iPlay Carousel — Attraction in Cannington

The recent treatment of rhythm gamers by iPlay is unacceptable. I will draw attention to the many times we have been here to play them—the most defined example being maimai DX, a game on which our community has spent dozens of hours and hundreds of dollars in credits overall—and how we have been consistently been looked down on.

First, it (the big corpo arcade) no longer allows us to borrow seats from elsewhere to rest, even the emptiest of areas, while waiting in line. It gave us a mid but workable substitute: some fishing game with seats placed in front of the cab to “solve” this issue. It was wildly impractical, as not only were there two awkwardly separated sides, but because it was a game that diaper-soiling infantiles played at the same time. It wasn’t ours. iPlay then removed that from the area—leaving a MASSIVE space in front of maimai—but STILL don't let us borrow seats NOBODY ELSE USES. We have always allowed for open walkways to exist when we were still borrowing seats, so this is either a made up issue or an exaggerated response to an isolated incident.

Then they also removed the fans from maimai and DDR due to being a “tripping hazard”, even though it has consistently been positioned out of walkways. This change was unhealthy for us to say the least. The arcade’s ventilation is already horrifically flawed. After weeks of our “botcheding (content censored) and moaning" (ASKING FOR IT TO BE RETURNED???), management installed a fan on each side of the cab. But then it added a PUNCHING GAME to the left of maimai. Then the left fan broke less than a week after the punching game was added. Nobody will show restraint on this thing, and DDR still has no fan even though its intensity goes much higher than maimai. shame

The slew of rhythm gamers mistreatment continues with a rude staff member telling off my friends for being too loud IN AN ARCADE. FROM CELEBRATING A SCORE. She said something like “there’s other people in here” IT WAS A WEDNESDAY, NOBODY WAS THERE, and WE were too LOUD? WE, the CUSTOMERS keeping you in business, can’t be happy when playing games in an arcade? Know your damn place and audience, unless you wanna rebrand to iLibrary. “management already told you to be quiet” they literally didn’t. It makes me absolutely livid that you think this treatment as though we are subhuman is acceptable or deserved.

Finally, it doesn’t help whatever thin case you have when you raise the game prices for the FREQUENT card tier instead of the standard - from 3.50 per credit for VIPs to 3.70. Standard REMAINS at 4 dollars. You made maimai at your venue more expensive than any other with it in perth, including Varsity at 3.50. Timezone also has 3.50 as the base price, and 3.30 for elite tier cardholders. And don't give me that "rising costs" garbage. You use AI generated images—NOT “ART”—for social promotion, which is a whole other moral injustice in itself. As if hurting players wasn’t enough, you choose to hurt the environment with the immense power cost of generative AI. If you refuse to hire real artists or designers, there is no justifying price hikes. “it’s only by 20 cents per credit!” yeah, for the MORE FREQUENT PLAYERS. Consider double dollars deals at your arcade vs Timezone, both being $60 for $120. Rounding to whole number:

Timezone: 120/3.3 = 36 maimai games iPlay: 120/3.7 = 32 maimai games

Four plays may sound like an insignificant difference to casuals, but to those that find real enjoyment in the game, the cheaper, friendlier, and more respectable choice is obvious. Your system is greatly flawed and to the detriment of your former loyal players on which one of your communities is built on.

Even more disappointing, this location is the closest to me with maimai, so I used to main it for the convenience. But needless to say after all this, I will not be giving any more of my money to this soulless business entity that doesn't care about its customers.

If money is what it wants from us, it has long lost its right to earn it. And it’s about time it treated rhythm game players...

My thoughts on iPlay's management of maimai

main points lack of seating, now compounded by lack of space sheer proximity of the punching machine to the maimai cab no update to prism+ since its release (24/7)

maimai players have expressed their frustration over the apparent lack of seating despite the open space (see photo 3) - resulting in us often sitting on the usually out-of-order hungry hippos game (see photo 3) or simply on the floor without even a simple bench. The existence of the sign (photo 4) prohibiting seating being moved only worsens this feeling that we are not welcome here - reinforced by the recent decision to move the claw machines to directly surrounding the maimai cab (photo 2), making that space feel cramped. This makes me feel it was never an issue about impeding foot traffic around the area (by moving seating around). You may not be obligated to provide seating but we sure feel way more welcomed in the other venues which do allow for seating around their maimai cabs. I'm not sure forcing customers to either stand or sit on the floor when waiting for at least 30min in queue reflects well on your business as a whole, but who am I to judge?

Now, about the punching machine. I don't think it takes a particularly smart person to realise that putting two games which not only require a lot of movement, but are also very popular, side-by-side is anything but a good idea but you guys have done it anyway. We have already had an incident of the punching machine being punched hard enough that it jolted and damaged the fan on the player 1 side of the maimai cab. Yet, it's still so close to it, it may as well be attached (photo 1). Not to mention, it's become incredibly annoying to be on the player 1 side of maimai and being pushed over by someone going for a huge punch and losing their balance. It's not only an annoyance but a potential safety concern - what if some day someone misses their punch and inadvertedly punches someone playing maimai. maimai requires one's full focus, and they would be none the wiser to an incoming punch much less avoid one.

Finally, about the update. maimai received a version update from prism to prism+ on the 24th of July. Every other venue (Timezone Northbridge and Frementle, and Varsity Nedlands) have updated but for whatever reason iPlay has not. With how maimai works, once a player plays on the new version, they cannot play on an outdated cab with their same profile/save information. This is a huge inconvenience for both people who play at venues other than iPlay but also for those who exclusively play at iPlay because they cannot access the new content that the update has brought.

I realise writing a review like this will probably fall on deaf ears, but I feel like doing nothing is worse. I, along with many others, have already voted with their wallets and won't be coming back. For charging the highest price to play, it's surprising we receive the worst treatment out of all the...

I took my 2 and 3 yrs old there today, I had the most horrible and unpleasant experiences ever in my life. Both of my children were playing the bowling games next to basketball game at the back as we’re playing one of the ball got stuck so I went at the front counter for help and for assistant, a gentle around his 30's followed me to the bowling game, when he got there , he ask me what happen? So I explained to him that my 3 yrs old old rolled the ball to my daughter game, who at that time was finished playing her game but my son has a still few round left of his game. I was so shock when I hear him say (Loud and clear ) “Yeah F@#$King Right” in front of me and my children, I said to him that he didn't have swear and use bad language in fronts of me and my kids!!!! I was so shock, pissed, angry. I went to the front counter ask for the manager to make a complian of the incident and then he came to her and said it's me she wants to complain about and then the manager asked what was wrong what had happened? So I told her I what has acuras and If I could just get my money back what was left on the card and the Idiot turn around and said ( i said the ball was stuck) like I was stupid and making things up, so I said no I hear you loud and clear, I know what you said and wh want I heard. I told them I just wanted a refund the I have left on my iplay card, to make it even worse no apology at from them at all, or from the manager. I just give me my money so I can leave. !!! SERIOUSLY some off your staff need to go under customer service and management training.

I was manager in QLD at Indooroopilly Fun House family entertainment Arcade games for 4 yrs my staff were never allowed to talk the customer like that or use a bad language in front of the children as well and i would of fond ways to make sure the customer didn't leave upset or or angry and o would of made sure they left happy and pleasantly for them to come again and as for the manager I would apologize at lease for the staff behavior….

I'm never coming back to that ...