sup /v/
I work at an arcade
AMA
How is it being unemployed for 30 years
do you have a ballpit
>>337762276
how do you still have a job?
>>337762384
I'm in my mid 20's
Graduate with a bachelor's,going back to work on my masters at some point in the future,but it's always been a retarded dream to work at an arcade.
No kids,minimal student loans since I worked while I studied,and I'm just chasing some stupid dreams right now.
Currently I'm employed full time and scouting for arcade vidya outside of work is almost like a second job,but hunting shit down is pretty fun.
>>337762385
Sometimes I wish we did,we're no Dave & Busters though
>>337762684
Arcades have been on the rise in the US anon,my current arcade pulled in 5 million in revenue last year according to a few reports I read in my downtime there.
Kids really love to spend money on coin droppers
>>337762841
damn! How many people currently work at your arcade?
>>337762841
>Arcades have been on the rise in the US anon
You would think with the home console market getting so big, and the demand for arcade cabinets, that it would go down. I've always been interested in arcades and game centers, but there are almost zero authentic places to go in the Florida, and D&B are quite shit. Half of their machines are literally phone games.
>>337762276
Do you have Mr. Do?
>>337762841
I wish arcades would come back. I loved playing streets of rage and that one mutant turtles game. What games do people play in arcades now?
>>337762276
Any good non-ticket games?
Where at?
Do you have Silent Scope?
What is the most popular machine? How many machines have highscores that read "ASS".
Do you fags charge a dollar for Time Crisis? If so, I hate you.
Do you have Taiko?
>>337762276
How many advantage players does your arcade have
>>337762276
Can I light your fire...?
>>337762276
Is there a fighting game scene in your arcade?
>>337763051
currently have 9 total employees registered with the business,but only 5 of us inside the arcade,the other 4 are dedicated repair personnel that travel as far as needed for repairs.Most repairs are pinball machines though,and that shit's expensive.
>>337763173
We don't have a dedicated Mr.Do cabinet,but we do have Mr.Do as part of a multicade cabinet,along with Donkey Kong/Jr.3 different versions of Pac-Man,Dig Dug,Galaga,and Space Invaders
>>337763225
Good is subjective,but we have more than ticket games
Killer Instinct
Smash TV
TMNT 1 and Turtles in Time cabinets
OITG
Drummania V8
IIDX 19
are a few non ticket games that I personally like playing
>>337763291
Sorry Anon,keeping this one a secret.
>>337763372
What type of popularity are you talking about?
Financially? We have a game called Big Bass that costs $1 and the jackpot is 1,000 tickets.You pull on a lever and a giant wheel spins sort of like the price is right,if it lands on 1,000,you win.This previous saturday after looking at the bookkeeping,that machine alone brought in close to $700
>>337763372
We also have Time Crisis 2 and 3
>>337763428
I wish we did,some games are really hard to come by
>>337763648
There was,unfortunately with modern arcades,the FGC in the US has switched to consoles,you can thank Capcom for that one by refusing to create an international release of SF4 or at least a version that doesn't require a NESiCAxLive connection.
If you want to be a part of a FGC on arcade cabs,go to a Round 1 near you.I LOVE those and wish that my employer grows to that size one day,but one step at a time
>>337763578
no,Hearthstone is for faggots and soccer moms
>>337763208
Redemption games, ie games like stopper where you can win an Ipad and repurposed phone games shoved inside an arcade cabinet with a giant touchscreen, ie Fruit Ninja. Some of the nicer arcades will have lightgun games, rhythm games, fighting games, and maybe even some classic arcade games or some shmups. But redemption games are by far the biggest money makers.
Arcades are sort of coming back in the form of barcades, at least in the US. If you live near a popular metro area you'll probably find at least one barcade full of good games.
Nice blog.
Where do I subscribe?
>>337763482
none at the moment
we did have one a while back that would clear 10,000 tickets per visit.Granted it took her a few hours to do so,she did really well hitting jackpots on multiple machines.
