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New house and dedicated Arcade/Bar/Theater on the way
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HanoiBoi:
Darn it.  I just had a big response typed up and I lost it. 

Bottom line...congrats on the space...hope you do exactly what you want with it!

So some quick thoughts...

Everything still looks too tight.  Not a lot of walkway and not a lot of seating.   If you have like 10 people over, you might end up playing musical chairs.  Plus, the kids will plop in the theater seats and you can't really shoo them away because all that's left is bar seating.

Larger luxury seating looks like you're now too close to screen, especially if it's 120".

An arcade cab isn't really needed at the bar when you've got 14 games 14ft away.

Shuffleboard looks too narrow in render.  Double check that.  If shuffleboard overhead light is on, it could be a distraction to theater viewers.  If the light is off, shuffleboard won't be inviting.

If possible, I'd suggest swapping the theater area with the arcade area.  You'd need a smaller screen than 120" to fit into 9ft wide, but I'm not sure about seating width.  Maybe you could squeeze 3 in a row, maybe 2 rows of 2 or 3 rows of 2.

Would you plan on using the theater for gaming?  Wii, Kinect, etc might require more space before the seats.

I'd also suggest going with much less dedicated cabs.  You could use that space for the skeeball you mentioned...maybe pachinko, maybe slots, etc.  Swapping the areas would keep all the games in one area.

If you don't swap, I'd suggest adding 1-2 TVs to the game area so that guests can play your games and still watch the sports games on TV.

You mentioned a stage.  I see it in one drawing, but not in the renders.  If this is for karaoke and dancing, consider that kids and possibly intoxicated adults will be flailing about.  If you don't have a retractable screen, this could be an issue.  Same concern if you have speakers and a sub nearby.

paigeoliver:
I actually think the home theater thing really hijacks the entire setup. These days people keep getting bigger and better tv sets. Your guests might have a TV setup close to what you are providing there at home already. The theater locks your guests into 2 hours of watching a movie, while a mixed gameroom that perhaps has a few different video screens scattered about allows your guests to mingle and enjoy a variety of different things rather than spending most of the night locked down watching a film they have probably already seen. I know when I go to a party the last thing I want to do is sit down for a couple hours and watch a movie. The movie stuff is really more private family time and you might do better just putting a better set in the living room upstairs. Now I know this whole build might be based around some projector you already own, but the advice still stands.
stuckpixel:
NIICE. That looks like one hell of an awesome project.

From looking over the latest renders -- it really feels like trying to shove another arcade in the corner by the bar is a bit overkill -- not to mention it kinda throws off the whole separation deal you have going on.

I think someone else suggested a coin-op dartboard -- That seems like it'd be a far superior fit for the space -- and it would go with the vibe of the bar area. Not sure if there would be enough distance for the correct distance or not though.

Is there any active cooling in this space? If you're actually planning on having 10+ arcade machines, a couple pins, and whatever other misc electronics in the main area -- that place is going to get TOASTY in a hurry.

Are the dimensions right on the shuffleboard table? It seems really narrow.

Looks like fun!!
stuckpixel:

--- Quote from: paigeoliver on July 27, 2013, 11:49:31 pm ---I actually think the home theater thing really hijacks the entire setup. These days people keep getting bigger and better tv sets. Your guests might have a TV setup close to what you are providing there at home already. The theater locks your guests into 2 hours of watching a movie
--- End quote ---


--- Quote ---I know when I go to a party the last thing I want to do is sit down for a couple hours and watch a movie. The movie stuff is really more private family time and you might do better just putting a better set in the living room upstairs.

--- End quote ---

Home Theaters aren't limited to watching movies, you know. Things like football games, MMA shows -- as well as HUGE screen video gaming can occur with a home theater.

I seriously doubt that the gameplan is to force all his friends to come over and watch Top Gun, while forbidding them to play the games.
Maximus:
Yep stuck pixel pretty much summed it up. 

This area is very much a specialized part of the house and not part of normal use.  The house already has a large living room, 1000sq/ft sun room and will have another 600sq/ft indoor/outdoor covered viewing deck so there are plenty of places to hang out before ending up in this particular space.

When I'm in movie watching mode it's most likely to be just me or the family.  In party mode with multiple people it needs to be a multi function space that has areas of different interests.  Sure the big screen may be on during those times but that's more likely to be football or Kung Fu panda than The notebook.

Paige seems to be obsessed with the idea my wife wants to watch TV on a 120" screen in silence lol. Even worse he seems think I may be taking people captive, strapping them into chairs clockwork orange style and MAKING THEM WATCH A MOVIE WUHAHAHAHAHAHA

I agree the theater and bar are taking a lot of the space that's because they will get more use than the arcade.

All good input and ideas, I guess it goes to show that areas like this are very specific do different people's needs and preferences.
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