Old school arcade-gauging interest

[GirlySports]

remember when there was an arcade at TD Mall (now the Core)? It would be super expensive but a games center in there would be fun.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I remember when I was at the UofC (2000-2006) the arcade was always packed with a pretty decent lineup for DDR.

Good point about University. Maybe up on 16th ave by SAIT would be good.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Good point about University. Maybe up on 16th ave by SAIT would be good.

When is Sears closing?? I haven't been in North Hill Mall in a long time and I would assume they have some vacant space.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

If you don't have Simpsons arcade machine im not coming

Simpsons, TMNT, X-Men, D&D, Captain Commando. All the classic side scrolling, multi player button mashing beat-em-up games are awesome to play with a bunch of friends.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by NuclearFart

I thought it was a pool hall - Sunset billiards - or something like that. It might already have some of the bar the infrastructure in place.

Video store was in the basement
Billiards main floor (now a condo company or something so not much left from when it was billiards)
And then no one ever knew what was or is going on in the upper floors. Access was blocked by a steel gate. No directory
Weird building

[Regulator75]

Will there be a greasy guy with a ponytail selling crappy weed?

[Sliver]

haha, yeah this idea should roll out when weed is legalized. That would be sick!

[NuclearFart]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

remember when there was an arcade at TD Mall (now the Core)? It would be super expensive but a games center in there would be fun.

How long ago was that and where was it? I remember always running up to the Radioshack on the top-most floor to play with their Sega Genesis, but I would have definitely preferred an arcade if I knew about it.

[Engine09]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I'd be careful on going too hard on pinball. My gut says a very vocal minority of hipster dudes like them, but for whatever reason their voice carries to make it seem like they're more popular than they actually are. A pinball machine looks like it would require a lot of expensive maintenance and the machines would incur more downtime than regular video games. Plus they take up more space.

Pretty much right on the money. I maintain/operate the 10 pins on location with a partner at the Flames Community Arenas and they take a lot of time, I have a long list of things to get to but just have not had the hours. I do all my own work but there is a pin repair guy who does this as a business, with some googling you can find his site, with the service call rate in mind it would be a hard business model to maintain.

Although, it's not hipster dudes at all, the pinball players and collectors are guys who loved arcade/pinball when they were younger and actually threw down a couple thousand to buy their own and then got hooked.

[cracher]

Is class A space downtown that much more than regular commercial space in the periphery? I've recently been offered 2600sqft for slightly below operating costs.

If there was a place where I could get some nachos, 4 fingers of Glenturret and play Dragon's Lair right after work, I may never leave such a place.

[heep223]

Halo 1 LAN party ftw

[SportsJunky]

I'd go. Just once though. Maybe twice if you have Burger Time.

[prarieboy]

I owned a Pinball machine for a couple of years. My 10 and 8 year old kids hardly ever played it. When I sold it they didn't care.

[photon]

[Weitz]

I feel like something like this would be popular for a bit a then really fall down to some regulars and the odd party.

I mean my friends and I would maybe go once for old times sake, but I don't see return visits.

[Misterpants]

Man, if Laser Tag can survive, then this has a chance. The only thing you'd have to cultivate is the right balance of atmosphere. Too much to the adult side and it'd be a skidsville hangout for gangsters like Red's at the West Edmonton Mall. Too much to the kids side and there would be not enough profit from liquor and food sales.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

^Get that.

I do think it would probably need to be downtown, and would need to focus on liquor sales. The Drum and Monkey location is a pretty solid idea, but how many machines could you viably fit in there?

The problem in terms of viability is, as noted, high start up costs combined with the fact that the machines themselves take up a ton of floor space so you don't have as much room for patrons. Once you're going, people probably drink less when they're trying to focus on a video game. And they don't eat, really, either.

[KTrain]

It seems like $1 per play is the minimum for arcades these days. At least the ones at theatres. That's the MOST I want to pay for an arcade game.

[GreenLantern2814]

I've been to one of these barcades in Edmonton, and it seemed to be a good time. My default is 'miserable', however, so I may have been a touch afflicted with '#### these people and their fun'

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Games cost $.50 generally when I was a kid. Inflation has raised the value of a dollar about 50% since then. So yes, $1 would be the max that would make sense, with $.75 being closer (but kind of an awkward total).