She would wait until Sunday mornings when most games from the previous day,would have max jackpots accumulated from normies that couldn't git gud,and spend $5 per machine,that usually got her jackpots.
We have some really nice plushies that we buy from international distributors,so it's shit from Japan that she loved.One day she just stopped showing up
>>337764069
>>337763208
People play all sorts of stuff
We're in a pretty good place right now.We're centralized in our city so we get a little of everyone's business,we have rhythmfags to pinball wizards,retro gamers,and ticketkiddies
surprisingly,Classic Galaga gets a lot of play time believe it or not
>>337762276
Why
I wish i knew of nice arcades in nyc and fucking dave and buster don't count.
>>337762841
why didn't you get a job in a field/industry where your degree is marketable?
>>337763674
>this machine alone
Holy shit, I need a Big Bass machine apparently.
What sort of stains/stuff is hardest to clean from a cabinet when you work at a public establishment like that?
>>337763674
>Killer Instinct
>TMNT cabinets
>>337762276
why are you posting this here and not reddit?
>>337765016
I used to think this image was a joke, but redditors really do treat /v/ like a dedicated shitposting sub
>>337764976
I have a Turtles in Time cabinet that my uncle gave us after his wife kicked him out on his ass
It's pretty sick
>>337764889
I take it you actually believe the "recovering economy" meme. Wake up sheep. Times are worse than ever.
>>337762276
What's it like being a wagecuck?
What does your boss's ass smell like?
>>337765293
What's it like being a parasite on society?
>>337764742
Why not?
I get paid well above minimum wage
I get to work around vidya all day
I get to travel and scout for vidya paid for by the boss with a per diem
I get to see kids lose their shit when they hit a jackpot and take home a small plush.it's really nice to see them smile,it reminds me a lot of when I was younger.Even kids who get tiny 30-50 ticket prizes are grateful as fuck for their hard earned chinese finger traps.
>>337764889
my degree isn't marketable until I go back for more education or somehow land a job where I can get some experience.
>>337765016
because fuck reddit,4chan is a better environment for AMA's,faggot
>>337764929
We have the rules at the entrance,it's a somewhat long hallway with a giant sign telling you of all the shit that you are and aren't allowed to bring in.We don't mind drinks or small food,especially for the ITGfags that play that cab for hours on end,they gotta stay hydrated.But every now and then someone will spill a slurpee or some shit,takes 10 seconds to clean up,but that's usually the worst of it
>>337765270
Protip, welders are always in demand.
>>337765451
I wonder why that is
Can you get a degree in welding?
>>337764879
There's 3 different Barcades, one in Williamsburg and two in Manhattan
Two-Bit's Retro Arcade down in the LES
Next Level down at Sunset Park if you're a FTGfag
Modern Pinball NYC if you're a wizard
Chinatown Fair reopened a while ago, they have a few import machines and rythem games like IIDX I think. Also a couple of fighting games like SF4 and Tekken. It's more kid friendly now and doesn't have shmups but it beats the rank ass hole in the wall in the old CF.
There has never been a shortage of arcades in New York, even back when arcades were really dead.
>>337765293
My boss is actually a really nice guy,he's someone who got really lucky and played his cards right.he built up a lot of contacts back in the 80's and 90's and is in pretty good standing with a lot of companies.He has a picture of him and Ed Boon playing on our MK2 cabinet when it first released.He's being a businessman so I don't get to see him very often,let alone know what his ass smells like
>>337765451
>>337765552
Welding was something that was advised by a few friends' fathers growing up.You can go to a vocational school and specialize in it,but the contracts are supposedly what makes it or breaks it for a lot of welders.
>>337765845
the really big competition right now is Round 1
They are REALLY fucking nice as far as vidya goes
they have 2015 and 2016 versions of their newest games,with all of the fancy shit that is Japan exclusive like e-Amusement and NESiCA connectivity.
