Decline of the arcade

[DHTech]

I took a trip to the coast today, and had a look in all the old arcades I used frequent as a youngster, it was sad to tell you the truth, all of the games where either grab machines, coin tipping games or gambling machines, nothing like the games we use to enjoy.

I guess with home consoles nobody is interested in spending their Pennies or Cents in games machines anymore 

I'm happy that so many people on this forum are either building new or restoring old machines, keeping those great memories alive

Long live and enjoy retro gaming

Jeremy

[Fursphere]

Ticket redemption games make countless times more money than straight coin-op video games.

Most claw machine games I see cost $1.00+ (US) to play, and the "rewards" inside of of the 100 stuffed whatever for $5.00 variety.  And there are some laws in place that saw they only have to have the ability to "pay out" 10% of the time. 

You do the math. 

[mamenewb100]

Ticket redemption games make countless times more money than straight coin-op video games.

That hits the nail on the head. It's not so much that people aren't interested in playing coin-up games anymore, it's that greed and simplicity has taken precedence over innovation. The game operators figure why put a Pacman in my game room that makes 100 dollars a day and gives people more play time per play, when I can put the "skill" claw games in that give players only a few seconds per play and makes 10 times more money. It's not all on the game operators though. They are almost forced to go for the highest profits possible in todays economy just to stay in business.

[keilmillerjr]

Yep. The only arcade left around where I live is Dave and Busters, and its 30 miles away. I don't consider it a real arcade though because they got rid of their pinball and standup joystick games years ago. Crusin USA spinoffs and shooting games get old real quick. And I hear you on those lame ticket games. Half the place is filled with that crap. Parents bring their little kids there and buy an expensive beer while their kids spent $25 to earn a tootsie roll.

[DaOld Man]

Yes it is sad, because you can not get the (whats the word I'm looking for?) comradeship(?) from playing home console games that you can get from arcades.
I am getting close to retiring, and I was thinking about opening an arcade after I retire, but even though I wouldnt mind breaking even, there's no way I could support an arcade if it meant a loss.
But it's nice to dream about what games I would offer people.
But with my short fuse, Id probably wind up embarrassing myself when kids start hanging out just to have a place to hang out and not spend any money.

[southpaw13]

When I was growing up, the fun part about an Arcade was to see the newest game, newest technology, and just be able to be part of the evolution.  All of that has left.  So now the only way to capture the "experience" is to go retro and hopefully bring back memories to someone.  I really can't remember a business lasting long based on old memories.  Kids now want to newest and coolest app they can download on their phone.  There is absolutely nothing a game manufacturer could make that would make an Arcade a destination for new fans and could substain a business.

-SP

[keilmillerjr]

There is absolutely nothing a game manufacturer could make that would make an Arcade a destination for new fans and could substain a business.

Umm... Have you ever heard of Initial D?! When the arcade game came out, my local arcade had so many people around that game that you had to squeeze to see the game in action. Quarters were stacked everywhere. Any one into drift cars knows what initial D is. Its a television series, movie, apparel, etc. Plus the game is awesome.

Everyone knows what DDR is. I don't need to explain it. It attracts everyone who says "Those guys look ridiculous... I wonder how hard it is? I wonder if I can I do it?"

Arcade games that are built around a franchise are the ones that do well in my opinion. More games like these could possibly revive arcades if people are willing to go to one instead of playing ninitendo or whatever at home. Games that are spinoffs with the same gameplay/graphics (crusin usa), have a character some one doesn't recognize, or is just a 15 year old game will not do well. I think The Fast and The Furious game did not do well because its the same exact thing as crusin usa. Mario Kart did ok in my opinion, but is basically the same thing as on the wii. Why pay to play the same exact game I have at home? It should have been an updated version of the game. Or had a twist. Something. Will manufacturers produce and revive the arcade scene? Probably not.

[Applekid]

The only stuff that could attract people is stuff they can't practically do at home, which explains why the few remaining arcades sustain themselves with redemption and single-purpose cabinets (dance, driving). After the home music game fad died, I think lots of game types sat back, glanced at their giant, single purpose plastic instruments and regretted it, so I don't think arcades as they exist today are going to go away.

As far as they existed yesterday, those times are unfortunately gone. Usually those drive-cades stick that 20th anniversary Ms. Pacman / Galaga or a multicade cab in the corner but, let's face it, with the decreased foot traffic and inflation, those machines aren't money makers but an "impulse play"

[thefox]

 I've always said that if I were a multi millionaire I would open an arcade somewhere & fill it with old school games. I would charge a fixed entry fee in return for a bunch of tokens. Maybe it wouldn't guarantee a young, cool crowd, but I think people of a certain age would flock to it, and bring their kids.

Whether I would make any money out of it is questionable. But I can't think of a better way to blow my fortune !

[southpaw13]

I think there is two ways to look at it.

1.  Why did you actually go to an arcade as a kid?  Can you capture it with the new generation?
or
2.  Can you get enough retro gamers to want to come and see old school games?

Anything else in between is just an add on for another business.  Example, Golden Tee for the bar sceen.

[Slydsho]

I've always said that if I were a multi millionaire I would open an arcade somewhere & fill it with old school games. I would charge a fixed entry fee in return for a bunch of tokens. Maybe it wouldn't guarantee a young, cool crowd, but I think people of a certain age would flock to it, and bring their kids.

Whether I would make any money out of it is questionable. But I can't think of a better way to blow my fortune !

i love that you would do this! my goal is a little bit smaller and involves a smaller budget though, i want to open my garage and have a bunch of arcade games for my kids and their friends to come play, they would need to only buy sodas and have fun being that everything would be set to free play, i wouldn't get rich, i would actually lose money to the electric company, but my kids would get rich in the fact that they would be some of the most popular kids on the block.

[abcmanusn]

Love it

[thefox]

i wouldn't get rich, i would actually lose money to the electric company, but my kids would get rich in the fact that they would be some of the most popular kids on the block.

Nice thinking. I like your style.

[thefox]

I think there is two ways to look at it.

1.  Why did you actually go to an arcade as a kid?  Can you capture it with the new generation?

That's a fascinating question. I guess I went to the arcades for 2 reasons: firstly, for socialising, cos it was a cool way to spend time with friends & meet people. Secondly, cos before 16 bit consoles arrived, it was the only way you could play "high performance" games. I mean, have you seen Pac-man on the Atari 2600 ?! Terrible ! It proves that you just couldn't play those games in the same way at home.

I guess nowadays, the first factor might still be there. Kids today might find that getting away from the insular, solitary experience of online gaming would be a really good thing. But the second factor is long gone - games at home became as good as arcade games in the early nineties, which i suppose marked the beginning of the end for arcades.

