You Don't Want the Home-Arcade Hassle

[GGKoul]

You Don't Want the Home-Arcade Hassle 
By Damon Brown -- http://www.syncmag.com/article2/0,1895,1849902,00.asp
08.01.05 

Five reasons why owning a classic video game, like Little Ricky did on Silver Spoons, is not worth it.
 
1. You don't have the space The average arcade machine is 8 feet tall, 3 feet square at the base and weighs 250 pounds, while sit-down (cocktail) machines and deluxe four-player titles are considerably bigger and heavier. Also, classic coin-ops heat up quickly and need space to breathe. Not for the studio apartment, yo.

2. No, they ain't cheap Everyone wants to own a Ms. Pac-Man, Frogger or Dig Dug machine. Sellers know this and gouge buyers on the most popular titles, which go for about $2,000 each. Lesser-known games cost half as much, but do you really want to shell out for Popeye or Tron?

3. Shipping is a doozy Buying an upright is one thing; getting it home is another. Expect to pay at least $200 to ship a system to your doorstep. But you could save some cash by picking up the machine at the local airport. Hope you drive a truck.

4. What money-back guarantee? Thanks to the demise of the local arcade, thousands of mom-and-pop shops are unloading coin-ops for cheap. But these machines usually don't come with warranties. And good luck finding replacement parts for that monitor, joystick and backlit marquee.

5. Sky-high electric bills Arcade machines require loads of juice. Expect your electric bill to triple. Of course, you could always unplug the coin-op when it's not in use, but that would delete your Defender high score.

6. Lack of appreciation Unlike Beanie Babies or comic books, arcade games rarely rise in value, which makes them a poor financial investment. Just try to unload that Mr. Do! machine when you grow tired of seeing it.
 
   

[Skadar]

Poor, poor, deluded Damon.

That's okay though... it just means more available games for us and less for those who have as much money as Little Ricky on Silver Spoons.

But seriously, what a stupid "article".  I could list 5 reasons why you shouldn't own a Ferrari that go along the same lines.  Or a boat, or a large screen TV, or any other luxury item.

[ChadTower]

Or a woman.  Or kids.  Or a body.

I don't want to exist, there are problems inherent in existence that are a pain in the ass.

[RayB]

Is this a re-post or a brand new flame-baiting article?

[the3eyedblindman]

8 feet tall? umm no....im 5 ft 9 and my ultimate arcade 2 is only a couple inches taller than me. Older games like galaga seem to be shorter than me, what game is 8 ft tall?

[versapak]

What an odd little article.


Tis the problem with the information age...

Very little of the information seems to actually be researched these days.

[Jabba]

while sit-down (cocktail) machines and deluxe four-player titles are considerably bigger and
heavier

Since when was a cocktail bigger and heavier? Am I missing something here

[RayB]

Yup, this article is a re-post. Last month called and they want it back!  Ha!

umm actually I think this article is meant to be humor, but the writer is just... well, completely lacking in the humor skillz.

[ChadTower]

8 feet tall? umm no....im 5 ft 9 and my ultimate arcade 2 is only a couple inches taller than me. Older games like galaga seem to be shorter than me, what game is 8 ft tall?

I have an 8 foot JAMMA cocktail.  You should see the chair.

[Q*Bert_OP]

IMHO that is a pile of ---auto-censored---

Parts for the joystick?-Happ
Parts for the backlit marquee?-Walmart
Need alot of energy??? The average classic takes about 200-300 wats of power which is about 5 60 watt bulbs worth...how many bulbs do you have on right now???

[Havok]

Anyone that believes this drivel can drop off those 8 footers at my house. I've got lots of room...

<edit> I love the comment that someone who actually bothered to sign in left...

[Avery]

The internet is like a giant bathroom wall.  Any idiot can write anything there that they want.  And they do.

[DrewKaree]

The internet is like a giant bathroom wall.  Any idiot can write anything there that they want.  And they do.

I prefer to think of myself as a bit more than just "Any" idiot.  I'm a certified professional.

[versapak]

The internet is like a giant bathroom wall. Any idiot can write anything there that they want. And they do.

I prefer to think of myself as a bit more than just "Any" idiot. I'm a certified professional.

versapak
Somewhere between a block of wood and a monkey

[Stingray]

Yep, this is a repost, and yep, the guy who wrote that article still looks like an idiot.

-S

[AC.]

They did manage to get a Tempest cab for the photo,  it looks more like 10' tall.  And I thought my power bills were high because of that AA battery charger I occasionally use.


I like the other article on that site better:
http://www.syncmag.com/article2/0,1895,1854436,00.asp