View Full Version : Are arcades really closing?
Kid Presentable
10-04-2006, 01:09 AM
If so, I'd just like to say thank you to the arcade. From getting beaten up for my Raiders hat in 92, to playing Splatterhouse as a kid, I loved the arcade. It's where I took up smoking, and also where I found my first High School weekend and holiday job. Cleaning gum out of the carpet was a fitting punishment for spending a shift whooping people at Fighting Vipers for free. Yes, free games. Daytona 500 advanced track, and Time Crisis completed in one credit. Good times, good times. I still remember my first superthrow. And they advertised the 4 player Turtles cabinet on T.V and I chugged all of my pocket money into it.
*sniff*
If arcades closed down, world wide, for one thing, Japanese would go in a state of riots. I'd like to go to one someday. I miss those. I'm not understanding you, though - how so?
The Notorious LOL
10-04-2006, 01:35 AM
arcades are a thing of the past and have been for 10+ years. Whens the last time you saw an arcade? They used to be in every mall in the country...good luck finding an Aladdins Castle these days.
ericlee
10-04-2006, 01:47 AM
Yep, I agree with LOL. Even all the arcades in my area have vanished. Nobody uses them anymore.
Too many people realize it's cooler and more convienent to have their own systems such as ps2 or x-box where they needn't wait in line and put up with some shitheads.
Ahhh, bye bye, Gauntlet, Kung Fu, Skate or Die, Altered Beast, Gouls and Ghosts, Golden Axe...
There's a small one at the mall nearby me, but yeah, I agree. They're far and between now.
there's no way arcades in Japan are going the way of the dinosaur. It's as casual as Starbucks there. Except not full of pretentious hippies.
American arcades have fallen victim to internet. You can compete against THE NATION at videogames... in your own home. Now you can be a total fatass and not even have to get up! Now arcades are dying to keep themselves afloat with machines that are simlulators i.e. machines that are too expensive for the home. Things like DDR (unless you're rich) light gun games and driving simulators.
Also, there's absolutely nothing like Street Fighter that's keeping them afloat. Tekken or Soul Calibur isn't even close to that popularity.
Drederick Tatum
10-04-2006, 02:04 AM
that 4 player TMNT took loads of my money too. me and some friends were determined to finish it.
The first one (http://www.fraserking.co.uk/arcade/screenshots/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-3.png) and Turtles in Time (http://www.fraserking.co.uk/arcade/screenshots/teenage_mutant_ninja_turtles-turtles_in_time-2.png) were both pretty good. This one time I was playing sick from school and my mother took me out for pizza, of all things, and some other middle aged mom put $30 worth of coins into the TMNT machine there. So me and this kid beat the fuck out of the game. Best sick day ever.
It's really a shame. You don't get that same arcade experience playing video game home consoles. If there is one reason I'd like to visit Japan, it would be to check out the masses of arcade places. I'd be in fucking heaven. I was never into the whole DDR craze, but I enjoy the mixes that play. Sega still makes some cool arcade machines and games.
Kid Presentable
10-04-2006, 02:29 AM
The music games with the turntables were a hoot. They had MMM songs on them.
steve-onpoint
10-04-2006, 03:42 AM
Arcades never close... inside of my heart.
Kid Presentable
10-04-2006, 04:05 AM
The first one (http://www.fraserking.co.uk/arcade/screenshots/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-3.png)
That's now my desktop background.
Pres Zount
10-04-2006, 04:13 AM
Arcades never close... inside of my heart.
I'n my heart they're always closing. I lock the doors and kick the kids out.
Kid Presentable
10-04-2006, 04:16 AM
I shit my pants working a Thursday night shift when I was in High School. Had the green-apple splats. I was tempted to pass off my extended cleaning time in the men's as masturbating.
Pres Zount
10-04-2006, 04:26 AM
absolutley charming.
Gareth
10-04-2006, 04:32 AM
yifans 4eva
Pres Zount
10-04-2006, 04:36 AM
I once played Mortal Kombat Ultimate against a staff member from "ZONE 3". She was Sonja and I was Cyrax, and I beat her.
I never saw her working there again, so I guess her boss must have fired her for losing to me.
Drederick Tatum
10-04-2006, 04:42 AM
yifans 4eva
fuck yeah.
steve-onpoint
10-04-2006, 05:01 AM
I'n my heart they're always closing. I lock the doors and kick the kids out.
And how does that make you feel?
Pres Zount
10-04-2006, 05:07 AM
It makes me feel great.
steve-onpoint
10-04-2006, 05:17 AM
It makes me feel great.
That's good. Now we're making progress.
So with what special projects, partnerships or innovations in your arcade are you involved?
And how might the community at large be able to contribute to your interests moving forward?
Pres Zount
10-04-2006, 05:26 AM
I'm involved with all levels of innovation, and the running of my heart arcade.
The community could contribute to my interests by getting the fuck out.
We're closed.
steve-onpoint
10-04-2006, 05:54 AM
I'm involved with all levels of innovation, and the running of my heart arcade.
The community could contribute to my interests by getting the fuck out.
We're closed.
Good answer. Good answer. I like the way you think. I'm gonna be watching you. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt4e0G3jmVo)
Nivvie
10-04-2006, 07:33 AM
British seaside arcades won't close, the police wouln't be able to cope with the ensuing abundance of teen boredom.
