Is this forum dying?

[abispac]

There are not many replys, even on other members topics, so it seems to me that its alowly dying.... What do ou guys think?

[Ropi Jo]

I expect this thread to get some replies. Might even be worth getting out the popcorn.

Where's that Michael Jackson scene?

I think the problem could be that so few people have the answers. Only when they get involved do threads get replied to.

But it doesn't help that some of the experts are a-holes looking to slate bods less knowledgeable than themselves.

I read every post on here, but very rarely can I offer assistance.

[abispac]

Well im one of the veterans here, and can see that many of the other veterans are no involved anymore, and the newer ones, can barely help.... So i guess you are right. Ive always try to help as i can. and even though it has been over 20 years, still got stuff to ask....

[nipsmg]

I think a lot of us have slowed down a bit with the hobby, and the crappy Arcade 1-ups “scratch the itch” for enough people that the hobby itself has slowed dramatically.  I think this place is and will always be the #1 source for info for this hobby, but it’s just not as active as it was and I expect it to keep trending in that direction.

[bobbyb13]

You have this forum confused with another one I think.
I get help on the often grouchier one I reference also, but this place is far better with the assistance with a smile aspect.
Nobody anywhere will help someone just being obnoxious or lazy though, so different people get different levels of assistance.

I expect this thread to get some replies. Might even be worth getting out the popcorn.

Where's that Michael Jackson scene?

I think the problem could be that so few people have the answers. Only when they get involved do threads get replied to.

But it doesn't help that some of the experts are a-holes looking to slate bods less knowledgeable than themselves.

I read every post on here, but very rarely can I offer assistance.

The people with the most knowledge of things useful around here are often very generous with their time and knowledge-
But my experience is that they are extraordinarily busy guys in their lives outside the hobby.

Everything ebbs and flows and patience pays.

[bobbyb13]

And you of course are absolutely correct.
More young blood will help!
I'm getting crustier all the time.

I think a lot of us have slowed down a bit with the hobby, and the crappy Arcade 1-ups “scratch the itch” for enough people that the hobby itself has slowed dramatically.  I think this place is and will always be the #1 source for info for this hobby, but it’s just not as active as it was and I expect it to keep trending in that direction.

[Malenko]

There are a lot of factors, the biggest one is likely that the people who grew up with arcades have moved on with their lives.  I dont restore games or make mame cabs anymore, creaky bones and having a kid make it an impossibility. I still pop in here on occasion but before I can reply someone else has already posted something they googled instead of anything resembling experience. There are also other issues and bugs that have been reported and never fixed (like the HTTPS thing and the false positives on image uploads) but really its just that the hobby is aging out.

[lilshawn]

kids these days and their newfangled smartphones. you go to a bar these days... everyone has their head down in their phone scrolling instagram or some crap... nobody is talking. playing falppy birdz or kingdom ledgends or tankamajigger  or whatever game of the day is.

you wanna scroll insta and play on your phone and drink, crap... you can do that at home.

and so they do.

go to the mall? get takeout? pfft... that shizz comes to the door now. don't even have to leave the couch.

why spend money to play at the arcades... i can play all the games on my phone right now for free.

---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, you wann play dos games? do it in your browser dawg. classicreload.com dont even need to install dosbox or nothin.

arcade is basically dead. the people that remain are here to learn the thing they do...then leave.

sure there is 5000 users registered here (or whatever number there is) but like 20 of us come somewhat regularly... and only brows a handfull of the subforums.

it's not the site that's dying... it's the interest of the people that died.

[dmckean]

The supply of cabs and arcade monitors isn't what it used to be either. It's a lot harder to get started in this hobby than it was 20 years ago.

[Mike A]

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,166844.0.html

Yeah. Arcade monitors are just unobtainum now.

hehehe.

[bobbyb13]

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,166844.0.html

Yeah. Arcade monitors are just unobtainum now.

hehehe.

Well, just rub it in already!

The crew who have been in this hobby since the get-go have been doing it for decades and that's a long time for any hobby.

The things that really keep a hobby like this going are the friendships you build, reasons why get togethers like Mike has and Zapcon and all the others are actually really important.
They keep the fire lit for the old guard and then occassionally people who stumble onto the events wind up obsessed with it all too.
This hobby is maturing and aging like all others do.

[abispac]

but i don want it to die ,    ima build as many games as i can for the rest of my life, maybe in the future it will pick up againg, or at least maybe one of my grand or grand grand sons will have a working mame arcade game....i hope.