Yet for a reason they cant explain, my kids love the old games. My eldest son (13) loves his Xbox but spends just as much time playing gauntlet and ghosts n goblins. He used to always ask me if there was anywhere he could go to visit a proper arcade. Sadly, the answer was no.

[Fursphere]

Yet for a reason they cant explain, my kids love the old games. My eldest son (13) loves his Xbox but spends just as much time playing gauntlet and ghosts n goblins. He used to always ask me if there was anywhere he could go to visit a proper arcade. Sadly, the answer was no.

Take him (and family) to CAX.   http://www.caextreme.org/

I think there are a few more huge shows around the states - but this one is worth going to, if nothing more than to just walk around and see all the old games.

[sandheaver]

Yet for a reason they cant explain, my kids love the old games.

I can, maybe.  I can't keep my kids off my machines.  They're easy to pick up, easy to learn, and easy to put down.  All the games my kids play on consoles are much longer affairs, often with tutorials and very long-term goals.

Sometimes (most of the time) they just want to play a quick game and try to beat the high score.

[keilmillerjr]

Yet for a reason they cant explain, my kids love the old games.

I can, maybe.  I can't keep my kids off my machines.  They're easy to pick up, easy to learn, and easy to put down.  All the games my kids play on consoles are much longer affairs, often with tutorials and very long-term goals.

Sometimes (most of the time) they just want to play a quick game and try to beat the high score.

Thats why I love arcade games. I don't even really play video games. With arcade style games, it's very easy to play for 5 minutes and then go do something else. I bought bioshock 2. Thought my x girlfriend would play it. I barely made it through hat long ass intro movie in the beginning, couldn't figure out the controls, only to be hit with another video a few minutes later. Ughhh... I'm so not a "gamer". I guess this means I will end up being social, have a job, kids and a family. lol

[DLinkOZ]

i love that you would do this! my goal is a little bit smaller and involves a smaller budget though, i want to open my garage and have a bunch of arcade games for my kids and their friends to come play, they would need to only buy sodas and have fun being that everything would be set to free play, i wouldn't get rich, i would actually lose money to the electric company, but my kids would get rich in the fact that they would be some of the most popular kids on the block.

That's where I'm at.  Personally, I'm more of a collector myself.  But I *love* that others enjoy my collection.  My sons' friends love to come over.  My huge mass of nieces and nephews love to come over.  Hell, even other adults love to come over.  Play some skeeball, a little air hockey, of course there's the arcade games and a little music.  It may not be a viable business model anymore, but there's no mistaking that the love for classic arcade gaming still thrives.

[Gray_Area]

I long ago thought that if I were a millionaire, I'd open an arcade and maybe ask for donations, make it a non-profit, but if none were given, who cares. I'm rich ('That's, uh.....ah, we're rich!' - who can name that?)  But then I got to thinking.....would I want to have to drive that far just to play all those games?.....would I want my arcade on, or next door, my property and people coming round?....would I have a duplicate set-up on my property?

Especially these days, with CRTs for example no longer being made, I think i'd just have my own arcade all for me. Oh, sorta like I have now.

Now if I were a billionaire, I'd buy the local golf castle and make it just like it was in '83-4.....AND have my own arcade at home. Cos I'd have enough money to re-tool the CRT, etc, factories.

[thefox]

Thats why I love arcade games. I don't even really play video games. With arcade style games, it's very easy to play for 5 minutes and then go do something else. I bought bioshock 2. Thought my x girlfriend would play it. I barely made it through hat long ass intro movie in the beginning, couldn't figure out the controls, only to be hit with another video a few minutes later. Ughhh... I'm so not a "gamer". I guess this means I will end up being social, have a job, kids and a family. lol

Same here. I have a PS3 and a bunch of games I am rather unenthusiastic about. I don't want my game to look like a movie. When I want that sort of entertainment, I.. well, watch a movie.  And I don't want to play the role of Dan Greatgunner (or whoever) in fighting the evil zombie invaders on a blood-soaked, post-apocalypic mission that lasts several months and takes over my entire life. I just want to waggle a joystick for a few minutes and see what score I get.  Maybe its my age.
 

[Toadie]

For what it's worth I feel the grief as well.  I think every generation says this but it seems like it was a more innocent time but then again I was between the ages of 12 and 17 when this age hit.  Hanging out at the roller rink more than the arcade.  The challenge we have here though isn't the fact that the old games aren't fun or addictive, it's the fact that they aren't alluring.  I can't believe Modern Warfare 3 compared to the classics... it's not even the same level.  Combine that with the kids of today, always connected, shorter attention spans, and that type of interface.... the classics can't win.

I started my MAME project for me and now it's almost like keeping history.  Armor Attack sucks.... but it's the first video game I ever saw, played, and experienced a console.  Probably why I chose to play it when I was testing out my emulator... and man it sucks.  But it's still slightly awesome... to me

[mcseforsale]

I'm starting my own arcade....in the basement.  it's nice being able to play a $2.50 game of golden tee for free.    And the beer's cheap.

AJ

[retrostark]

dhtech, i know what you mean, kids now-a-days want to get something in return for playing, and thats not how it used to be, so i also enjoy browsing the forums, because i like to see what other people are doing besides just me.

[paigeoliver]

Ticket redemption games make countless times more money than straight coin-op video games.

That hits the nail on the head. It's not so much that people aren't interested in playing coin-up games anymore, it's that greed and simplicity has taken precedence over innovation. The game operators figure why put a Pacman in my game room that makes 100 dollars a day and gives people more play time per play, when I can put the "skill" claw games in that give players only a few seconds per play and makes 10 times more money. It's not all on the game operators though. They are almost forced to go for the highest profits possible in todays economy just to stay in business.

More like why put a Pac-Man in the game room that makes $3 a day.

[sandheaver]

More like why put a Pac-Man in the game room that makes $3 a day.

people everywhere get greedy and optimize for the short term gain all the time.  For example, I dumped a lot of money into those quarter shovers hoping for a payout... once.  I put a lot of money into a crane machine... once.  They probably each got $5 out of me, exactly one time each.  There was a line of like-minded idiots behind me waiting to do the same on each occasion.  Perfect example of a short term gain ($5/player), at the expense of long term loss (I'm NEVER playing again.) 

It is very hard to see the long term loss when the short term gain is so high, and virtually every product and service offered today is optimized for short term gain, which is much, much smaller than a long-term gain would be.  Amazon.com is actually a really good example of the opposite; they plan 5-7 years into the future, whereas most other companies measure "long-term" as 24 months.  This is why Amazon went so long without a profit, but now is extremely profitable and the bane of places like Best Buy, who only planned for the short-term and now struggle for sales.

