HackerTube.dev

This Arcade Game is a SCAM (I have proof)

Mark Rober · 51.4M views · 2018-01-03 · 7:09

Open on YouTube ↗

If playback is restricted in your region, try opening the original video. Use Mark watched to add it to your marked videos.

Overview

Mark Rober builds a machine that plays the Cyclone arcade game with perfect timing and discovers the game is rigged so that perfect play still loses. The video explains the physics and electronics tricks behind carnival-style skill games.

On Hacker News

Cited in threads on rigged arcade machines and gambling-like games as the clearest demonstration that skill games can be tuned to be unwinnable.

Recommended by 2 HN people across 2 months · HN mentions 2019–2023

Topics

Mechanical & precision engineeringGames (other)Engineering & making (other)
Search by tags
arcadecycloneengineeringscam gamesmark rober

What people said

pavel_lishin · 2019-03 · Recommendation

> You aren't just using skills and competing with physics. You are competing with software that is affecting the outcome. Mark Rober covered this in a pretty decent YouTube video: [VIDEO]

Read the original HN comment ↗
gowld · 2019-01 · Recommendation

Back in the legacy world of arcades and carnivals, Mark Rober did some nice videos about the analog/physic and electronic tricks of scam games: [LINK] [VIDEO] It's quite a problem that all these gambling scams are (to more or lesser extent) regulated in geographic jurisdictions, but Internet-bsaed systems bypass all local sovereignty. How long before the governments step up and demand that all Internet businesses get import licenses and traffic must pass through "customs" at each ISP "port of entry" for their goods and services?

Read the original HN comment ↗
AlexandrB · 2023-09 · Reference

Also applies to other supposedly skill based games at arcades, like "Cyclone"[1]. Interesting to contrast this to how pinball machines were considered gambling for a while, even though they were not[2]. [1] [VIDEO] [2] [LINK]

Read the original HN comment ↗

Sources

Video by Mark Rober, played through YouTube.

Data and selection notes

HN summaries and labels may contain AI errors. HN dates refer to discussions, not video publication.

HN Library: HackerTube export (2026-10-31) and open-index/hacker-news. Upstream summaries and classifications may contain AI errors.

Views, duration and playback status refresh separately from the published catalog. When an update fails, existing data remains visible.

Selection checks
  • SaaS & AI candidates: Topic keywords do not match
  • Editor-approved picks: Editorial review is required

Rule matches identify candidates. They do not guarantee video quality or financial results.

About the library and its sources