Arcade Golf Game Fraud Scandal Revealed, Probed 39
Thanks to Highway Games for reprinting The Stinger Report articles on further developments regarding revelations of tournament fraud in arcade game Golden Tee Golf. The situation developed after "Incredible Technologies... ejected eight ranked players following investigation into the manipulation of scores... [following the discovery of] either a software or firmware system to deceive the ITS [networked arcade golf] network." The piece notes that "Over US$12 million in cash prizes has been awarded since the International Tournament System (ITS) [for Golden Tee] began in 1995", although the amount involved in this fraud is rumored to be closer to $20,000, and it's also mentioned: "Efforts to exceed this interface's limits has led to a series of bizarre experiments on personally owned machines ranging from a Belt Sander or even the drive wheel of a motor scooter employed to max out the track ball." In this case, it's theorized that "...fraudsters may have created a firmware mechanism that emulates the movement of the trackball and talks to the game board, so able to generate the optimum power and direction for shots."
Bummer (Score:5, Funny)
I wouldn't dream of cheating at the game using a belt sander or a motor scooter... but man I'd sure love to try that on the real thing!
Do people have to cheat at everything? (Score:3, Insightful)
Play fair. That's an ORDER!
Re:Do people have to cheat at everything? (Score:2)
Hell they should try Tiger Woods Golf 2004, it's easy as can be.
Re:Do people have to cheat at everything? (Score:1)
This isn't about cheating just to prove what an immature idiot you are, but an attempt to defraud the arcade maker.
Re:Do people have to cheat at everything? (Score:5, Interesting)
this doesn't really surprise me at all, rather I'm surprised they would allow such a system in the first place.. it's just asking for some 'improvements' because the game changes at that point, instead of being a game of who's best playing it, it becomes a game of who's best at making the servers think they've won fair and square.
so instead of skill sports it becomes technical(motor) sports.. which wouldn't be that bad if they were open about the possibilities of it. if they don't want that then they can just forget the multiple location playing and hold the tournaments on site, because really that's the only way.
Ancient Chinese Wisdom: (Score:4, Insightful)
Belt Sander (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Belt Sander (Score:5, Funny)
Similar story... (Score:2)
We just got a mini tournament started when one really scrawny guy was playing my girlfriend when he lunged for the puck, glanced his arm of the side of the table and broke it.
It's one of her favorite party stories; she loves telling people how she broke a guys arm.
Re:Similar story... (Score:2)
Yeah we will forever be making fun of my friend for breaking his wrist playing Golden Tee.
They should have known... (Score:5, Funny)
When you mix money and video games... (Score:4, Interesting)
This is not new either. Back in teh 80's I used to have a plastic comb in the inside pocket of my jean jacket... this comb had all the teeth removed (except at the end)... it was for track and field... I could make my guy run hella fast with that comb... A friend made a battery powered thing to push the buttons that was cool, but did not work to good...
Re:When you mix money and video games... (Score:1)
Re:When you mix money and video games... (Score:2)
Re:When you mix money and video games... (Score:2)
The irony lost on them.
course design? (Score:4, Interesting)
Either way, I don't see why anyone is surprised by this. Money - supervision = People taking advantage.
Re:course design? (Score:5, Informative)
Yes the faster you spin the trackball, the further the ball goes. This is why you see guys beat the hell out of these machines. For most of them I think it's a macho "look how hard I can beat on this piece of plastic" thing, which is rather stupid, simply because there are much better ways to get the trackball to spin fast than pounding the thing (two thumbs on the ball w/ a quick motion works extremely well). And yes, I have seen drives well over 400 yards.
Thus, the long ball is very benefitial. There are many shortcuts in the game that can get you to the green faster, or on the green in one shot, and many of these you need to be able to hit the ball very far. But they're high risk/reward shots. If you don't shoot far, or accurate enough, you usually end up in the drink, or some other not so nice place. As for the physics, you'd think the ball would bounce right off the green from a drive, but there's a backspin button in the game, and, as unrealistic as this sounds, you can backspin the ball off any club, including the driver, making the ball slow down on the green very quickly.
Re:course design? (Score:2)
Not true. When Golden Tee Fore came out in 2001, they changed how trackball speed translated into club speed. Before that, people would beat the hell out of the machines and break them. The in-game announcers still say "He's breaking out the Rusty" in reference to an old tournament player that could outdrive everyone else with the unrestricted trackball (over 400 yards regularly). 400 yard drives are still doable, but you need the perfect h
what?!? (Score:2, Funny)
Anyone with personal experience? (Score:4, Insightful)
How is the interface designed? They keep refering to a trackball, which I assume records your swing somehow but it is lax on the details. I guess google and eBay might have some information. I wonder if they even encrypt the data down the line.
Frankly I am not sure they can have a secure system. Even if you get rid of the home ownership, what about the bar's owner messing with it? The users control the client, and when there is money to be made people will try to cheat. Even Las Vegas has problems with people cheating their slot machines and they have a government agency and inspections.
Re:Anyone with personal experience? (Score:1)
Re:Anyone with personal experience? (Score:1)
I haven't used one personally, but they are supposed to be quite durable.
Re:Anyone with personal experience? (Score:1, Informative)
If you want new courses, you have to pay. If you want to have a tournament-ready system, you need the latest courses. The average operator makes back the money they spend on the course update within a month or so. Yeah, I know, 2-3 weeks, you want money NOWWWWWWW... and tournament courses a
Tournament Standards? (Score:3, Insightful)
a belt sander?! that seems kinda extreme (Score:4, Interesting)
With that said, I don't see why one couldn't make a very simple electronic interface (instead of bullying yoru track ball with a sander). It's just light choppers blocking a signal from an ir led to a ir reciever led... bypass that and send your own pulses... and wooooooosh (without the physical wooooosh).
Like the previous poster mentioned using spoons/pencils on track and field... I always wanted to hack an atari2600 controller and make a turbo (left right left right) button to conquer Decathalon... my palms are still scarred =P
e.
Get rid of Golden Tee (Score:1)
Re:Get rid of Golden Tee (Score:1)
Re:Get rid of Golden Tee (Score:1)
The Real Story (Score:5, Informative)
-Barry
Re:The Real Story (Score:1)
Re:The Real Story (Score:2)
There's no way there are 300+ home players.
I described how they cheated because it's common knowledge in the GT community. Since home players can't play the tournament anymore, it doesn't do anyone any good.
I'm just a regular Silver player. I don't rep