I STILL put quarters in video games, as does everyone I take to my local arcade, but I won't even put slugs into a redemption machine; those slugs would be better used doing what they're doing now, rusting in a huge pile in my shed.

An arcade operator would need to have enough starting capital to remain open for a good decade without a single customer in order to live long enough to gain the momentum required to eventually operate at a profit.  That is a very long term requirement, and is not feasible for most operators.

These older games will never really get old.  The technology will get old, the hardware will get old, but the gameplay of arcade games as a whole will never die.  There will always be a need for people to have quick 'easy-come, easy-go' game experiences, there will always be a desire to leave the house, and there will always be a desire to beat the high score.  The few arcades that can stick it out and slowly cater to a new generation will be those who succeed, and it will be a long, hard road for them before that success will be realized.

[Gray_Area]

people everywhere get greedy and optimize for the short term gain all the time... It is very hard to see the long term loss when the short term gain is so high, and virtually every product and service offered today is optimized for short term gain, which is much, much smaller than a long-term gain would be...These older games will never really get old...

I think all this is a bit philosophical......  Main point is: do you enjoy them? Yes?  Good, play 'em. ---fudgesicle--- everyone else.

And the beer's cheap.

AJ

Hopefully just cheap-ER.

[rcosner]

I've always said that if I were a multi millionaire I would open an arcade somewhere & fill it with old school games. I would charge a fixed entry fee in return for a bunch of tokens. Maybe it wouldn't guarantee a young, cool crowd, but I think people of a certain age would flock to it, and bring their kids.

Whether I would make any money out of it is questionable. But I can't think of a better way to blow my fortune !

I have the same goal... unfortunately it requires wining the lottery.

[sandheaver]

I've always said that if I were a multi millionaire I would open an arcade somewhere & fill it with old school games. I would charge a fixed entry fee in return for a bunch of tokens. Maybe it wouldn't guarantee a young, cool crowd, but I think people of a certain age would flock to it, and bring their kids.

Whether I would make any money out of it is questionable. But I can't think of a better way to blow my fortune !

I have the same goal... unfortunately it requires wining the lottery.

There's an arcade just like this in Chicagoland.  $15 gets you in for a day, and all machines are set to free play.  384 games currently available for play.

http://gallopingghostarcade.com/

[mgb]

Are you saying that the arcade is now declining? I thought that happened back in the later 80s and 90s

Ticket redemption games make countless times more money than straight coin-op video games.

That hits the nail on the head. It's not so much that people aren't interested in playing coin-up games anymore, it's that greed and simplicity has taken precedence over innovation. The game operators figure why put a Pacman in my game room that makes 100 dollars a day and gives people more play time per play, when I can put the "skill" claw games in that give players only a few seconds per play and makes 10 times more money. It's not all on the game operators though. They are almost forced to go for the highest profits possible in todays economy just to stay in business.

More like why put a Pac-Man in the game room that makes $3 a day.

Very true Paige although I think the $3 a day is still a bit generous of a number.

point is, the arcades day has been long gone / evolved.
Things come and go. its not really a question of greed, its business. When Nolan Bushnell first placed that test Pong in a Sunnyvale pub, it was business and when "Insert your favorite arcade name here" closed their doors, it was business (or lack there of).
Roller skating is still fun but you don't see many roller skating rinks staying in business either.
whether we like it or not, things change.

I for one love classic games (though I suck at them) and I continue to play at home and every year I get up to my favorite classic arcade, The Funspot in New Hampshire

[thefox]

Ah yes, mtb, but the fact that the funspot exists in New Hampshire and that people like you travel to go there, probably proves that there IS still a customer base for classic arcades.

You are lucky - at least you have such a place to visit. Here in the uk (as in many other parts of the world), we have no classic arcades left at all. Having arcade cabs at home is still not the same as the social atmosphere provided by the true arcades.

Things change. But sometimes things also go in cycles. There was a time when everyone turned our backs on arcades because of the rise of home gaming. Yet now, if for no other reason than nostalgia and retro-trends, I can't help but think a classic arcade could, over time, pay for itself.

[bradx]

There's an arcade just like this in Chicagoland.  $15 gets you in for a day, and all machines are set to free play.  384 games currently available for play.

http://gallopingghostarcade.com/

yeah its cool but the vast majority of the games are missing art, no custom controls, or are available to play in mame with no real difference in gameplay.  i went there with some friends and spent all night there, in and out to grab some food or drinks, then back to play some more games until i believe it was close to 2 in the morning, after midnight for sure. 

shooting games still seem to be out on route locally, multicades, and trackball games.  driving games too, pretty much nothing with a joystick tho.  some pins are still out there, theres a couple at a laundromat near here. 

you know those old electro mechanical rifle shooting gallery type games from the 60s and 70s?  i bet if someone designed something like that using new technology it would bring in some real money.  a pizza place near here has a brand new skee ball so i think its possible and would be profitable, but i suppose people figure "why bother?" when they can just put a quarter pusher instead and make ten times the cash for 1/10th the investment? 

[05SRT4]

I always try to get my friends to go out to a local arcade but every time we do we get stuck with busted machines that never work so it kills the fun. Plus I've yet to find a local arcade with older gen games still running.

We try to go out because we never really experienced it growing up. When I was a kid the NES/SNES were out and this was our form of visual stimulation. Playing games was just to easy, no need to leave home.

[Slydsho]

to be totally honest i always had a console from day 1 in this world (1983) because my father was a big pacman fan. the earliest console we had was an Atari, i barely remember it... the NES was most memorable, but the entire time growing up I've been around arcades and played them heavily at laundromats(720, digdug, bubble bobble, avengers) and bowling alleys(countless games), it wasn't until the PlayStation was released that i quit going to the arcade. Games looked just as good and only costed you the shelf price of the game to play it infinitely until boredom set in... the most memorable arcade machine for me was Mortal Kombat 3, when my parents bowled league I would easily spend $10 a night on that game alone, bought the PlayStation and MK3 then everything else was history... now im wishing i never bought the damn thing...

you want arcades to come back, make the games exclusive to the cabinets, no home versions.

[DHTech]

to be totally honest i always had a console from day 1 in this world (1983) because my father was a big pacman fan. the earliest console we had was an Atari, i barely remember it... the NES was most memorable, but the entire time growing up I've been around arcades and played them heavily at laundromats(720, digdug, bubble bobble, avengers) and bowling alleys(countless games), it wasn't until the PlayStation was released that i quit going to the arcade. Games looked just as good and only costed you the shelf price of the game to play it infinitely until boredom set in... the most memorable arcade machine for me was Mortal Kombat 3, when my parents bowled league I would easily spend $10 a night on that game alone, bought the PlayStation and MK3 then everything else was history... now im wishing i never bought the damn thing...

you want arcades to come back, make the games exclusive to the cabinets, no home versions.