I don't know how I'd have survived winters in Bognor Regis without Outrun and the 2p cascade machine thingy where you could win more 2ps or even a digital watch.
bigblu89
10-04-2006, 07:42 AM
I worked in an arcade/indoor amusement park from the ages of 17-20.
Probably the best 3 years of my life.
That place is still open, and striving from what I heard from my buddy that still works there as a Manager.
icy manipulator
10-04-2006, 07:53 AM
come to think of it, i only know of 3 left and there's nearly 2 million ppl here!:eek:
bigblu89
10-04-2006, 08:12 AM
You guys don't have places like Jillian's (http://www.jillians.com/) or Dave & Buster's (http://www.daveandbusters.com/?f=1)around you?
They're more or less a TGIFridays with a huge Arcade and Billiards room attached.
Echewta
10-04-2006, 10:22 AM
Being in my 30s, i was lucky enough to see the rise and fall of the arcades. The mania when pacman came out and the badassness of Defender. Dave and Busters aren't arcades, they are family amusment places. Food, bar, bright lights, clean, and with girls. Arcades of the day were dark, smelled of ozone, full of guys and sounds of velcro wallets being opened.
paul jones
10-04-2006, 10:40 AM
last arcade I was in was in Randwick,Sydney 1997
can't remember what I played
paul jones
10-04-2006, 10:44 AM
Being in my 30s, i was lucky enough to see the rise and fall of the arcades. The mania when pacman came out and the badassness of Defender. Dave and Busters aren't arcades, they are family amusment places. Food, bar, bright lights, clean, and with girls. Arcades of the day were dark, smelled of ozone, full of guys and sounds of velcro wallets being opened.
Do you remember that magic moment when you first saw Space Invaders?
I was in Porthcawl,Wales and there was 20 kids all crammed around something.I heard these strange noises. What a day
Big Gus
10-04-2006, 10:58 AM
Yeah I posted something along this threads lines in the first date thread on here yesterday.
It's a shame I was kinda hoping it was just the arcades in the UK that were shutting up. There used to be 3 in my city - now there are none. :(
ET hits on why - playing games online also the rise in home console gaming killed them off.
You can still play coin ops in Motorway Service stations or airports, thats about it except for a few large arcades down in England.
It was all about Guantlet and Double Dragon and Kung Fu (the one with the 4 'floors' and also the 1 on 1 version with the 2 joysticks and no buttons).
I remember spending all my francs ona 6 week summer holiday to France when I was about 8 on my friends Pac Man and the like...
Echewta
10-04-2006, 11:05 AM
Do you remember that magic moment when you first saw Space Invaders?
I was in Porthcawl,Wales and there was 20 kids all crammed around something.I heard these strange noises. What a day
Yes. I believe it was in Big Bear, CA, USA at the arcade and I remember it because the subwoofer on the machine was thudding really hard. I remember one long haired guy saying "I think this is from Japan." Fuck, Japan was really far away and my cool toys came from there.
Big Gus
10-04-2006, 11:12 AM
The first time I saw one I had nightmares over the "DEH, DUH, DEH, DUH, DEHDUHDEHDUH" sounds...
I got a Gorf cabinet in my hall - an original one with the joystick that had the trigger on it - not buttons at the side - the local rugby club were throwing it out so I got a friend with a van and we salvaged it. This was about 8-9 years ago now and it's a bit fucked from people spilling drinks they've left on it at parties. It's also seen 3 flat moves.
I think about taking it to the skips but... nah... He's like an old friend now...
Last arcade I was in I saw DandyFop.
Jitters
10-04-2006, 12:51 PM
I have an arcade at my local mall and it doesn't really have any good games, the only ones that I play are Galaga, Soul Calibur 3 and I used to play DDR until the took it out for some reason.
It's kind of ironic seeing this thread because the other day while I was at the mall I was going to play some games at the arcade and it was shut down for some reason, I hope their not closing it or anything.
I haven't seen a full on arcade in while. But I see little rooms sectioned off with about 20 or so games at movie theatres, bowling alleys, and things of that sort all the time. Its kind of like they didn't totally disappear, just shrunk in size and kind of hid a little.
But that MarioKart arcade game....its pretty fun. I don't know if it is because its MarioKart or if its just good, but either way...its funny watching my 30 year old friend scare away all the kids by talking smack to them...in a sad sort of way.
Echewta
10-04-2006, 01:21 PM
I remember the hoppla over Zaxxon, Star Wars, and Punch-Out when they first came out.
I think the craziest I ever saw the local arcades was when Street Fighter II came out.
Kid Presentable
10-04-2006, 11:30 PM
I think the craziest I ever saw the local arcades was when Street Fighter II came out.
It was like arcades changed after that. They went from sorta full to lines flowing out the door. Most arcades had about 10 cabinets minimum. The TimeZone I wound up working at first opened in 94, after Streetfighter II had gained a foothold, and they were distancing themselves by having only one sf2 cabinet. They had all the Daytona cars and shit the other arcades couldn't afford, and drove the competition out of business that way. By the time Alpha came out, nobody cared about Streetfighter 2 anymore. But at its peak it was a lifestyle.
vBulletin® v3.6.7, Copyright ©2000-2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.