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The comeback of the arcade (1 Viewer)

ericttspikes

Footballguy
As most kids of the 80's, arcades were a big part of my life. So glad to see them on the comeback. Took my kids to The Galloping Ghost, outside of Chicago in Brookfield, IL. It was like walking into a time warp. almost 700 games, all the classics and many I've never seen. $20 all you can play. It was a trip. No ticket games, no skee-ball, no modern games of any kind really; just classics. I don't think they had anything older than mid 1990's. 

https://www.gallopingghostarcade.com/games-list/

This place has to be one of the better retro arcades in the country. They seem to hold national high score events and draw people from all over the world.

My oldest fell in love with Millipede and parked herself there for 3 hours. My youngest was a bit more adventurous and tried almost everything. She gravitated toward the shooters and martial arts games. They even had a Sega Holosseum, a game I'd never seen in the wild before. It was a holographic fighter game made by Sega in 1992. Huge cabinet with a concave stage where the holograms were projected. It was pretty cool. Here is a video that doesn't really do the play justice. It looked like a 3-D object, kinda like the Star Wars chess board.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3O1ojAGtPw

I talked to the guy there who said these games were really expensive to play back in the day and didn't catch on. Fun to play these "expensive" games I never could afford as a kid. 

I mostly stuck with what I was good at back in the day; Galaga, Centipede, Tempest, Pac Man, Asteroids, Tron, Robotron. I sucked at Defender when I was younger, and still sucked at it 40 years later. The all play made it fun to not really worry about dropping too many quarters in games I wasn't good at. They also had the Venture game that I remember being great at that I was bad at now. It was a cool experience to relive my youth and share that part of my life with my kids. I think they thought (rightfully so) that most of the games paled in graphics and screen quality to new games, but I think they got the communal part of arcades that was so fun. A place to meet, play games with each other and hang out.

After I got home I looked up another arcade that just opened closer to my home in Lisle, IL that has 100 classic games that has good reviews, so hoping this is a new trend. 

Here is long, long video showing a tour of the place with the Galloping Ghost owner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyVgyaV16xM

 
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It does until someone's kid monopolizes the Millipede game for 3 hours.
Lol. Yeah, theres that. There is gamers etiquette in effect. If someone is waiting you let them play, if not it’s yours. We went on a Monday afternoon. There was maye 100 people there and we never had to wait for anything. I’d imagine it’s much different at peak times. But wirh 700 games there is always something open.

 
Flat entrance fee makes a lot of sense. 
I felt like I got more than $20 in game play. You can even leave and come back the same day. They’re open 15 hours a day 7 days a week.

I have to imagine it pulls in some good cash. I figure 300 a day average per week conservatively. That’s over $2 mil a year. Gotta think they do even more than that. I’m sure it costs some to keep the games repaired and the sunk cost of the machines, but other that it is fairly low overhead. 

 
I heard about a copyrighted idea around these parts called “Barcade” which combines exactly what you’d assume. Caters to mid-life folks who want to drink and remember those halcyon days at the arcade. Brilliant idea, although I haven’t been able to visit one yet. I did make it to the Franklin Institute last year when they did a retrospective on video games. Super cool exhibit. I can’t believe how quickly the muscle memory comes back. I played Elevator Action for a good chunk of time. Forgot how much I liked that one. I’d love a big basement in our next house to bring Tetris among others into the house.

 
Got one near me.  Maybe 50 arcade games.  It's all free, though they assume you will buy booze.  Lot of beer options.  Decent place but the game selection is meh.

Went to one in Orlando several years ago.  They had a lot of arcade games and then like 10 are as with TVs and couches with newer game consoles hooked up where you can go ask for games at the desk.

I have noticed a lot of places I go have put up an area with a few arcade games.  

 
There’s a great one called Replay Arcade way north of St. Pete.  $14 gets you all day access.  You can come and go as you want.  Tons of pinball and 80s/90s arcade games.  One of my favorite places to waste a day.

ETA: 3 breweries within walking distance too.

Current game list

 
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I felt like I got more than $20 in game play. You can even leave and come back the same day. They’re open 15 hours a day 7 days a week.

I have to imagine it pulls in some good cash. I figure 300 a day average per week conservatively. That’s over $2 mil a year. Gotta think they do even more than that. I’m sure it costs some to keep the games repaired and the sunk cost of the machines, but other that it is fairly low overhead. 
No doubt pulls in a lot but I'd wonder what that electricity bill looks like.