Maybe an initial exclusive period and then release them for the home console market, it could follow how movies are released, first to the Cinema then to home video.

[mcseforsale]

console games are so boring anymore.  Walking around blowing up the same crap for hours.  I get the quest, but the puzzles remain the same. 

AJ

[sandheaver]

There's an arcade just like this in Chicagoland.  $15 gets you in for a day, and all machines are set to free play.  384 games currently available for play.

http://gallopingghostarcade.com/

yeah its cool but the vast majority of the games are missing art, no custom controls, or are available to play in mame with no real difference in gameplay.  i went there with some friends and spent all night there, in and out to grab some food or drinks, then back to play some more games until i believe it was close to 2 in the morning, after midnight for sure. 

shooting games still seem to be out on route locally, multicades, and trackball games.  driving games too, pretty much nothing with a joystick tho.  some pins are still out there, theres a couple at a laundromat near here. 

you know those old electro mechanical rifle shooting gallery type games from the 60s and 70s?  i bet if someone designed something like that using new technology it would bring in some real money.  a pizza place near here has a brand new skee ball so i think its possible and would be profitable, but i suppose people figure "why bother?" when they can just put a quarter pusher instead and make ten times the cash for 1/10th the investment?

If you're near Illinois, there is a great arcade in McLean, IL that runs nothing but older stuff, with maybe 3 exceptions.  These are complete cabinets which have been restored to near perfect condition.  As with any arcade there are always a couple that are out of order at any given time but in general it is great.  It's small, but they're expanding into the neighboring storefront soon.  I want to say something like 60 machines.  By far the newest machine is a DDR machine at the front.  Everything else is early 1990 & older.  May be some new-ish pinballs but most are golden-era.

I recommend a visit if you've the time.

[JDFan]

console games are so boring anymore.  Walking around blowing up the same crap for hours.  I get the quest, but the puzzles remain the same. 

AJ

Totally agree with this -- in addition the stupid cut scenes for every kill and advancement in the game completely destroy the game play - every few minutes of gameplay you have to sit and watch 5 minutes of some stupid cutscene totally pulling you out of the game.

As far as Arcades go - the main thing that I think made them drop off also was a lack of competent staff at the arcades to maintain and repair the machines - every game in the local arcades seemed to always have at least one or more broken aspect (either buttons that didn't work - screens that had burn-in - etc.) and the cost of a single gameplay (Once they started charging $1 or more per game and had them operate on a timed play rather than experience level where you had to keep putting in more credits just because the timer ran out rather than you messed up somewhere.)   

[mcseforsale]

I finally moved my arcade into the basement.  My daughter also has her bedroom down there.  She had a "sleepover" weekend with a friend and her friend was ALWAYS at the arcade.  At 14, she was more interested in that than playing on the PS3 or LOL-ing on facebook.

What was most peculiar were the games she was enjoying.  I have about 400 games in Mame....most of which I have never played.  She picked up on some obscure ones for sure.  She ended up playing vs. Tennis most of the time, but was in and out of stuff I had never seen in the 80s arcade.

AJ

[sandheaver]

console games are so boring anymore.  Walking around blowing up the same crap for hours.  I get the quest, but the puzzles remain the same. 

Look at what it costs to play a console game.  A 1-time purchase of the console that you keep, then games that you keep.  A $60 game that you play for 80 hours is FAR cheaper than 80 hours of arcade play, assuming $0.25 gets you an average of 10 minutes of game play with an arcade machine, which is a stretch.  Also, you don't have to drive anywhere, get in line, fight the change machine or deal with operating hours.

Arcade machine vendors really, really need to work on their pricing, and open up licensing avenues for those who cannot afford or do not want to buy a full machine or a legitimate JAMMA board.  Why the hell doesn't Namco license games for emulation at home for $10 or commercially for $100?  This would be a HUGE boon to them, and it would allow operators to legitimately expand their inventory for peanuts and get new people playing. 

Arcade gaming could quickly move into popularity again if demand rose, and game makers would see that and develop new games.  The key to increased adoption is increased accessibility, and the key to increased accessibility is low prices and new product. 

Valve has hard proof that decreased pricing increases sales to a level beyond what normal pricing provides (your gross & net income is higher when you put things on sale, long term or short term or both) but it is a hard sell to folks with degrees in business who were taught the whole time that the opposite is true.

Why can't Namco offer an anniversary Pacman machine for less than $2500?  They are stuck in 1983 with those prices; they're insane.

Give the hobbyists like us some avenue to legally enjoy and expand our hobby, without attempting to tear us a new hole with the pricing or requiring that we source a very rare piece of hardware that may or may not work.  Please.  Demand is low because the bone-headed pricing makes supply rare.

end rant

[mcseforsale]

+1.  If the big names really want to guard their ROMs, they should offer a pay service to distribute/support ROMs on a one on one basis.  All of the major copyright (is that what's used in software anymore?) could combine and create/pay a central, third party vendor to monitor and distribute/support these ROMs!  It could work just like the app stores on our phones.

I'd gladly pay a quarter for a "home only" copy of Donkey Kong or even 2 bux for a "commercial" version of ANY popular ROM.  It would be an entirely new revenue stream for these corporations and would allow us to come out of the shadows and truly participate in their business model. 

Just make it viable for the home hobbiest!  Afterall, *MOST OF US* were the source of their original revenue back in the 80s anyway.  We were customers then, they should treat us as customers now.  Just showing people our arcades in our game rooms creates interest/re-interest in 80s gaming.  I know I have several people who have asked me to build them an arcade (for personal use only).  Instead of building the case, loading the entire kit up, then telling them their on their own for ROMS, I would be happy to load an app that would allow downloads on a subscription/per piece basis.

AJ

AJ

[ark_ader]

+1.  If the big names really want to guard their ROMs, they should offer a pay service to distribute/support ROMs on a one on one basis.  All of the major copyright (is that what's used in software anymore?) could combine and create/pay a central, third party vendor to monitor and distribute/support these ROMs!  It could work just like the app stores on our phones.

I'd gladly pay a quarter for a "home only" copy of Donkey Kong or even 2 bux for a "commercial" version of ANY popular ROM.  It would be an entirely new revenue stream for these corporations and would allow us to come out of the shadows and truly participate in their business model. 

Just make it viable for the home hobbiest!  Afterall, *MOST OF US* were the source of their original revenue back in the 80s anyway.  We were customers then, they should treat us as customers now.  Just showing people our arcades in our game rooms creates interest/re-interest in 80s gaming.  I know I have several people who have asked me to build them an arcade (for personal use only).  Instead of building the case, loading the entire kit up, then telling them their on their own for ROMS, I would be happy to load an app that would allow downloads on a subscription/per piece basis.

