Man wins Wii from Stacker Machine
by David Hinkle 
{ Apr 2nd 2007 at 1:55PM }
While the video only shows the individual picking out his prize, we'll just go ahead and say this guy has skills. He apparently won a Wii console from what is being called the "Stacker Machine." Personally, we've never seen them in our neck of the woods, but we understand it's a big world out there, full of many things we have yet to see. You can check out the video, as usual, past the post break.
[Note: Hide the children, there is an unhealthy amount of curse words in the video.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
murray b @ Apr 2nd 2007 2:47PM
unreal. i've played that game, i thought it was impossible. on the last couple levels its complete luck.
Dash @ Apr 2nd 2007 2:53PM
I absolutely hate those things!
Every time I'm up to the final part, it's like the game cheats on you! You top the block, and the next thing, it skips to the other side!
Congrats on this player though. I hope he enjoys his new console...
Liqwid @ Apr 2nd 2007 3:14PM
I think I played over in that same mall. It's over around Peachtree in GA. I wasted $5 on that thing and was one block away from winning on what I think, if I do remember, was the blue DS I wanted.
I was just that close ||.
Edwin @ Apr 2nd 2007 3:20PM
Haha the guy said he only spent $20... nice investment!
TVGenius @ Apr 2nd 2007 3:51PM
Here's what the game looks like normally. It starts a row of lights moving back and forth, and you have to try to line it up with the prior row. Say you start with a line of four, if you're off by one, then you only have three. Off by two the next time, and you're down to one. Basically your margin of error gets smaller for every time you miss, and it moves increasingly faster.
TVGenius @ Apr 2nd 2007 3:52PM
'Spose that link would help...
http://www.laigames.com/stacker_giant.htm
Deadhead @ Apr 2nd 2007 4:20PM
I worked in an Arcade for over 6 years, don't ask. We had this game. The whole thing is programmed with eprcentages. It has no revelance to the skill of the individual at all. Ours usually had Xbox 360 games and Nintendo DS and PSPs as prizes. Believe me its all based on how much you program the machine to make before it even starts giving a chance to win these prizes. It runs on the same OS as the lighthouse game, if you ever saw that game, same concept.
James @ Apr 2nd 2007 4:34PM
Wow, it occurs to me that LAI might not want to let prospective players see their "manual" like that. I think most folks are probably turned off by phrases like "greed takes over".
I always felt like these things that pay out big prizes with a win percentage determined ahead of time are basically a thin veil to get around anti-gambling laws. Now, I'm not saying I agree with anti-gambling laws -- I don't need Big Mother making sure I spend *my own damn money* wisely, thanks -- but if slots are illegal, it seems like these machines get by on a bare technicality.
Of course, in the end, I just tell myself "a fool and his money are soon parted" and move on...
Luis @ Apr 2nd 2007 7:20PM
Wow thats awesome! My local Pizza Factory has one of those but it only gives out GBA SP's :( I almost won one but it's hard on the final levels.
johnny @ Apr 2nd 2007 7:52PM
thats at the great mall! lol ive lost 20 bucks to that thing.
Schneider @ Apr 2nd 2007 8:57PM
That is awesome.
lovelain @ Apr 2nd 2007 8:58PM
deadhead, you beat me to it. i work in an arcade currently and we have this game (used to have lighthouse too) and...yeah..there's little skill involved. i mean, technically when it gets to the point where it's going to pay out a major prize then you have to be able to make it to the top in order to actually get it, but still. we don't have nearly as cool stuff as this (ipod shuffles, cellphones, etc. is what's in our's), but a nearby arcade (ahem, fun center) has 360s and ps3s in theirs.
Cippycup @ Apr 2nd 2007 9:01PM
yeah Stacker is a computer game that can be setup for a lost ever time. the system here must of never been setup giving this guy a very lucky day.
more info on the true nature of how the stacker system works is here at wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacker_(game)
I also have a few manuals on this unit and some insider info.
OH2600 motto :: If you can't beat it Hack It!
Adam @ Apr 2nd 2007 10:58PM
Here's a video of a Stacker in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W1cVC0fFmY
We had one at the arcade I worked at for a time, and it was, perhaps, one of the cheatingest machines I had ever seen.
Shawn @ Apr 2nd 2007 11:33PM
I have actually won a radar-detector from this machine. It was inside the Kerasotes movie theatre (Indianapolis).
They use to have the binary code for download... so that you could update the machines ROM.
What we need is a little LEGO Mindstorms robot that can play it :)
Corey @ Apr 5th 2007 11:24PM
I almost won an Xbox 360 on one of those. I got to the top level twice. Damn thing stole around $16 bucks from me in no time...
Eric @ Apr 3rd 2007 12:23AM
I own games like this. What nobody understands is that buying the Wii to put in the machine costs money. It's simple business. Arcade operators need to make a living just like everyone else; they need to make a profit on the prizes they put in that. The Stacker machine itself costs upwards of $12,000. The machines can be programmed to be extremely difficult (to the level of screwing over, yes), but it is illegal to create a game that is impossible of winning, so there is a chance (be it a very slim one) that you will win when you put a dollar in.
Ryan @ Apr 8th 2007 7:28PM
I currently work at a movie theater and we have this in our arcade section. The guy that's in charge of coming out to service it and take the money away that it makes told me that the odds of winning are 1 in 800. The best prizes we have are ipod shuffles and DS Lites.
DjDATZ @ Apr 3rd 2007 7:45PM
that was not props u idiot.
there are machines like here in just about every "asain" hangout here in markham, ontario. im serious. you go to first markham, theres one at world bowl on leslie, and theres one at another bowling alley in scarborough.
no offense to any asains though.
Mr.Him @ May 3rd 2007 8:02AM
There is a way, it is NOT impossible to win major prize 4 times in a row...if any of yall have a musical metronome or if yall can count(like come in on a beat), you WILL WIN. I was just so fustrated when i had once missed the last box to win major prize...THIS IS HOW YOU ALL CAN RIG THE SYSTEM!!!!!!
Spidyaj @ Jun 10th 2007 10:05AM
I won a psp yesterday on stacker, at first it got stuck but i called the place and they actually gave it to me. Lol i thought they were just gonna refund my money. =) the psp came with ATV off road fury, the movie lords of dog town, and one gig of memory. all for 2 dollars =)