55 replies to this topic

[Happy_Dude]

I'm looking to start a classic arcade.
I might have to lease the machines until I turn a profit but I don't mind.
I'm planning to attend a bussines course and do anything I have to, to
get this off the ground, but first ... I need a name.
I'v never been good with naming things and the only arcades I'v had exposure
to have fairly bland or just plain bad names (Playzone, Timezone, that machine at the pizza shop ... )

So I'm asking you. What should I call my arcade ?
It should convey the classic nature of the place. I'll have newer machines
too but want to focus on the nostalgia.

[Cootster]

Blip's. Nothing says "early-to-mid-80s" like a YCDTOTV reference.

[Nukey Shay]

Flynn's

[Happy_Dude]

Nukey Shay said:

Flynn's

I have a friend whose lasst name is Flyn


Naaaah

[Fellow Atari Man]

Yesterday's Tomorrow?

[Rocko]

Timewarp- warp back in time to your favorite games from the 80's.


Play only 80's pop, that would be cool!

[NovaXpress]

So you're trying to make this classic arcade a business venture? Not a very promising one I'd have to say, although I would certainly show up several times a week.

Omaha has a so-called classic arcade (mid-90s games) which are all on free play and it cost five bucks to get in. That probably wouldn't pay the overhead.

You'd need to diversify: home games, handhelds, t-shirts and whatever. A retro gaming shop which covered all facets could fly in a large city

[Random Terrain]

Here are a few names that popped into my head:

80s Craze

Classics

When Games Were Games

Yesteryear

Games of Yore

Present Past

Langsyne


When I was a teen, I wanted to name my arcade, "The Fortress of infinitude." You can read more about that here:

http://www.randomter....com/about.html

[Captain Harlock]

I enjoy reading your website very much - especially as I have the Asperger's syndrome, too. So, for the name:

I don't know any, sorry.

PS: The Tilt-a-whirl is really a great ride. In Germany (esp. Eastern Germany) it was called "Walzerfahrt" (Waltz ride).

[Random Terrain]

Captain Harlock said:

I enjoy reading your website very much - especially as I have the Asperger's syndrome, too. So, for the name:

I don't know any, sorry.

PS: The Tilt-a-whirl is really a great ride. In Germany (esp. Eastern Germany) it was called "Walzerfahrt" (Waltz ride).

Thanks. I wish I had the money to own my own Tilt-A-Whirl.

[Nukey Shay]

Waltzer fart??

Ease up on that sauerkraut

[Rocko]

Nukey Shay said:

Waltzer fart??

Ease up on that sauerkraut

[Cootster]

NovaXpress said:

So you're trying to make this classic arcade a business venture?  Not a very promising one I'd have to say, although I would certainly show up several times a week.

Omaha has a so-called classic arcade (mid-90s games) which are all on free play and it cost five bucks to get in.  That probably wouldn't pay the overhead.

There's a chain in the Portland area called Wunderland that does the same thing, but they actually have older stuff . . . And new stuff, which costs a nickel a play . . . And they've been around a long time, it could be done . . .

[Cootster]

Random Terrain said:

When I was a teen, I wanted to name my arcade, "The Fortress of infinitude." You can read more about that here:
http://www.randomter....com/about.html

There should so be an actual Fortress of infinitude . . . Not just including arcade stuff, though . . . Ought to have strategically placed consoles where tapped-out gamers can sit back and play some 2600 or something . . .

First time I'd been to your site since the redesign. Great job.

[Random Terrain]

Cootster said:

Random Terrain said:

When I was a teen, I wanted to name my arcade, "The Fortress of infinitude." You can read more about that here:
http://www.randomter....com/about.html

There should so be an actual Fortress of infinitude . . . Not just including arcade stuff, though . . . Ought to have strategically placed consoles where tapped-out gamers can sit back and play some 2600 or something . . .

First time I'd been to your site since the redesign. Great job.

Thanks. About your idea, I do have this on that page:

Quote

Not only would there be arcade games on the other floors, but there would be a library of home video games and computer games that people could select from an arcade-game-like control panel. Each player would have credit card sized memory cards that would remember all of their individual game playing information. For example, If you were in the middle of playing a game and you had to leave, the card would remember your place so you could continue playing another day.

It wouldn't be free, but it wouldn't cost that much either.

[Happy_Dude]

NovaXpress said:

So you're trying to make this classic arcade a business venture?  Not a very promising one I'd have to say, although I would certainly show up several times a week.