AJ

AJ

Unfortunately the big names like Nintendoh would not give the roms away for $2.  That would set a precedent which would interrupt their revenue stream.  Besides that $2 rom is worth more every year.  We see home console spin offs, anniversary editions, and the XBLive reboots are just a drop in the ocean.  Sega is another entity that would suffer from a $2 rom sale.  Folks like Atari who have been sold off to every tom, dick and harry might lend a trademark or two for licensing but even their game roms are owned by Hasbro.  Something along the lines of "only over my cold twitching corpse before I sell my IP for $2 a pop" which seems to be a very smart move. 

Wait until we migrate to the new Orwellian system where M$ and Apple start cataloging our HDD contents and reporting IP violations to the owners.  It will make patent trolling a game of the past and turn it into IP trolling.  It will happen, so I would be keeping your cabinet off line from now on if I was you.

The decline of the arcades?

I do not think so.  Arcades are not dead.  Just because you do not see a cabinet in every liquor store, laundromat or Pizza Hutt.

You just need to whip out your Galaxy Note and fire up a few games.  You just have to buy the $2 apps from Namco....     

[mgb]

Man, my cabint is off the grid!!

[yotsuya]

console games are so boring anymore.  Walking around blowing up the same crap for hours.  I get the quest, but the puzzles remain the same. 

Look at what it costs to play a console game.  A 1-time purchase of the console that you keep, then games that you keep.  A $60 game that you play for 80 hours is FAR cheaper than 80 hours of arcade play, assuming $0.25 gets you an average of 10 minutes of game play with an arcade machine, which is a stretch.  Also, you don't have to drive anywhere, get in line, fight the change machine or deal with operating hours.

Arcade machine vendors really, really need to work on their pricing, and open up licensing avenues for those who cannot afford or do not want to buy a full machine or a legitimate JAMMA board.  Why the hell doesn't Namco license games for emulation at home for $10 or commercially for $100?  This would be a HUGE boon to them, and it would allow operators to legitimately expand their inventory for peanuts and get new people playing. 

Arcade gaming could quickly move into popularity again if demand rose, and game makers would see that and develop new games.  The key to increased adoption is increased accessibility, and the key to increased accessibility is low prices and new product. 

Valve has hard proof that decreased pricing increases sales to a level beyond what normal pricing provides (your gross & net income is higher when you put things on sale, long term or short term or both) but it is a hard sell to folks with degrees in business who were taught the whole time that the opposite is true.

Why can't Namco offer an anniversary Pacman machine for less than $2500?  They are stuck in 1983 with those prices; they're insane.

Give the hobbyists like us some avenue to legally enjoy and expand our hobby, without attempting to tear us a new hole with the pricing or requiring that we source a very rare piece of hardware that may or may not work.  Please.  Demand is low because the bone-headed pricing makes supply rare.

end rant

 

[bradx]

There's an arcade just like this in Chicagoland.  $15 gets you in for a day, and all machines are set to free play.  384 games currently available for play.

http://gallopingghostarcade.com/

yeah its cool but the vast majority of the games are missing art, no custom controls, or are available to play in mame with no real difference in gameplay.  i went there with some friends and spent all night there, in and out to grab some food or drinks, then back to play some more games until i believe it was close to 2 in the morning, after midnight for sure. 

shooting games still seem to be out on route locally, multicades, and trackball games.  driving games too, pretty much nothing with a joystick tho.  some pins are still out there, theres a couple at a laundromat near here. 

you know those old electro mechanical rifle shooting gallery type games from the 60s and 70s?  i bet if someone designed something like that using new technology it would bring in some real money.  a pizza place near here has a brand new skee ball so i think its possible and would be profitable, but i suppose people figure "why bother?" when they can just put a quarter pusher instead and make ten times the cash for 1/10th the investment?

If you're near Illinois, there is a great arcade in McLean, IL that runs nothing but older stuff, with maybe 3 exceptions.  These are complete cabinets which have been restored to near perfect condition.  As with any arcade there are always a couple that are out of order at any given time but in general it is great.  It's small, but they're expanding into the neighboring storefront soon.  I want to say something like 60 machines.  By far the newest machine is a DDR machine at the front.  Everything else is early 1990 & older.  May be some new-ish pinballs but most are golden-era.

I recommend a visit if you've the time.

yeah!  i went there with some friends right when they opened.  less games but a way more authentic and satisfying experience.

i made this video when we were there:
part 1

part 2

[jennifer]

     Back then you could smoke...Indoors...and were expected to, a bottle of moms gin in your purse on Friday night, boys all in fights at the bowling alley, all trying to get the attentions and favors of us girls, Thats what has changed, A kid doing that today would be locked up, and put in a chemical strait jacket... That coupled with the devaluation of the dollar, causing the games to be 1.00  a play, and the advent of the interactive consoles with" unsucky" graphics and social media, The perfect storm was created.

[sandheaver]

Unfortunately the big names like Nintendoh would not give the roms away for $2.  That would set a precedent which would interrupt their revenue stream.  Besides that $2 rom is worth more every year.  We see home console spin offs, anniversary editions, and the XBLive reboots are just a drop in the ocean.  Sega is another entity that would suffer from a $2 rom sale.  Folks like Atari who have been sold off to every tom, dick and harry might lend a trademark or two for licensing but even their game roms are owned by Hasbro.  Something along the lines of "only over my cold twitching corpse before I sell my IP for $2 a pop" which seems to be a very smart move. 

It will not make the business leaders happy, but it will generate new revenue, because they do not sell or license the original games in their original forms, at all, anymore.  It will take some willing licensor to make the leap in order to prove that I am right or wrong.

It will all be income; there is very little infrastructure required to release ROMs, and there will likely be DRM surrounding the ROM, but if that enables me to play an arcade game, legitimately, which I do not own the board for, then I will accept that with open arms.

Wait until we migrate to the new Orwellian system where M$ and Apple start cataloging our HDD contents and reporting IP violations to the owners.  It will make patent trolling a game of the past and turn it into IP trolling.  It will happen, so I would be keeping your cabinet off line from now on if I was you.

To which new Orwellian system are you referring?  I am surrounded by them in my daily life, so you'll need to be more specific.  Also, there will always be Linux, which I recommend you gain experience with if you've not already.  That includes all readers afraid of Orwellian stuff.

The decline of the arcades?

I do not think so.  Arcades are not dead.  Just because you do not see a cabinet in every liquor store, laundromat or Pizza Hutt.

