Fewer than 50 of the more than 600 Chuck E. Cheese stores around the world still maintain the quarter-century-old “Studio C” layout of these floppy-disk animatronics. Other restaurants have versions of the show using modern technology, while others have no animatronics at all. (Ars Technica there is a story For Chuck E. Cheese’s use of floppy disks and a more detailed breakdown of all the old tech. )
Ultimately, Chuck E. Cheese plans to do away with animatronics entirely and focus on new screen-based entertainment (plus live humans in mascot costumes).overhaul is First announced in 2017however, restaurant renovations are an ongoing process and it may take a year or two before the final animatronics are decommissioned.
Owned by Tom Persky Floppy disk.com, is the largest floppy disk provider still standing. He has several weapons in his business. He can buy blank discs or send old floppies to transfer to modern storage his media. Persky also plans to program the discs for high-volume customers, and he confirmed to BuzzFeed News that Chuck E. Cheese is actually a longtime customer of his. said he was sad to lose his company.
As to why restaurants still use floppy disks, Persky told BuzzFeed News that floppy technology, while outdated, is actually very reliable. “If you’re looking for something that’s very stable and really unhackable, it’s neither Internet-based nor network-based,” he says. “Its functionality is very elegant.”
A Chuck E. Cheese spokesperson confirmed to BuzzFeed News that the chain uses floppy disks. However, they were very cautious about what other information they wanted to share, and a few days later told us that the company, for the record, would not be participating in this story.
But a seasoned Chuck E. Cheese employee, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on behalf of the company, agreed with Persky.
“The floppies work amazingly well. The animatronics, lighting, and show sync data are all on floppy disks,” an employee told BuzzFeed News. “I’ve seen some newer Studio C Chuck E.’s work with a flash drive/SD card combination. But it’s usually easier to just keep the old one running because the new setup usually has issues.”
Even after Chuck E. Cheese phases out floppies, other areas, such as medical devices, may continue to use them for some time. The thought of this can be nerve-wracking, but Persky insisted it was a good thing. “Why not USB? Well, let’s say your life depends on it,” he said. every time.
“If the animatronic bear doesn’t laugh the way you want it to, you’re in trouble,” he continued. “Except when the medical equipment breaks down.”
