The vibrant world of arcades has always been a battleground between game developers and pirates. To protect their lucrative intellectual property, manufacturers have deployed a sophisticated array of anti-piracy measures. These methods can be broadly categorized into hardware and software-based solutions.

One of the most fundamental hardware protections is the use of custom chips and security dongles. Critical game code is often stored on a separate, proprietary ROM chip or a physical dongle that must be present for the game to boot. Without this specific hardware component, the main game board is rendered useless. Furthermore, arcade PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards) are frequently housed in locked cabinets with tamper-evident seals. Any attempt to open the cabinet and access the board for copying is immediately noticeable, potentially voiding warranties and alerting operators.

On the software side, encryption is a primary tool. Game code and assets stored on ROMs are typically encrypted. The system requires a specific decryption key, often tied to the custom security chip, to read the data. This prevents simply duplicating the ROM chips onto blank ones. Another clever method involves checksums and self-checks. The game constantly verifies the integrity of its own code. If a pirate attempts to modify the code to bypass protection, the checksum will not match, and the game will either crash, display graphical glitches, or refuse to start.

Some systems employed unique, per-cabinet serial numbers burned into the hardware, which the game software would cross-reference. Online connectivity in modern arcade machines also allows for digital rights management (DRM) and remote verification, ensuring the software is legitimate. These multi-layered approaches, combining physical security with complex digital locks, have formed a robust defense for decades, preserving the business model of the coin-operated arcade industry.