Right now they're the toughest competitors because not only do they cater to both casual and hardcore arcade crowds,they also have bowling alleys,dedicated karaoke rooms,darts,billiards,and they even sell alcohol.
they're opening up all over the US slowly but surely,there's a few in california,chicago,texax just had an opening,nyc I believe had one that just opened or will open soon.
if you ever get a chance to go,get ready to drop $100 on vidya alone
>>337765845
Thanks anon. I am kind of a shut in so I had no idea.
what's your opinion of todd tuckey
>>337762276
Do you have Joust?
If you don't have Metal Slug In your arcade then It's objectively shit.
>>337766960
What can I do or say to arcade owners to get them to keep the games I like? A local bowling alley dropped Strikers 1945 II but kept Raiden Fighters Jet a few years back and I was devastated.
>>337762841
Be honest. Roughly what percentage of games in the arcade are based on popular mobile games?
>>337763428
My local barcade used to have a Taiko machine.
LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT TAIKO
Those shits are worthless to an arcade. They're niche as fuck for the most part, so you'll only get two kinds of people playing them: weebs, and children.
The children fucking SMASH ON THOSE GODDAMN DRUMS, more so when they're failing.
This leads to them breaking.
I swear to god that machine was broken more often than it worked.
Eventually, some nigger entirely broke one of the drums (the entire head came off) and they just got rid of it because it cost more to repair it than it brought in.
>ywn be the owner of an arcade
>>337766960
Round 1 seems really neat, but I'm pretty sure there aren't any openeing in NYC anytime soon. The only one on the east cost is in Massachusetts.
>>337767282
It's ok anon, I am too
I recommend going to one of the Barcades if you want to socialize and meet people. Just be prepared for hipsters and overpriced beer.
Also avoid Two-Bit's Retro Arcade, they don't maintain their machines.
>>337767625
It's probably not that many. The most popular machines in your average arcade by far are the ones like pic related
>>337767351
No real opinion of him really,he seems like a cool guy I suppose,I'm happy for his success in the arcade market.Pinball repair is hard as fuck for starters,and I can't say if my boss has done business with him personally.
>>337767419
HAD Joust,my boss took it out after it went 3 months with a few dollars in revenue.There are just some games that don't appeal to anyone anymore.I'm not sure if he sold it or has it in storage somewhere
>>337767568
This is the best advice I can give you.Go to your local arcade owner and let him know how much you love game x,y,or z.If you show that you're a repeat customer that plays that game,let them know.Unless you're playing games at a Gameworks,D&B,or Round 1,you're more likely to speak to someone who cares about vidya and the communities that play them,instead of a man in a suit that doesn't play his own machines
>>337767625
I'd say a solid 10% maybe? we have shit like fruit ninja,cut the rope,and flappy bird,a long with other games that I'm pretty sure I've seen on the app store at one point or another
>>337767482
We only have Metal Slug on a Neo Geo cabinet right now,I sort of wish we had a more recent version like X at least,but I was never a big fan personally.great pixel art though
>>337768131
I don't have difficulty seeing Joust being a non-earner. It's just weird. That's why I like it though.
Whenever I've thought about arcade cabinets and shit it's either that or Galaga that come to mind, can play those forever.
>>337764673
>no more advantage players
Shit, that's depressing.
I used to do that at my local barcade. Then, there was one machine I found. This motherfucker right here.
Apparently when they made it, they didn't think that they would need to program anything to keep you from winning repeatedly, with it requiring precision to the millisecond to hit. Well, I have that precision. Even when I messed up it was never above 1001 or below 999.
It paid out 250 tickets a win. And wouldn't cheat you out of repeat wins.
I used to spend evenings there, getting thousands and thousands of tickets from that machine.
>>337768130
>STACKER
These things should be illegal.
>>337768727
They are actually rigged m8.
>>337768727
They're rigged with an internal counter.
It's impossible to get the grand prize until a certain number of people lose.