 
👍 Thanks. Know what I'll be doing this summer when in Chicago. 

WWF Wrestlefest. Still think it's the best wrestling game ever.
Chicago has a couple of the beercades with some fine beers on tap.   These are in the downtown area.  Though they have 30 to 40 games, not 100's.  But they do have several pinball machines. 

 
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Chicago has a couple of the beercades with some fine beers on tap.   These are in the downtown area.  Though they have 30 to 40 games, not 100's.  But they do have several pinball machines. 
I pop into this place every once in a while. Always has great beer on tap and The Addams Family pinball machine is in perfect condition

https://loganarcade.com/

 
As most kids of the 80's, arcades were a big part of my life. So glad to see them on the comeback. Took my kids to The Galloping Ghost, outside of Chicago in Brookfield, IL. It was like walking into a time warp. almost 700 games, all the classics and many I've never seen. $20 all you can play. It was a trip. No ticket games, no skee-ball, no modern games of any kind really; just classics. I don't think they had anything older than mid 1990's. 

https://www.gallopingghostarcade.com/games-list/

This place has to be one of the better retro arcades in the country. They seem to hold national high score events and draw people from all over the world.

My oldest fell in love with Millipede and parked herself there for 3 hours. My youngest was a bit more adventurous and tried almost everything. She gravitated toward the shooters and martial arts games. They even had a Sega Holosseum, a game I'd never seen in the wild before. It was a holographic fighter game made by Sega in 1992. Huge cabinet with a concave stage where the holograms were projected. It was pretty cool. Here is a video that doesn't really do the play justice. It looked like a 3-D object, kinda like the Star Wars chess board.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3O1ojAGtPw

I talked to the guy there who said these games were really expensive to play back in the day and didn't catch on. Fun to play these "expensive" games I never could afford as a kid. 

I mostly stuck with what I was good at back in the day; Galaga, Centipede, Tempest, Pac Man, Asteroids, Tron, Robotron. I sucked at Defender when I was younger, and still sucked at it 40 years later. The all play made it fun to not really worry about dropping too many quarters in games I wasn't good at. They also had the Venture game that I remember being great at that I was bad at now. It was a cool experience to relive my youth and share that part of my life with my kids. I think they thought (rightfully so) that most of the games paled in graphics and screen quality to new games, but I think they got the communal part of arcades that was so fun. A place to meet, play games with each other and hang out.

After I got home I looked up another arcade that just opened closer to my home in Lisle, IL that has 100 classic games that has good reviews, so hoping this is a new trend. 

Here is long, long video showing a tour of the place with the Galloping Ghost owner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyVgyaV16xM
Is the one near Lisle in Bolingbrook? They just opened one at the Promenade.

 
Dallas has a few. I've been to Free Play in Richardson a few times.  Right price and has everything I want including a bar and several multiplayer games and pinball machines.

 
I grew up a couple of towns over from Brookfield and get back in that area quite frequently, but haven’t hit Galloping Ghost yet.

Since this thread has opened, someone shared something about it on teh facebooks and two other people have sent texts to me about it. 

I pretty much have to give in to it’s siren song now, right? 

 
I heard about a copyrighted idea around these parts called “Barcade” which combines exactly what you’d assume. Caters to mid-life folks who want to drink and remember those halcyon days at the arcade. Brilliant idea, although I haven’t been able to visit one yet. I did make it to the Franklin Institute last year when they did a retrospective on video games. Super cool exhibit. I can’t believe how quickly the muscle memory comes back. I played Elevator Action for a good chunk of time. Forgot how much I liked that one. I’d love a big basement in our next house to bring Tetris among others into the house.
I’ve been to Barcadia here in NO, it’s fun. They have Joust. Joust. Hot bartenderette typically and it’s just funny going to ask her to change a dollar for quarters just like I did at the Time Saver when I was a kid.

 
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Flat entrance fee makes a lot of sense. 
Flat entrance fee (to me) makes more sense during slow periods and if it's super busy ramp it up with per play because there's always gonna be "that guy" that either is dense, a troll or just that much of an ssA hole. 

 
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There is a pinball museum in Alameda that has hundreds of games in areas broken down by decade.  It’s right in the middle of downtown.  Flat fee.

