A technician working for US novelty games producer Bobs Space Racers deliberately programmed a fault into the boards of Whac-a-Mole games so that they subsequently failed after a number of games – ensuring lucrative repair work for himself.

The story unfolded at Holly Hill, Florida, after hundreds of games had failed all over the world with a software virus. It was traced back to programmer Marvin Wimberly who wanted to ensure his continued employment with the company.