>>337768727
It's gambling. If it was illegal then 99% of all casino machines would be illegal.
>>337763171
There used to be Rocky's Replay in Orlando but I think they shutdown. Place had everything. Deluxe Fzero and 3 screen f355 challenge.
Literally every redemption game is rigged m8. That's the whole point of them.
>>337768452
I agree,there are some games,that even back in when they were released,I could see them only having a niche community.fast forward 20 or so years and a lot of the people that used to play them don't play vidya anymore.Galaga however is still a hit with everyone.From time to time I'll see a teenager spend a good half hour in front of it
>>337768584
The problem with advantage players is that it's really easy to be discouraged with ticket games. 9 times out of 10 tickets games can be won with pure skill,but only few people notice patterns or develop decent trajectory with balls and tokens.There are few and far between that realize how easy it is to win at shit like Deal or No Deal or Skeeball
>>337768727
>>337768796
can confirm,they're rigged to only be won at the mega prize level once a certain dollar amount has been put in.If it's set to dispense a mega prize at say $1000 dollars,no matter how well your timing is,until the machine counts $1001 dollars,it will always move your block at the last possible second,giving the illusion of failing.
>>337768983
I've never been to a big barcade type place, but there is a "bar that has a few games" in Orlando called BART. It's way too small to call a barcade though, it just uses arcade games as its gimmick.
They had SF2, Qbert, and another multi-game machine. And some broken ones.
>>337769354
that's a damn shame
that place will most likely shut down in a few months,or take away the machines and focus on liquor instead
>>337769179
There's this one game at my local place that's like that.
Space Balls, this shit.
You can win 500 tickets just dropping it into the jackpot slot
Or, if you get it in the special slot, you get 3 more balls and can get up to 1500 tickets.
First time I played it I got 1100.
Shit's like $2 per credit though, and they don't really have anything worth buying with tickets so I don't play the ticket games anymore except for fun with my gf.
>>337769179
>The problem with advantage players is that it's really easy to be discouraged with ticket games
That's because most advantage players are just playing for straight prizes that you get from redemption games, so they can win a few ipads or game consoles and then flip them over for profit. The ticket to prize conversion rate at most arcades isn't condusive to this type of play.
>>337768958
its not gambling, theres no chance involved, the game straight up wont let you win unless a certain amount of people have lost.
casino machines may be rigged such that the chance of a big win are low, but its entirely possible to get a big win twice in a row
>>337769636
I think the biggest challenge with ticket redemption prizes is having shit that's worth getting.
Some things are staples to any arcades,more notably smaller things like candy,chinese finger traps,sticky hands,those little rings that you blow into to make that whirring sound
but then the big prizes come into play and that shit can be difficult to get right,we have a few prizes worth a nice chunk of change that we thought would get people to spend a little more to win a few more tickets in order to redeem,only to have them sit on a shelf or in a cabinet for months.It looks really nice to have a Wii U as a prize,but when the ticket value on it is 50,000 tickets,it almost seems pointless to spend that much money on ticket games.it'd be much easier to buy one brand new.
How is this blogshit still up?
Fucking mods, knew nothing would change after that bitch thread.
>>337770248
nice saging faggot,you wanna talk vidya or are you too much of an autist to ever go out to a public place of business?
Do you have Metal Slug?
>>337770419
OP already answered this question
DO YOU HAVE PUNCHMANIA 2 AND IF NOT WHY HAVEN'T YOU CLOSED YET YOU FUCKING DEGENERATES
>>337770419
yep,I wanna say it's 2,it's on a neo geo cabinet,I normally play Bust-A-Move on it
>>337770683
nah,Punchmania sucks anyway
>>337770743
Fight me irl
>>337771060
there's better games out there anon
have you tried Police 911 for example?
>>337771514
that's a light gun game, nothing to do with punchmania.
>>337771715
it's still a better game than punchmania that utilizes your entire body
