We’ve had a flurry of news regarding the opening of new arcades lately but that doesn’t make this news any better to pass along. A short time ago we heard that an arcade located in Southern California, Arcade Infinity was going to have to close it’s doors. After a large output of support by fans and the owners of the building where AI is located, it looked as though the business might be saved but the people in charge of business licensing in L.A. County has a different way of doing things and as such AI is being forced to close for good. According to the information posted by BemaniStyle.com: “The County wants the Tao brothers to close shop, pay for a new license, and wait for all of the hearings and city council votes in order to stay open (this could take up to 8 months).” The issue isn’t the money involved now, but rather the period of waiting where they would have be stay closed for such a ridiculous period of time and with their being no certain answer on whether they would still be approved. As such, AI will be closing on February 26th and they have already begun selling off their machines. As it is, RIP Arcade Infinity.
I’m not an expert on the politics of what goes on in L.A. but for all the talk we’ve had in the US concerning the role of government in job creation, this should serve as a gloomy example of how that role can be used to damage or destroy business and subsequently the economy. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of something like this happening either, another recent example involves an arcade that was closed down in Beacon, NY. We know of this example because it involves a popular arcade but I sincerely wonder, how many arcades and other businesses never get off the ground or make it very far because they have to play the bureaucratic game of Twister?
Man this story is so depressing. 🙁 I was so relieved when I’d heard someone had saved them from closing the first time, but yeah now I’m sad again. 🙁
I met all my friends at a similar arcade, and when we got together that’s pretty much all we played were Konami’s rhythm/music games (Dance Dance Revolution, beatmania IIDX, etc.) and AI was like *the* location that everyone always wanted to go to back in the day.
Sadly looks like I’ll never get that chance. 🙁
I’ve had this same issue. The biggest motivator for my non-profit arcade model was as a work-around to local business laws that states that I can’t have more than 5 coin operated machines without a permit(One the town council was very clear they wouldn’t give out), and another permit that was required for operating coin machines for profit. I just took out all the coin mechs and said fuck the man!
Damn shame. As is my understanding a HUGE portion of candy cabs that are in the US have been imported by the Tao brothers. There was a time in the early 2000’s that if you bought one on eBay, it was theirs.
without getting too political, small business gets the shaft nowadays – and i agree it makes no sense to close a business in today’s climate and it hurts me personally since its an arcade. shame on LA.
AI shouldn’t close for good. That’s just wrong. The Tao bros. should consider moving rather than close. It’s just way too splendid for AI to be defunct! I wish some LA county city just grant these poor guys a license already!