You just need to whip out your Galaxy Note and fire up a few games.  You just have to buy the $2 apps from Namco....     

There has been a most definite decline in arcades.  There is zero argument on this point.  We, as arcade hobbyists, do not see it because we surround ourselves with other people who talk arcades and play arcades and build arcades and restore arcades, continually.  Drive to a small town.  Any one, pick one.  That town used to have an arcade, if it has 2k residents or more.  Where is that arcade now?  Drive to the next town, and the next, and the next.  When I was a kid, every single town large enough to have its own school district had an arcade.  Every last one.  Now, it is hard to find a proper arcade in a town smaller than 50k residents.  I work in an urban region with 400,000 people in residency and there is 1 arcade with 67 machines, and that's it.  There were over 40 arcades of that size in this area 30 years ago.

The arcade business has most definitely declined.  We are not as apt to see it, though, as we blanket ourselves in arcade stuff constantly.

[thefox]

Unfortunately the big names like Nintendoh would not give the roms away for $2. 

I agree on this point. But they could sell ROM's for use on mame for, say, $10, or $15. Would you buy them, for this price ? I probably would.

What if you could then build mame cabinets around those roms and legally allow them for public use in local bars/stores etc ?


 

[mcseforsale]

No.  They built their entire businesses on these games and the revenue has been dry since a long time ago.  Being my age, I was probably personally responsible for several developers' salaries from about 79-85, so I don't think that would be an adequate price for home use.  Public/Vendor use?  Maybe.  For home use, I'd say something more along the line of $.25 to $.50.  That seems more in line since this is a dry stream being re-invigorated anyway. 

I could budget for $100 for 200-400 games on the cabinet, but $2000 to $3000 for 200 games?  Not gonna happen.

AJ

I agree on this point. But they could sell ROM's for use on mame for, say, $10, or $15. Would you buy them, for this price ? I probably would.

What if you could then build mame cabinets around those roms and legally allow them for public use in local bars/stores etc ?

[sandheaver]

If you're near Illinois, there is a great arcade in McLean, IL that runs nothing but older stuff, with maybe 3 exceptions.  These are complete cabinets which have been restored to near perfect condition.  As with any arcade there are always a couple that are out of order at any given time but in general it is great.  It's small, but they're expanding into the neighboring storefront soon.  I want to say something like 60 machines.  By far the newest machine is a DDR machine at the front.  Everything else is early 1990 & older.  May be some new-ish pinballs but most are golden-era.

I recommend a visit if you've the time.

yeah!  i went there with some friends right when they opened.  less games but a way more authentic and satisfying experience.

I'm going tomorrow.  I'll take pictures if anyone wants to see what an actual arcade can be today.

edit: Here's some pictures I took the last time I went.  http://imgur.com/a/qMwA5#0

[thefox]

I'm going tomorrow.  I'll take pictures if anyone wants to see what an actual arcade can be today.

edit: Here's some pictures I took the last time I went.  http://imgur.com/a/qMwA5#0

I would love to see that place. It would almost be worth flying the 4,000 miles to see it !

sandheaver, are you able to take some video for youtube ? Would be nice to see a "video tour" of the place.

It's the distinctive sounds and atmosphere of a busy arcade that I miss. That's what you can't easily replicate at home.

[sandheaver]

I'm going tomorrow.  I'll take pictures if anyone wants to see what an actual arcade can be today.

edit: Here's some pictures I took the last time I went.  http://imgur.com/a/qMwA5#0

I would love to see that place. It would almost be worth flying the 4,000 miles to see it !

sandheaver, are you able to take some video for youtube ? Would be nice to see a "video tour" of the place.

It's the distinctive sounds and atmosphere of a busy arcade that I miss. That's what you can't easily replicate at home.

It's actually pretty quiet in there   there's no jukebox (as of my last visit) and most games don't make noises in attract mode.  But, yeah I'll try to get a video.  My husband is always wanting me to play games with him when sometimes I just want to stand there and breathe in the atmosphere for a bit.

[nexus6]

[brihyn]

     ..... That coupled with the devaluation of the dollar, causing the games to be 1.00  a play, and the advent of the interactive consoles with" unsucky" graphics and social media, The perfect storm was created.

I don't think it's necessarily the "devaluation of the dollar" that caused a game that cost .25/play in 1980 to be 1.00/play today. I think that's inflation.
Back in my day you could fill your Model T up for 3 cents, and a new home cost 8 bits.

[mcseforsale]

Nope.  the value of gold to the barrel of oil has not changed in some time.  However, the value of the dollar to the barrel of oil has changed dramatically.  the dollar has been devalued a lot over the last 30 years.  They just print more and more with no backing from gold.  It's a card house.

Case in point:

http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2012/03/measured-in-gold-price-of-oil-is-below.html

When the other countries say to the oil-rich nations "We prefer to use gold instead of the US dollar", we better be ready to drill our own and become more autonomous.  'Sall I'm sayin.

AJ

     ..... That coupled with the devaluation of the dollar, causing the games to be 1.00  a play, and the advent of the interactive consoles with" unsucky" graphics and social media, The perfect storm was created.

I don't think it's necessarily the "devaluation of the dollar" that caused a game that cost .25/play in 1980 to be 1.00/play today. I think that's inflation.
Back in my day you could fill your Model T up for 3 cents, and a new home cost 8 bits.

[jennifer]

    Ok then... Jennifer stands corrected, However, back then I could play games all night with a 5.00 bill. Today five dollars might get you a few minutes.

[mamenewb100]

     ..... That coupled with the devaluation of the dollar, causing the games to be 1.00  a play, and the advent of the interactive consoles with" unsucky" graphics and social media, The perfect storm was created.

I don't think it's necessarily the "devaluation of the dollar" that caused a game that cost .25/play in 1980 to be 1.00/play today. I think that's inflation.
Back in my day you could fill your Model T up for 3 cents, and a new home cost 8 bits.

The devaluation of the dollar IS what causes Inflation. If the dollar was still worth the same today as back then, it would still be 25¢(give or take) for the latest arcade game depending on the demand. It also matters what people are willing to pay.

[leapinlew]

The last time I was at a cool arcade was at Hershey Park in PA. I played 1 game and thought "wtf am I doing? I have all these games at home". Therefore I conclude that MAME killed the arcade! 

[mcseforsale]

Sorry.  Let me clarify.  It's artificial inflation....caused by the willy-nilly printing of the American ducket. 

AJ

     ..... That coupled with the devaluation of the dollar, causing the games to be 1.00  a play, and the advent of the interactive consoles with" unsucky" graphics and social media, The perfect storm was created.

