R.I.P. - Chuck E. Cheese (mascot as we knew him)

pookdolie

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http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_ne...-cheese-the-rodent-is-getting-a-makeover?lite

Chuck E. Cheese -- the rodent -- is getting a makeover

(UPDATED 3:55 p.m. Eastern) NEW YORK -- Chuck E. Cheese has been given the pink slip.

The company that operates the chain of children's pizza restaurants is retiring the giant rodent's outdated image — and the man who voiced its character for nearly two decades. CEC Entertainment Inc. says it plans to launch a national ad campaign Thursday with a revamped image of Chuck E. Cheese as a hip, electric-guitar-playing rock star.

It's just the latest makeover for the 35-year-old mascot, which started life as a New Jersey rat who sometimes carried a cigar.

CEC Entertainment, based in Irving, Texas, is struggling to revive sales at its more than 500 pizza restaurants, which offer games, prizes and a musical variety show.

In May, CEC said revenue at its locations open at least a year fell 4.2 percent in the first quarter and lowered its outlook for the year.

According to ShowBizPizza.com, a Chuck E. Cheese fan site, the man who voiced the mascot in commercials since 1993 learned of his replacement only after coming across "Chuck's Hot New Single" online and realizing it was sung by someone else. The fan site late last week published a Facebook post by Duncan Brannan, the mascot's former voice.

Brannan could not be reached for comment. But in the post, he writes that part of his assignment when he first took on the role was to transform Chuck E. Cheese from "a joke-telling, sometime off-color New Jersey rat" to a lovable, mainstream mouse.

He notes that there were various signs in recent months that suggested he was being pushed out, but that he was assured by the company that he was still the voice of Chuck E.

The Facebook post was republished by The Dallas Observer this week.

CEC Entertainment says that Brannan wasn't fired but that it simply "chose to utilize new voice talent."

The new Chuck E. Cheese that launches this week will be voiced by Jaret Reddick, the lead singer for the pop-punk bank Bowling for Soup. The Chuck E. Cheese Facebook page now shows a silhouette of a cartoon mouse playing a guitar. The details of Chuck E.'s new image will be unveiled this week.

The first Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre location opened in 1977 in San Jose, Calif. According to ShowBizPizza.com, the idea for Chuck E. came from a generic mascot costume that was acquired by the founder, Nolan Bushnell, who also co-founded Atari and Pong. Executives originally considered calling the restaurant "Rick Rat's Pizza" but a PR agency figured a rat would be a bad mascot for a pizza chain.

The name Chuck E. Cheese was selected because it downplayed the mascot's species and forced people to smile when they said it, according to the site.

This part reminds me of something:

CEC Entertainment Inc. says it plans to launch a national ad campaign Thursday with a revamped image of Chuck E. Cheese as a hip, electric-guitar-playing rock star.

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Say whaaaaaat

Jk, I've known about this swap and it's surely a change. There is a whole storyline now that explains chuck "e" growing up as an orphan and meeting Pasqually, etc.

But good find, I'm surprised how quickly this has become a news story.
 
I can say with certainty the whole reason CEC business is suffering is due to the appearance of their cartoon rat. This will fix everything! lol
 
This is sad news especially for everyone that grew up going to CEC in the early 80's.I really don't care for the new chuck look at all. At least I have something I just got to remember the original Chuck by in my game room thanks to a Klover here (ARCredux)

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It's looks like Bugs Bunny with mouse ears (in basic design, anyway). And I know Chuck has always had a black nose, but it really doesn't work with this character design. Whatever. It's not like I could go there without some kid anyway.

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It's looks like Bugs Bunny with mouse ears (in basic design, anyway). And I know Chuck has always had a black nose, but it really doesn't work with this character design. Whatever. It's not like I could go there without some kid anyway.

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You can actually. I went and got pizza one day because I remembered it being good when I was a kid. I asked if it was ok for me to be there because I didn't want to be that strange guy hanging out at CEC haha. They said people go there all the time for pizza. That pizza is Terrible btw. Obviously a shit load of sugar in the sauce.
 
I can say with certainty the whole reason CEC business is suffering is due to the appearance of their cartoon rat. This will fix everything! lol

yeah the horrible food, high prices and virtually nothing but virtual kiddie gambling machines have nothing to do with it lol
 
Their stock isn't doing too bad, although I certainly wouldn't invest in it now.

The mascot isn't the problem, they like Dave and Busters need to rework the entertainment portion of their restaurants. Because the dead arcade industry isn't really going to be able to support them anymore, and I am not even sure how viable the redemption manufacturing business is, since most of the manufacturers are drowning in debt because of market contractions. How profitable could new ticket spewing machines be at this point when your entire market is Chuck e Cheese and D&B.

I can't see anyone else buying the stuff, since most traditional arcade venues are either already gone, going out of business, certainly not buying equipment or having gone to all classics. While route operators are going out of business left and right and the survivors are fixing up their old equipment and certainly not investing in a lot of new stuff.
 
How profitable could new ticket spewing machines be at this point when your entire market is Chuck e Cheese and D&B.

I think this will all end with D&B acquiring Chuck E Cheese someday, and retaining the name/kid's theme.
 
First off the chuck e cheese character died when they changed it from the original cigar smoking rat to a mouse. Chuck e cheese was never a mouse and the newer cartoon mouse is even further from what chuck e cheese ever was or should be. Changing the character without changing the business won't actually result in more customers. Unless they start a successful cartoon on network TV or something to hook kids in.
 
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