Omaha has a so-called classic arcade (mid-90s games) which are all on free play and it cost five bucks to get in.  That probably wouldn't pay the overhead.

You'd need to diversify:  home games, handhelds, t-shirts and whatever.  A retro gaming shop which covered all facets could fly in a large city

Exactly what I was thinking
An Arcade + game store. Selling classic games, imports, homebrews, t-shirts, etc....
The machines would be 100% classic, i.e: Not those $1 to $2 a play games
you see in cinema arcades but 20 to 40 cent games like the old days
Have competitions with prizes and stuff and a freeplay friday too ..... Mabye

[Random Terrain]

Happy_Dude said:

NovaXpress said:

So you're trying to make this classic arcade a business venture?  Not a very promising one I'd have to say, although I would certainly show up several times a week.

Omaha has a so-called classic arcade (mid-90s games) which are all on free play and it cost five bucks to get in.  That probably wouldn't pay the overhead.

You'd need to diversify:  home games, handhelds, t-shirts and whatever.  A retro gaming shop which covered all facets could fly in a large city

Exactly what I was thinking
An Arcade + game store. Selling classic games, imports, homebrews, t-shirts, etc....
The machines would be 100% classic, i.e: Not those $1 to $2 a play games
you see in cinema arcades but 20 to 40 cent games like the old days
Have competitions with prizes and stuff and a freeplay friday too ..... Mabye

So you'll have real old arcade games, not those arcade replicas like I have listed on the far right side of this page, towards the bottom:

http://www.randomter...lectronics.html

Those replicas are expensive!

[NovaXpress]

So what city are you in, Happy Dude? If you have a very large population I think such a store could work. You'd never get rich but you could make a fun living. And 10 years down the road, the Playstation games and Street Fighter 2 machines will be truly classic as well so you'd never run out of potential inventory.

[Happy_Dude]

Random Terrain said:

So you'll have real old arcade games, not those arcade replicas like I have listed on the far right side of this page, towards the bottom:

http://www.randomter...lectronics.html

Those replicas are expensive!

I won't have the start-up capital required to get my own machines so
whatever I can lease (Classic or replica) is fine.
I will, however, buy the real things later on

Actually I don't think lease is the right word ..... I think most places use a profit sharing model?

reptone said:

Play only 80's pop, that would be cool!

Theres a whol bunch of 45's on ebay.com.au right now. All 80's music
I could set up an old jukebox. Now that would be cool

[Happy_Dude]

NovaXpress said:

So what city are you in, Happy Dude?  If you have a very large population I think such a store could work.  You'd never get rich but you could make a fun living.  And 10 years down the road, the Playstation games and Street Fighter 2 machines will be truly classic as well so you'd never run out of potential inventory.

Western Sydney. Thats why I need a good name
I'll probably be forced further east because I'v seen to many arcades close
up shop around here in the past 5 years.

[NovaXpress]

Well, that's good for the Australians but bad for us poor Americans who were going to make a pilgrimage there on opening day. But it's cool to think of all this classic-gaming fandom Down Under. I would definitely train a Koala to play Kaboom! Or dig up the corpse of Yahoo Serious and make him your counter clerk.

In the US it would be damn hard to find classic games form a distributor (and usually they'd rather sell the machine than share profits.) You'd really be smart to focus on the classic gaming merchandise an buy the arcade machines as you can afford them. Maybe start with a Tempest in the window to draw interest.

[Cootster]

Find Polybius! There's allegedly one in some small village in Western Australia . . .

[Cootster]

Find Polybius! There's allegedly one in some small village in Western Australia . . .

[Ralph3]

The best thing is to have a dark arcade and call it "The Gaming Dungeon" or "The Game Castle" (or other similar variants) and have different rooms for different style of games with corridors leading to each one (assuming you get a large location) Paint the wall in a rock or brick pattern. Maybe have some chains on the walls (painted of course) and maybe have a drawbridge at the entrance. That is how I would have my arcade if I had the money.

[Happy_Dude]

Ralph3 said:

The best thing is to have a dark arcade and call it "The Gaming Dungeon"  or "The Game Castle" (or other similar variants) and have different  rooms for different style of games with corridors leading to each one (assuming you get a large location) Paint the wall in a rock or brick pattern. Maybe have some chains on the walls (painted of course) and maybe have a drawbridge at the entrance.  That is how I would have my arcade if I had the money.

sounds more like an RPG or "Games Workshop" (re:Warhammer) type place