For many members of the post-80s and post-90s generations, “game tickets” from arcades are a vital symbol of childhood memories. Clutching stacks of paper tickets dispensed after a game, calculating “how many more are needed to redeem a prize” while staring at toys and stationery in the glass cabinets at the redemption counter—this was once a core part of the arcade entertainment experience. However, stepping into most arcades today, one will find that traditional paper tickets have become scarce, and some venues have even completely eliminated the ticket redemption system. Why have game tickets, once so popular, gradually been “abandoned” by arcades? Behind this lies a logical chain of industry transformations driven by operational costs, consumer habits, and technological upgrades.
I. Soaring Operational Costs: Tickets as a “Hidden Burden” from Printing to Management
For arcade operators, the “hidden costs” of the traditional paper ticket system have long become an unbearable pressure. Firstly, there are material and production costs: Arcades need to regularly customize large quantities of paper tickets, which must have anti-counterfeiting features (such as special watermarks and fluorescent ink) to prevent forgery. Although the cost per ticket is low, the total expense adds up significantly—a medium-sized arcade can spend several thousand yuan on ticket printing each month, and this cost doubles during peak holiday seasons with high foot traffic.
More challenging are the storage and management costs. Paper tickets require separate storage in dry, light-proof spaces to avoid moisture damage and tearing. Meanwhile, dedicated staff must be assigned to handle ticket distribution and replenishment—each ticket-dispensing game machine (such as basketball shooting machines and whack-a-mole machines) needs regular checks of its ticket hopper, and stockouts can immediately harm the player experience. Additionally, the redemption process also demands labor: Staff at the redemption counter must manually count the number of tickets a player holds, and when tickets are crumpled or damaged, repeated verification is required, which is time-consuming and prone to disputes. Industry data shows that the operational costs of traditional ticket systems (including materials, labor, and equipment maintenance) account for approximately 5%-8% of an arcade’s monthly revenue—a “burden” that the arcade industry, with its shrinking profit margins, can no longer afford to bear.
II. Shifts in Consumer Habits: Players Seek “Instant Gratification” Rather Than “Saving Tickets and Waiting”
The decline of the ticket system is essentially a response to changes in player behavior. In the past, players were willing to invest time in “saving tickets for prizes”—each ticket represented “one step closer to the goal,” and this “cumulative joy” aligned with the entertainment needs of the era. Today, however, as life rhythms accelerate, players increasingly pursue “instant gratification”: The core purpose of playing arcade games has shifted from “saving tickets” to “stress relief and socializing,” and few people are willing to spend hours playing games just to queue up with dozens of tickets for a small toy.
At the same time, the “diminishing appeal of prizes” has exacerbated this trend. In the past, redemption prizes at arcades (such as large plush toys and small home appliances) held strong allure for players. But now, these items are easily available on e-commerce platforms at transparent prices, making it unnecessary for players to “earn tickets through games to redeem them.” Some players even joke: “The tickets earned by spending 100 yuan on games can only be exchanged for a toy that costs 30 yuan online—it’s just not cost-effective.”
III. Technological Upgrades: Electronic Points Replace Paper Tickets, Boosting Both Efficiency and Experience
Technological advancement has provided arcades with an “alternative solution,” making the phasing out of the ticket system inevitable. Today, most arcades have introduced electronic membership systems: After players apply for a membership card, the “rewards” earned from playing games are directly converted into electronic points and stored on the card. There is no longer a need to worry about losing or damaging tickets, nor about manual counting. When redeeming prizes, players only need to present their membership card, and staff can deduct the corresponding points in less than a minute—greatly improving efficiency.
For arcades, electronic point systems offer additional advantages. On one hand, they allow real-time monitoring of point distribution across all machines through backend systems, providing precise insights into players’ game preferences (e.g., which types of games generate the most points) to optimize machine layout. On the other hand, electronic points can be integrated with “membership marketing”—for example, sending “redemption discounts” or “game coupons” to players with large point balances to enhance user retention. In contrast, paper tickets cannot support these functions, leading to their gradual obsolescence due to technological iteration.
IV. A Special Catalyst: The Pandemic Accelerated “Contactless Services,” Making Tickets a “Hygiene Risk”
The COVID-19 pandemic around 2020 served as a “catalyst” that accelerated the elimination of the ticket system. During the pandemic, “contactless services” became a necessity across industries, and paper tickets—due to their nature of “being touched by multiple people and difficult to disinfect”—were regarded as potential “hygiene risks.” Players would touch tickets while playing games, and staff would need to count them manually during redemption, increasing the risk of cross-infection.
To comply with pandemic prevention requirements, many arcades urgently replaced paper tickets with electronic points. This not only met “contactless” standards but also reduced crowding (queues for ticket redemption were common in the past). After the pandemic, this “contactless” model was widely accepted by players, and many arcades chose to completely eliminate paper tickets, adopting electronic points as a long-term operational solution.
The Disappearance of Tickets Is Arcades’ “Adaptation to the Times”
Arcades’ phasing out of game tickets is not a rejection of past entertainment models, but an inevitable result of the industry adapting to changes in costs, technology, and consumer demand. The shift from paper tickets to electronic points is seemingly a change in “reward form,” but at its core, it represents arcades’ transformation from “prize-centric” to “experience-centric” operations. Today’s arcades focus more on attracting players through high-quality game equipment, comfortable environments, and social scenarios, rather than relying on “tickets” to retain customers.
For players, while the childhood memory of “saving tickets for toys” fades away, a more efficient and convenient entertainment experience is emerging. For the industry, this transformation has also allowed arcades to find new room for survival and development in the fiercely competitive entertainment market.