I don't think it's necessarily the "devaluation of the dollar" that caused a game that cost .25/play in 1980 to be 1.00/play today. I think that's inflation.
Back in my day you could fill your Model T up for 3 cents, and a new home cost 8 bits.

The devaluation of the dollar IS what causes Inflation. If the dollar was still worth the same today as back then, it would still be 25¢(give or take) for the latest arcade game depending on the demand. It also matters what people are willing to pay.

[thefox]

I am just as guilty as the next man. I remember slowly falling out of love with the arcades when I became an Amiga 500 owner. The home conversions got better and better, and the price marked on the coin doors seem to go up and up. I began walking past arcade cabs (we called them "arcade machines" back then), thinking "why pay money to play for about 1 minute or so when I can get the same quality of gameplay at home, unlimited ?".

And so it was for everyone, I guess. I would never have dreamt they would disappear altogether, though.

[southpaw13]

I worked at an Arcade in the 80's.  What really happened is that the manuactures ran out of new platforms and the NES came out.  The last platform was ticket redemption and it was terrible.  My arcade owner went into video rentals with 1/3 of the business, then blockbuster opened.  Everyone was doing all the same stuff at home.  Crash, it was over.

Southpaw

[sandheaver]

If anyone cares, I didn't get to go to the arcade in McLean IL yesterday; my phone fell off the dash in my car and landed face-first on a seat rail.  I've dropped that phone (Nokia Lumia 920) many times on concrete to no effect, but this metal corner was just too much for my poor screen.  My point is that I wouldn't have been able to get more pics or a new video even if I had gone.

New phone should arrive Tuesday and I've rescheduled my visit for this coming Saturday.

[thefox]

I care ! Hope your new phone stays safe, and you get there okay on saturday. Looking forward to seeing any pics etc next week.

[Gray_Area]

I think PBJ turned tranny.

That'll learn ya ta leave yer phone on the dash, lass.

@Bradx: dude, that camera is ghetto. My phone takes infinitely better video than that.

[bradx]

that was a couple years ago, probably a flip phone or something similar. 

[sandheaver]

that was a couple years ago, probably a flip phone or something similar.

I'll get new vids & pics this weekend unless something else unexpected rears its ugly head.

[IG-88]

To which new Orwellian system are you referring?  I am surrounded by them in my daily life, so you'll need to be more specific.  Also, there will always be Linux, which I recommend you gain experience with if you've not already.  That includes all readers afraid of Orwellian stuff.

If you think for one second that the linux community is immune to the impending Orwellian state you may be in for a rude awakening. It's only a matter of time before it falls under "big brothers" umbrella too. If it hasn't already...

As far as the "state of the arcades" I've actually seen an increase in their popularity. There are more and more popping up all over the country.

I could also see this next generation of consoles f-ing up the whole market and driving/leading people back too retro games. DLC and TONS of poor/repeat games coupled with the fact that they cost too much to develop and therefore too expensive to buy, iOS and android games costing very little develop and flooding the market , AND the natural swing of trends, fads, styles leads me to think that we may be in for revolution of sorts. That is if we can keep big brother away....

[sandheaver]

If you think for one second that the linux community is immune to the impending Orwellian state you may be in for a rude awakening. It's only a matter of time before it falls under "big brothers" umbrella too. If it hasn't already...

You're confusing the Linux kernel with Linux OS distributions.  The kernel (to which I was referring) is very closely watched for these types of things, but the userland stuff (the stuff that is in the distros) is a giant pile of who knows what.  Not many people in the Linux community care enough or are smart enough to think to include the kind of thing that you're talking about, though there probably are a few who have.

As far as the "state of the arcades" I've actually seen an increase in their popularity. There are more and more popping up all over the country.

[citation needed]  I hope you're right, though.  There is usually resurgence in popularity of things after 30 years.  It always seems to be about 30 years, anyway.

I could also see this next generation of consoles f-ing up the whole market and driving/leading people back too retro games. DLC and TONS of poor/repeat games coupled with the fact that they cost too much to develop and therefore too expensive to buy, iOS and android games costing very little develop and flooding the market , AND the natural swing of trends, fads, styles leads me to think that we may be in for revolution of sorts. That is if we can keep big brother away....

The next generation of consoles will not f-up the whole market in any way.  If you're right about the increase in popularity, then marketing surveys will pick that up and we'll see ports of old games, but they will be few.  big budget games make LOTS of money, even if they are crap games, and no studio that currently makes them is going to stop until the sales slow way, way down.

If big brother is a thing that really exists (I'm not going to argue that one way or another, nor am I baiting you to comment on it) there is nothing that a loose association of gamers could ever do about it. 

[paigeoliver]

That is John Yates place, it isn't a functioning business so much as it is John's personal collection that he is nice enough to lose money on just so people can play them. I have been there and it is pretty incredible. Be sure to notice the prototype Defender, because it isn't labeled as such. Don't miss Space Zap either.

John has bought games from me before, and probably will again in the future, he has expressed interest in my Forgotten Worlds and 4 player Demo Derby, so those could end up there eventually.

If you're near Illinois, there is a great arcade in McLean, IL that runs nothing but older stuff, with maybe 3 exceptions.  These are complete cabinets which have been restored to near perfect condition.  As with any arcade there are always a couple that are out of order at any given time but in general it is great.  It's small, but they're expanding into the neighboring storefront soon.  I want to say something like 60 machines.  By far the newest machine is a DDR machine at the front.  Everything else is early 1990 & older.  May be some new-ish pinballs but most are golden-era.

I recommend a visit if you've the time.

[sandheaver]

That is John Yates place, it isn't a functioning business so much as it is John's personal collection that he is nice enough to lose money on just so people can play them. I have been there and it is pretty incredible. Be sure to notice the prototype Defender, because it isn't labeled as such. Don't miss Space Zap either.

John has bought games from me before, and probably will again in the future, he has expressed interest in my Forgotten Worlds and 4 player Demo Derby, so those could end up there eventually.

His shop is even cooler.

[IG-88]

I keep going back and forth on the Big Brother thing. Part of me is sick of government intrusion and loss of liberties and then part of me is saying that we are living in the greatest times in human history. Ya things could be better but they could be a hell of a lot worse. Quit bitchin' and enjoy it.   

As far as new arcades springing up. I have no statistical proof other than what I have seen with my own eyes and heard about with my own ears. It is of course nothing like it was in 1984, but there are surely more now then there were in 2004. Even take in consideration the convention scene. All of them are growing in size and number year to year. There aren't any more of us gen-xers being produced. So that would lead me to think that the following generations are "getting into it"

It will never be like it was back then. But then again we aren't the same people either. Even if we could go back today, could it live up to our own memories? 

