A Chuck E. Cheese employee is going viral after posting a TikTok on how the chain makes its animatronic characters move, sing, and dance.
“How to install a new show at Chuck E. Cheese,” Stewart (@showbizpizzaman) posted on TikTok.
The social user shares how he loads the 3.5-inch floppy disk into a computer server, which provides data from the current song and dance routines for the animatronic characters.
According to BuzzFeed News, the U.S. nuclear weapon program ran on 8-inch floppy disks until 2019, which might be difficult to believe. There are reportedly still some additional technologies that depend on technologies like Boeing 747 jets and parts of the San Francisco public transit system.
But why is Chuck E. Cheese still using floppy disks?
The chain is actually in the process of phasing out floppies, which was announced in 2017. It’s just that the process is taking years. It may even take another couple of years.
The company may even try another nostalgic idea: a real-life person in an anamorphic costume.
Though it’s simple why Chuck E. Cheese still uses floppies. They work well!
“The floppies work surprisingly well. The animatronic, lighting, and show sync data are all in the floppy disks,” an anonymous employee told BuzzFeed News. “I’ve seen a few of the newer Studio C Chuck E.’s run on flash drive/SD card combo. But usually newer setups cause issues with stuff, and it’s easier to just keep the old stuff running.”
Tom Persky, the owner of floppydisk.com, of course, agrees that floppies work well. For example, even if Chuck E. Cheese completely phases out of using floppies, they will still be used to store data for medical devices.
“Why don’t you use USB? Well, let’s say your life depends on it,” Persky said, according to the news outlet. “If you have a choice between a USB drive or a floppy disk, pick the floppy disk every time.”It’s one thing if your animatronic bear doesn’t smile on cue,” he continued. “It’s another if your medical device fails.”
“It’s one thing if your animatronic bear doesn’t smile on cue,” he added. “It’s another if your medical device fails.”
Read more via BuzzFeed News.