Arcade company accused of selling fake Pac-Man games

[VectorGamer]

The owner and employees of CoinOpStore, a classic arcade machine company in Santa Clara, allegedly made and sold counterfeit video games, including Galaga, Tank Battalion and at least five iterations of Pac-Man, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.

 

Between 2014 and 2017, the defendants allegedly sold consoles containing between 60 and 3,000 games trademarked to Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.

 

https://nypost.com/2017/08/11/arcade-company-accused-of-selling-fake-pac-man-games/

 

 

What year is it?

[+DamonicFury]

It sure seems like they were just selling cabinets with those 60-in-1 (and up) boards that so many people are selling. But that bit about the 1.2 million in cash doesn't fit in with that... as you implied, selling arcade stuff these days just isn't that lucrative! Very strange.

[Flojomojo]

I wonder if the defense is going to be, "they're not bootlegs, they're reproductions!"

[Tanooki]

It seems like there should be more to this given the dollar amount and the rest. It doesn't add up given you can go on any craigslist in the states and find 1-2 local shmucks selling bartop, full size, mini size, cocktail, or even converted bourbon barrel cocktails of the same thing -- and they're on ebay too. I'm not saying they're legal given these fools all stack them with the same games, but why are we not seeing everyone picked on over this with mass shut downs? Cheaper to victimize one and scare the others?

[Crimefighter]

I'm quite sure the feds won't be raiding Amazon nor taking away their government subsidies on postage anytime soon --

 

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=arcade+pcb&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aarcade+pcb

 

No, Bezos will have them looking the other way or have a nasty writeup made against his political enemies in the Washington FAKE Post...

 

Seriously this smells like singling out given how many companies out there make repro stuff for arcades. If this is a beginning of a crackdown, anyone who has these at gaming conventions that makes them to earn a bit of money on the side or reduce the amount invested in their arcades is gonna have a problem.

Edited August 11, 2017 by Crimefighter

[Albert]

Keep politics out of this thread and the forum.

 

Thank you,

 

..Al

[R.Cade]

Yeah, this stuff is everywhere. It's probably like the story of the Feds getting Al Capone for "tax evasion". This was something else... nobody has 1.2 million in cash selling arcade games, at least not in 2017.

[enoofu]

They even some of the Cabinets in a Pac Man scheme and sold them for 2 Grand with 60- 1 Jamma boards

The 1.2 million in cash is probably from the whole company income which some of it looking very legit

 

"played classics such as Galaga, Tank Battalion and five different versions of Pac-Man."

http://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Prosecutors-6-charged-with-making-fake-Pac-Man-11749616.php

Edited August 12, 2017 by enoofu

[Sgt Jack V]

That cabinet looks so goddamned ugly, you'd think that they were partly removed because of how fake it looks.

1. The Asteroids style cabinet.
2. The weird bezel.
3. The weird side art with the buck-toothed Pac-Man.

[keepdreamin]

kind of odd this is happening now, those 60 in 1 boards and bootleg cabs have been around FOREVER at this point.

Edited August 13, 2017 by keepdreamin

[enoofu]

Believe the issue is that Namco is selling classic games on multiboard Arcade boards in Pacman Cabinets and their main partner is in the same city

 

• Pac-Man Arcade Party
• Item #: NAMM-024787N

Play these great titles all in one cabinet:
Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig Dug, Galaxian, Pac-Mania, Galaga '88, Mappy, Xevious, Rolling Thunder, Dragon Spirit, Rally-X, and Bosconian

• Pac-Man 25th Anniversary Model
• Item #: NAMM-022633N

This model will feature all three classic games, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga

Edited August 13, 2017 by enoofu

[schuwalker]

Namco is VERY protective of their IP.

[mr.bill]

there is WAY more to this story than the arcade games. From what I was told, the arcade games were just the excuse to go after the assets(cash and homes). They have been selling them for 15+ years, and not small time. you think it took that long for namco to notice?

[enoofu]

there is WAY more to this story than the arcade games. From what I was told, the arcade games were just the excuse to go after the assets(cash and homes). They have been selling them for 15+ years, and not small time. you think it took that long for namco to notice?

 

The issue is that some of their cabinets looked like Pac-Man 25th Anniversary Model and was using Namco trademarks which made it counterfeit goods. The Chinese Jamma Multi-boards that go for under 100 with no software licences just added to the issue.

Here is a picture to compare with the above. Also note it just needs to look close enough for the general public to be confused. Buck-toothed Pac-Man and other changes was just a attempt to make it look illegitimate but probably didn't go far enough.

https://www.arcade-museum.com/images/115/1155646226.jpg

[mr.bill]

thats not the story. they have been after them for over a year(goes back to raid back then and coinop store is still open and was just selling them recently). the cabs are just the excuse. when the govt goes after assets, they need a victim. Yeah, namco is a victim, but its much more.

[Austin]

thats not the story.

Then what is the story? It sounds like you're "in the know". Enlighten us!

[mr.bill]

Then what is the story? It sounds like you're "in the know". Enlighten us!

Well, I sort of know some of the players and I got some info from a friend who knows the sitatuion better than I do. From what I hear It's not good. It's worse than selling video games. This is just the money grab part of it. If you really want to know, google search some of the names.

[enoofu]

Can't find much on them except that they are all facing up to 52 years in jail if convicted on all counts

 

Also some Mameworld peeps claim they been openly counterfeiting other brands for years

http://www.mameworld.info/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=368674&page=0&view=expanded&sb=5&o=&vc=1

[mr.bill]

your not very good at searching..

 

http://people.com/crime/dozens-arrested-in-san-jose-anti-gang-operation-gang-of-thrones/

[enoofu]

Yeah, nice find as Gambling Devices to a gang would of made them a target

 

your not very good at searching..

 

http://people.com/crime/dozens-arrested-in-san-jose-anti-gang-operation-gang-of-thrones/