Most everyone is going to be paying attention to E3 news that is hitting the wires this weekend but there are still things going on in the world of arcades. Here’s what I’ve gathered so far:
My Arcade In Utah Has Been Open For 10 Years
I mentioned this on Twitter and figured I would take the opportunity here to express my gratitude to the many people in my life who have been a part of helping me ‘live the dream’ of operating an arcade over the past 10 years. From family to friends to industry professionals of every aspect, collectors and gamers, it has been an honor to be able to operate an arcade in my little corner of the world. Arcades live – don’t let anyone convince you otherwise 😉
Connect 4 Hoops Shows Up On Bay Tek’s Website
You might recall a short time ago that we were tipped to the existence of a new arcade basketball machine that Bay Tek Games was working on called Connect 4 Hoops. While I didn’t expect to see more about this one until the end of this year, it suddenly received a page on Bay Tek’s website this past week. Thanks to Jordan for sending me the tip on this one; he said he stumbled across it while looking for something else. I haven’t seen any mention of it on Bay Tek’s social media yet but the page says “Buy Now”. While it’s certainly an enormous looking game, I noticed that the dimensions are different from what the webpage says and what the flyer says…so not sure which one is correct. I’m sure that will be corrected soon 🙂
Commercial Version Of The Atari PONG Table Project Spotted In Japan
Setup at Taito’s version of the bar/arcade called MEGARAGE, this tweet has a few pictures of the fabled coin-op version of the EM PONG game that we’ve covered in the past. I was told that the commercial version was supposed to be the size of a 7′ air hockey table but this looks just like the coffee table versions with a coin mech attached. Granted, a table that size probably doesn’t find much appeal to the Japanese market so there’s still hope. Certainly more hope of this delivering what it promises compared to the Atari VCS…
https://twitter.com/megarage_mizo/status/1004340884987523072
Southern Fried Gameroom Expo 2018
The SFGE 2018 event opened its doors yesterday and is going through tomorrow. If you couldn’t make it to this event but want to see what it was like to walk through it, here’s your chance. I’m curious if anyone will want me to do this for CAX 2018…I’m certainly taking my camera, so let me know what you might like to see:
The JAMMA+ Forums Have Closed
Sad news for arcade forum goers, as the forums at JAMMA+ have closed. There aren’t a ton of active forums around for arcades, although there are a few out there where one can talk with other collectors and learn quite a bit of useful info.
Some sad news I've just caught wind of, the JAMMA+ forums are now closed. There's still places like UKVAC, but this is a big loss for the arcade collecting community… @arcadeheroes @arcadebelgium @arcadeclubuk @TimewarpArcade @ArcadeFacts @ArcadeBlogger @7Ten pic.twitter.com/krJXM2I2re
— ted (@ted90909) June 5, 2018
Brian Colin Kicks Off His Arcade History Tour
Having worked on or designed a variety of arcade games (as seen at the bottom of the image in this tweet), game designer Brian F. Colin has set about an Arcade History Tour for this Summer. If you find yourself visiting any of these conventions, be sure to stop by his booth and learn about some pure history in our
https://twitter.com/BrianFColin/status/1003389782175748096
A Taitan Cabinet Really Exists
Thanks to SaraAB87 for finding this one…I’ve seen the flyer for this oddity before but often flyers were made for 99% complete games that were then canned or cancelled after a very short run. It can be especially difficult to confirm the existence of Japanese cabinets like this so it is cool to see that it is real:
https://twitter.com/oritech/status/974089174566412289
Congrats on the 10 years! I have seen many game rooms come and go (and home VG stores). Good luck on the next (of many) 10 years!
The rebirth of the arcade has been as exciting as it has been amazing. It wouldn’t be possible without passionate people like yourself taking on the challenge.
Thank you and congratulations!
10 years in the entertainment biz is serious work. Congrats!
PS: The walkabout through your place is a time travel in game history. “Pitfall 2” from SEGA is a rare thing. I’ve never seen it before. Keeping the older machines alive must be a permanent challenge.
Thank you everyone! I really do appreciate the sentiments, thoughts and support. 🙂
I was quite surprised when Pitfall II popped up on some local classifieds a few years back – and for only $90! It did have a powering up issue…and it’s had a monitor problem or two. It’s also very challenging. But, I’ve always had a soft spot for the series as I spent hours playing both Pitfalls on my Atari 2600. I guess it’s one of those ‘vanity games’ you have to have around 😛
Many congratulations on your sucess Adam. It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years ago when you did your video diaries from find a new location to purchasing machines and then having to relocate. You’ve done so well and you’ve actually demonstrated that arcades are still popular with the right passion and care you put into your work. I hope you continue your sucess well into the future.
I’m sad that Jamma has shut down as it was a good way to find arcades I may not know about where ever I might go such as Greece, Spain. U.K. Etc it’s very sad and wish I’d known about it sooner. Only found out last couple of years.