 
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I just got wind that we have two beer cades here in Boise.  Might try one out today.   

Side note.   Had a pool table in one of our vrbo we rent out.   People kept on sitting on it and balls did not roll well.  Replaced it with a foosball table and one of those $299 Arcade1 pac man units and getting rave reviews for the pac man.  

 
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Flat entrance fee (to me) makes more sense during slow periods and if it's super busy ramp it up with per play because there's always gonna be "that guy" that either is dense, a troll or just that much of an ssA hole. 
I would go in between.  Get those electronic wristbands that you can tap on the game console and it activates the game.  You pay to activate your wristband by the hour.  You can alter the prices based on peak time.

I have a bar near me that does this for beer taps.  You have the wristband and it has about 30 beer taps.  You activate the tap and pour your own mug.  You pay by the ounce.  It makes it nice to try different beers and not get stuck.  It is limited to about 3 beers worth and then you have to have the waitress reactivate it.  It allows them to track so people aren't getting totally belligerent.  I would think something like this could work for the arcade system. 

 
I would go in between.  Get those electronic wristbands that you can tap on the game console and it activates the game.  You pay to activate your wristband by the hour.  You can alter the prices based on peak time.

I have a bar near me that does this for beer taps.  You have the wristband and it has about 30 beer taps.  You activate the tap and pour your own mug.  You pay by the ounce.  It makes it nice to try different beers and not get stuck.  It is limited to about 3 beers worth and then you have to have the waitress reactivate it.  It allows them to track so people aren't getting totally belligerent.  I would think something like this could work for the arcade system. 
That is a fantastic compromise, that would be pretty awesome!

 
I just got wind that we have two beer cades here in Boise.  Might try one out today.   

Side note.   Had a pool table in one of our vrbo we rent out.   People kept on sitting on it and balls did not roll well.  Replaced it with a foosball table and one of those $299 Arcade1 pac man units and getting rave reviews for the pac man.  
Add a cheap golden tee

 
Yestercades is the NJ version and I wish it was flat $20 to play. They are hourly and I think it was like 8/hour and that can really add up. 

But I love the place and take the kid there. So many games that you haven't seen since the 80's and also have consoles for those who want to play classic home games too.

 
There's at least one in Austin (never went to the one that was there when we lived there).

And one that I've been to here in SoCal.  It had maybe 75 games, and you had to pay using quarters.  Also a bar with good selection.  Definitely catering to us geezers that want to relive the youth while getting toasty.  

 
I went to a classic pinball bar here in St. Louis. No flat fee and most of the games were a dollar to play if not higher. Buddy of mine played for maybe 30 minutes and then found a booth to shoot the #### and drink. This sounds loads better. Need me some Joust!

 
If you're ever in the Nashville area, check out Game Galaxy Arcade.  Tons of classic stand-up machines (Galaga, Centipede, Ms. Pac-Man, etc.) and probably 100+ pinball machines from the early days to some current ones (Ghostbusters, Hobbit, Deadpool, etc.).  They also have consoles set up (NES, SNES, all the way up to PS4 and the PSVR).  I think it's $10 for an all-day pass, and everything is free play.  Located in Smyrna.  I'd link to the website, but it's sorely out of date.

 
Red Warrior shot the food...

Shots now hurt other players...

Gauntlet took so many quarters from me and my buddies on Saturdays.

 
Red Warrior shot the food...

Shots now hurt other players...

Gauntlet took so many quarters from me and my buddies on Saturdays.
Same here!  :hifive:  LOVED that game
Ever play Gauntlet Legends?  I worked at a family fun center with a huge arcade when I was in college.  I'd load that thing up with free play and spend hours playing.  The only "wizardry" with leveling up game I've ever gotten into.  I was addicted.

 
Any Tapper on tap?
I have two local barcades. I started playing their Tapper, which I hadn’t played since high school when they had it at my first place of work, and got the high scores on the games up to over 300k. But then they pulled Tapper from the closer barcade with the better drinks. So it was at the farther one that I went over a million. I’m annoyed they won’t bring Tapper back to closer barcade. Apparently they are using it in new Texas location. But it is a game I can’t play often anyway because it is a multiple hour time commitment that doesn’t even lead to a high score if I play all out. I can pretty much play endlessly, or until I lose focus. I’ve crossed a million, when score resets to zero, with nine lives.

 
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