Zippyjuan]

now it's a special card system and that means the US Government can now track what arcade games you like to play which violates your privacy and puts us more into a Orwellian police state.

So this card is issued by the US govenment with the intent of finding out what games you are playing? And what nefarious use do they make of this information? Is your name electronically on the card or is it just a generic card with a number and a certain number of "plays" added to it which are subtracted off? Sure the company knows what games people are playing. In the old days they could tell that by how many quarters were in each machine at the end of the day. Now it is electronic. No big deal. Easier than a pocket full of quarters or tokens.

I think you need to get outside a bit more. Too much Alex Jones.

[Blueskies]

You are insulting me instead of looking at my message here.

The message I am bringing out is the fact they now require ID Cards to play arcade games in certain places and even if they are adult themed if regular arcade centers implement this this will be the beginning of 1984 style ID Cards made mandatory when in the good old days you only needed tokens and now it's a special card system and that means the US Government can now track what arcade games you like to play which violates your privacy and puts us more into a Orwellian police state.

Are...are you serious or is this a joke?

Have you ever been to Dave and Buster's?

The power cards are not linked to your ID. And you only have to show your ID because, you know, Dave and Buster's is also a bar.

The Powercard is basically a gift certificate. You load it up with cash then swipe it to play games. The idea is to eliminate the hassle of having to carry around tokens/quarters and having to run up to change machines. It's also easier for them, as a business, to get you spend more--you don't realize your money is going away as fast as it is.

It has nothing to do with taking away your privacy. This article is a joke.

[abers076]

Seriously? I haven't laughed that hard in a while, thanks.

[Kotin]

Such a hilarious thread.. Thanks op.. Hope the ban hammer was kind.. Well, as kind as it can be.. :D

[Dreamofunity]

Paranoia, it gets even the best of us.

[devil21]

It's never a good thing when cash is slowly but surely being replaced by digital "credits". Cash is anonymous. Magnetic cards are never anonymous. Sure, don't go play the games. But how long before all the games everywhere are like this? Then I guess no games for you ever, if you value your privacy. It's the slippery slope of slowly forcing people into a system where they have no choices to make if they wish to enjoy any locale, activity, or commerce. Eventually all commerce becomes part of this system and then the controllers of the system are free to make you disappear economically.

The OP sees the big picture but isn't good at painting the picture. Shame there's so much short-sightedness on this forum these days though. So many negative, put-down comments...in this thread and all over the forum.

[Live_Free_Or_Die]

It's never a good thing when cash is slowly but surely being replaced by digital "credits". Cash is anonymous. Magnetic cards are never anonymous. Sure, don't go play the games. But how long before all the games everywhere are like this? Then I guess no games for you ever, if you value your privacy. It's the slippery slope of slowly forcing people into a system where they have no choices to make if they wish to enjoy any locale, activity, or commerce. Eventually all commerce becomes part of this system and then the controllers of the system are free to make you disappear economically.

The OP sees the big picture but isn't good at painting the picture. Shame there's so much short-sightedness on this forum these days though. So many negative, put-down comments...in this thread and all over the forum.

We know why business wants to go digital. Efficiency. No collecting coins from machines, streamlined data collection on game usage, etc.

I support business ought to be free to contract as it wishes. But I also recognize under the present monopoly government business is not free to constitutional guarantees of contract and is often compelled. Not to mention most business in the United States have contracted with the federal government as snitching and reporting agents.



Dave and Buster's First to Use e-Port(R) Cashless Transaction Technology in Games Arcades...

Buster's Games Arcades and Restaurants nationwide, opening up new unattended point-of-sale opportunities for the unique wireless swipe card technology.

The e-Port devices were deployed by Universal Vending Management, a distributor of USA Technologies cashless transaction product line and USALive(R) Network and support services.
http://www.allbusiness.com/food-beverage/restaurants-food-service/5397018-1.html




Dave & Buster's Settles FTC Charges it Failed to Protect Consumers' Information
More than 130,000 Customers' Credit or Debit Cards Compromised

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/03/davebusters.shtm



The FTC alleges the the hacker was successful because Dave & Buster's:

(a) failed to employ sufficient measures to detect and prevent unauthorized access to computer networks or to conduct security investigations, such as by employing an intrusion detection system and monitoring system logs;

(b) failed to adequately restrict third-party access to its networks, such as by restricting connections to specified IP addresses or granting temporary, limited access;

(c) failed to monitor and filter outbound traffic from its networks to identify and block export of sensitive personal information without authorization;

(d) failed to use readily available security measures to limit access between in-store networks, such as by employing firewalls or isolating the payment card system from the rest of the corporate network; and

(e) failed to use readily available security measures to limit access to its computer networks through wireless access points on the networks.

The card issuing banks have claimed several hundred thousand dollars in fraudulent charges.

Not surprisingly, the FTC alleged these failures to implement "reasonable security" constituted an unfair act or practice in violation of Section 5(a) of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C § 45(a).