[Gray_Area]

[citation needed] 

I have a huge bookmark list of arcades across the country, should I be in that area or decide to make an arcade trip voyage. A couple months ago maybe, all the links were active.

Even if we could go back today, could it live up to our own memories? 

It would be better for me, cos I like the games more - and I'm better at them. It might even be cooler if I went back as the same size me I was. I'd like that.

[sandheaver]

It will never be like it was back then. But then again we aren't the same people either. Even if we could go back today, could it live up to our own memories?

I think so.  The magic of exploration may be gone, but I think the appreciation and understanding that comes with adulthood is strong and equally as powerful as having the wonder only children can truly experience.

[jennifer]

     Jennifer travels considerably, across the US... And arcades do still exist, smaller and less interest but they are there, It could never be like it was however, For the fact TTL logic is commonplace now, people expect it, Its not some mythical world in a colorful cabinet. 

[paigeoliver]

Despite the big budgets the inflation adjusted purchase price of video games has been continually dropping for as long as I can remember. Super Mario 2 was like, $50 when it came out and stayed at that price for around a year. That is like $90 today. Today even most of the big budget games debut on Steam for $50 and most of them are half price within 6 months. Games actually more equivalent to those classic titles generally debut at a $5 or $10 price point.

[sandheaver]

Dropping, yes; but arcades are still FAR more expensive than a console and a $5 or $10 classic title.

There's a lesson to be learned from free-to-play games.  Valve says they're making 12 times as much money with a free-to-play model over their previous $20-per-copy licensing scheme.  SOE has seen a 300% increase in players since turning free to play.

Lower barrier to entry means more sales, more business, more money.  The end.  You are right that price points are dropping all over the place, but the only thing causing arcade pricing to drop is inflation.

The barrier to entry for a licensed arcade game is so high that it seems arcade companies simply do not want to ever pursue that market.  There's all kinds of evidence that lowered barriers to entry increases sales, but arcade machine manufacturers simply don't care.

edit: By the way, I'm not at all suggesting that arcade licensing become free-to-play, just that the barrier to entry for game ownership drop way down.  I'd like to have a way to legally license (or purchase) a game for home/commercial use without owning hardware.  I want to be able to give Namco $10 and know, in writing, that I'm legal to have one instance of arcade emulated Pacman running somewhere.  I want to give money to these companies and they won't take it.

[sandheaver]

I have a huge bookmark list of arcades across the country, should I be in that area or decide to make an arcade trip voyage. A couple months ago maybe, all the links were active.

It would be wonderful if you could share that.  I'd like to see it.

[sandheaver]

http://imgur.com/a/6fqFp#0

The current games & John Yates' place in McLean, IL.  I wasn't feeling well so I sat on the couch and I let my husband take all the pictures.  His phone camera sucks; sorry.

Apparently Ms. Pacman isn't here; it was being given lots of attention by a little girl for a good portion of the day, so there wasn't a good time to take a picture.

[thefox]

Great pictures of some great games. I enjoyed looking through those several times. Brings back some good memories of a well-spent youth !

Thank you for posting those. Hope you are feeling better.

[mgb]

Very nice pics.
Thanks

[yotsuya]

Thanks for the photos!

[ChadTower]

I am lucky enough to have this place about 75 minutes from my house.  My sons and I go there all the time.  We compete in a league and an annual tournament there.  Amazing place.  They even have a Wizard of Oz on the floor now.


We also get to hit Funspot a few times a year.  Best arcade on Earth.

[mgb]

Agreed,
 Funspot is the greatest arcade.
This year when I'm up there, I have to go take a trip down to the pinball wizard and check it out.

[ChadTower]

Agreed,
 Funspot is the greatest arcade.
This year when I'm up there, I have to go take a trip down to the pinball wizard and check it out.

You're probably looking at 90-120 minutes of driving.  Worth the trip, IMO, if you're into pinball.  There is also Funworld in Nashua in the area... never been to that one myself but I don't hear good things about its condition.

[mgb]

I drive from CT up to Funspot every year around my birthday in October and we enjoy just driving in New Hampshire.
  Last year I checked the map and it looked like it may work to take a different way home and hit the pinball wizard on the way.
  This years the big 40 so it'll be a little extra fun

[ChadTower]

I drive from CT up to Funspot every year around my birthday in October and we enjoy just driving in New Hampshire.
  Last year I checked the map and it looked like it may work to take a different way home and hit the pinball wizard on the way.
  This years the big 40 so it'll be a little extra fun

I live in the Gillette Stadium area.  Send me a note when you swing by this year.  Maybe we'll be able to grab a couple beers.

[Gray_Area]

@Sandheaver....

[IG-88]

Have you all been to this site?

www.aurcade.com

Just click locations and input your city & state or just state. Has a lot of listings....

[sandheaver]

Have you all been to this site?

www.aurcade.com

Just click locations and input your city & state or just state. Has a lot of listings....

This is excellent.  It's so close to being really useful.  Being able to sort by distance from a zip code or by number of machines would be nice.

[ChadTower]

Aurcade's primary purpose is as a live event engine for tournaments.  It's amazing for that.  The ACAM tourney uses it.  I've competed in several Aurcade run events and they are smooth.  I've seen it go 14 hour days with many thousands of scores entered, in real time, without much issue.

[sandheaver]

It runs on ASP.NET.  Of course it performs.    I am only slightly kidding; no platform runs well unless there's a good developer writing software for it.

I wound up copying the table into Excel and sorting that way, though.  Good enough for me.

[thefox]

Great site. unfortunately a quick search proved just how little there is left over here in the UK  where did all our arcade cabs go ?

[sandheaver]

Great site. unfortunately a quick search proved just how little there is left over here in the UK  where did all our arcade cabs go ?

Yeah.  I hear that a lot and I wonder where they are.  You guy still have cobblers with shops in cities but arcades are gone.  It's weird.

When I lived in Sydney a decade ago, very close to downtown there was an arcade or two that were huge, two-story affairs.  They're probably gone, too. 

[thefox]

You guy still have cobblers with shops in cities but arcades are gone.  It's weird.

Haha  that's funny cos its true. What the hell is that about ?

[sandheaver]

You guy still have cobblers with shops in cities but arcades are gone.  It's weird.

Haha  that's funny cos its true. What the hell is that about ?

It's just England.  That's just how it is.  I've taken a shoe or two to a cobbler, and they always fixed 'em up new.  An arcade has done nothing except micro-transaction me out of all my money.

[Gray_Area]

Well, originally there was this:

http://www.arcadelocations.net/

But, like anything, it depends on those local to submit changes. I've submitted a few over the years. Then, of course, it needs to be crewed so the submissions get entered. Of course, if site traffic is low, the person might not bother. Etc.