Showbiz Pizza (East and West Cybersland)/History

It was founded on January 5, 1987 in New Antioch, East Cybersland by Roland Phillips, a Cyberslandian businessman and fertilizer salesman who obtained the grant of the American branch of Showbiz Pizza to reach the Cyberslands (who had good relations with both the US, Canada, Japan, EU, and USSR) as a result of a bet. In 1984, the company moved its headquarters to Platland, West Cybersland. In 1984, CyberBurger Restaurants, Inc. purchased the Cyberslandian Showbiz Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese's restaurants. They they proceeded to permanently operate Showbiz Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese's restaurants as separate entities in the Cyberslands.

Billy Frank became chairman and CEO of Showbiz Pizza in 1986. Based on customer research, Billy instituted a number of changes to appeal to younger children and parents. Specific measures included increased lighting, expanded and improved food, table service, self-serve fountain drinks, increased rides, and distinct toddler areas. Ronald took back control in 2005.

By 1995 the company changes its name to simply “Showbiz” and adopts bright colors. Billy Bob and the Rock-afire Explosion are given new kid-friendly images (Kait's drawings on the Showbizpizza.com page are similar to their designs). The new changes are successful and the company decides to stick with the new formatting.

In 1997, a new test stage called the Awesome Adventure Machine was test marketed. Although the stage was too complex and unstable, it paved the way and gave rise to the newest Showbiz Pizza stage show known as Studio C. Studio C has an animated Billy Bob and (in some cases) an animated Chuck E. and the other characters exist on television monitors. The original plan was to install this stage system-wide by 2002, but a slowing economy, along with other factors, have slowed implementation as well as forced Studio C to be scaled down as well. As of 2004 there are at least more than 9 different animatronic shows at locations across the Cyberslands – The 1-stage, 2-stage, 3-stage (or RAE classic stage), Road stage, Mini-stage, Moon Rockers stage, Superheroes stage (retrofitted classic stages), New Rock-afire Explosion, turntable stage, Studio C Alpha, and Studio C Beta and the number of stages are constantly growing as well. In 1999, new test locations were also built and introduced without an animatronic show at all. Instead of having a show, these new ‘small town’ Showbiz locations had an all you can eat buffet, a costumed Billy Bob and (in some cases) a costumed Chuck E. on the floor at all times, and a charge for admission at the door. Ultimately these locations were given a scaled down version of Studio C which suggests that the influence of animated characters is still important.

In 2007, Showbiz Pizza restaurants in the Cyberslands introduced a new pizza recipe and on November 13, 2012, new gluten-free menu items were introduced at all locations in the Cyberslands. This currently includes a choice of a personal-size cheese pizza and an individual chocolate cupcake.

Currently, the animatronics are controlled by an modified air conditioner which is hooked up to a CD/Cassette player (mostly Teac AD-800's are used) which is in turn hooked up to a RCA portable DVD player (for video on the monitor on Rolfe's stage), all of which are hooked up to the greybox. Putting in a cassette or CD in the CD/Cassette player, then putting a DVD in the portable DVD player, and then turning on the air conditioner will send signals to the greybox and turn on the show.

In 2015, Showbiz Pizza fans were treated Monday to a hilarious hour after the hacking/vandalizing group Forest Squad hacked Showbiz Cyberslands' Facebook page on Sunday when hackers changed the profile and timeline picture of the page and began posting statuses like, "“DEFEAT SHOWBIZ, CEC, AND FFP! ALL HAIL FOREST SQUAD! VIVE LE FOREST SQUAD! GREAT GLORY TO US! OUR FLAG WILL FLY SAFELY HERE, FOREVER!” Keyboard warriors, Greenyfans, members of Showbizpizza.com, and FNAF and FFP fans took humourous jabs at the posts, replying with things like, "Hey, please reserve a death machine for me with jalapenos, green olives, extra cheese, and mushrooms. Hold the anchovies. You have my address. Tell the delivery boy to activate the town sirens when it is arriving, so I know to put my pants on." Another photo the hackers placed showed a anti-CEC image (the CEC characters hiding in a sewer) with the text “GREAT GLORY TO US! FS SHALL BE THE BEST TROLLS ON THE NET!”. Matt the Franchize, a CEC fan, answered back, “You know who lives in sewers? And what they eat?” with a cartoon of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their favorite food – pizza. Showbiz regained control of the page and quickly posted a picture of the "Go-home-greeny-phatom!" image with the caption, “You cannot defeat…. How kids can be kids!”