Like many other similar FTC settlements, this one requires that Dave & Buster's establish and maintain a comprehensive information security program and obtain independent audits by a person qualified as a Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) or as a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA); a person holding Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) from the SysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security (SANS) Institute; or a similarly qualified person or organization approved by the Associate Director for Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, for (1) the first one hundred and eighty (180) days after service of the order for the initial Assessment, and (2) each two (2) year period thereafter for ten (10) years after service of the order.

http://www.infolawgroup.com/2010/03/articles/ftc-consent-decrees-1/dave-busters-busted-another-allleged-failure-to-implement-reasonable-security/

[BlackTerrel]

It's never a good thing when cash is slowly but surely being replaced by digital "credits". Cash is anonymous. Magnetic cards are never anonymous. Sure, don't go play the games. But how long before all the games everywhere are like this? Then I guess no games for you ever, if you value your privacy.

Here's how it works in a free society. Let's suggest your scenario:

All the games everywhere go like this and you now can no longer use cash to play video games.

Either:

1. Everyone is fine with it and that stays the status quo.

2. Or there are enough people like you who refuse to go along with this system which leaves room for a competitor to make money by opening up a cash arcade.

That's why economic freedom is so awesome.

[gls]

My problem with the card is that it never seems to work at TGI Fridays. Maybe I just haven't tried enough different locations.

[Brooklyn Red Leg]

Here's how it works in a free society. Let's suggest your scenario:

All the games everywhere go like this and you now can no longer use cash to play video games.

Either:

1. Everyone is fine with it and that stays the status quo.

2. Or there are enough people like you who refuse to go along with this system which leaves room for a competitor to make money by opening up a cash arcade.

That's why economic freedom is so awesome.

+VonMises

[james1906]

I won't go there because their food is gross and overpriced, the games are overpriced and run down, and the service sucks.

Vegas is the same way now with the TITO systems that have replaced coins. There's still a few places around downtown where the machines take coins. Personally, I like the classic feel of having a hopper full of coins after a win. A receipt just doesn't do it for me.

I get what the OP is saying, but as others have said before, it's just a way to streamline operations and data gather customers. No different than grocery store club cards, casino slot clubs, etc.

[brandon]

yawn. D&B had the power card last time I was there 5 years ago. Whoever wrote this is just making us all look bad.

[MikeStanart]

http://theboxpress.com/wp-content/uploads/tin-foil-hat-625p.jpg

[jmdrake]

It's never a good thing when cash is slowly but surely being replaced by digital "credits". Cash is anonymous. Magnetic cards are never anonymous. Sure, don't go play the games. But how long before all the games everywhere are like this? Then I guess no games for you ever, if you value your privacy. It's the slippery slope of slowly forcing people into a system where they have no choices to make if they wish to enjoy any locale, activity, or commerce. Eventually all commerce becomes part of this system and then the controllers of the system are free to make you disappear economically.

The OP sees the big picture but isn't good at painting the picture. Shame there's so much short-sightedness on this forum these days though. So many negative, put-down comments...in this thread and all over the forum.

At least somebody gets it. Just because something is done by the "free market" instead of by the "evil government" doesn't mean it is a good thing! No I wouldn't want to pass a law stopping D&B from doing this, but there's nothing wrong with warning fellow consumers about the dangers of a cashless society (which can more easily be taken over by a central government when the time comes). Everybody needs to watch this again (or for the first time if you haven't already).

YouTube - Ordering Pizza in the Future (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNJl9EEcsoE)

[devil21]

Here's how it works in a free society. Let's suggest your scenario:

All the games everywhere go like this and you now can no longer use cash to play video games.

Either:

1. Everyone is fine with it and that stays the status quo.

2. Or there are enough people like you who refuse to go along with this system which leaves room for a competitor to make money by opening up a cash arcade.

That's why economic freedom is so awesome.

Way to completely take a small snippet and completely ignore the rest of my post. Missing the big picture, indeed. I'm not even going to bother to explain why your post is nonsense. I think it's plainly clear.

Following up on jmdrake's post here. The connection that's missing is that the free market has already been replaced by government control, just quietly and in the background. What happens when cash is outlawed and these electronic systems are the only form of commerce allowed? Surely it's reasonable to expect that the government itself would have a close hand in designing, regulating, and administering these systems. It will be mandatory under some new "tax compliance" statute or whatever they can dream up.

[BlackTerrel]

Way to completely take a small snippet and completely ignore the rest of my post. Missing the big picture, indeed. I'm not even going to bother to explain why your post is nonsense. I think it's plainly clear.

Following up on jmdrake's post here. The connection that's missing is that the free market has already been replaced by government control, just quietly and in the background. What happens when cash is outlawed and these electronic systems are the only form of commerce allowed? Surely it's reasonable to expect that the government itself would have a close hand in designing, regulating, and administering these systems. It will be mandatory under some new "tax compliance" statute or whatever they can dream up.

That's a hell of a leap.