I have been playing SSF4 Gief and I am actually having fun. You guys should play SSF4 Gief too.
xbl: HuskyWisconsin4
Everyone thinks I’m everything but Filipino lol.
Uh oh Lenin using Zangief in SSF4 might be as good as Lenin using Yun in 3S. Well at least you got a counterpick for Yun.
I will play against you Dander.
I play Cody.
You know I think some of the newer generation doesn’t understands the concept of pay to play each match. They think they’re entitled to play as many games as they want without having to pay. That part of the arcade culture is gone: Paying money to play other people. I mean initially that’s what fighting games were about. Spending a coin to show off your skills.
What annoyed me is this: One time this really good Makoto in SSF4 player came over. He was good. He only came over here once with a regular. He didn’t know that I charged. When I asked for the payment he was shocked because he thought it was free. So since it was his first time and not to embaress him I let him in for free even though he had the money. I felt bad. Ever since then he never came back. So I asked the guy who brought him that one day why so and so never comes anymore? He told me because he doesn’t want to pay. He has a good job but he doesn’t want to pay. His friend told me he was cheap like that.
It’s ashame because he has the talent but because he doesn’t like the entry fee, we lost him. So IMO it’s ashame that some players out there who are good don’t want to respect the money aspect of the arcade setting. I believe in actuality I should be charging $10 a night for unlimited free games from 7pm-4am. But because I know that’s too expensive for a lot of people, I cut it down to $5.
I’m just venting right now about how it is. Because it seems like some people out there want to be in the scene but they don’t want to give back. And it’s sad especially for the guys who are good at games but don’t want to give back. That’s what I’m a little sad about. The good players who think they don’t have to pay to play.
Man, people have good jobs and dont want to pay?
Here I am a poor college student trying to scrape up some cash so I can have some fun at Dons.
I remember when I spent nearly 20 bucks at AI, though at the time I actually worked. Currently unemployed so I dont even bother going to Japan Arcade (which is closer to my house than Dons)
But imo, $5 bucks is a steal and above all else, I go to have fun with the peeps there. Some of the coolest people around at Dons. I ran into a lot of salty people at AI so it ruined the experience at times.
Another thing that irked me is that when I started charging is that one guy told me I was obligated to the community to give my arcade for free. Like I was doing something wrong by charging.
I mean come on really? It’s this type of mentality that is irritating.
So don’t ever come through my garage door on Friday or Saturday and tell me “Do I have to pay?” Or “Do I have to pay again?”.
Usually I keep a calm face when some people do this but inside I’m just freaking annoyed.
Thank you Sugafree. I appreciate it. I’m glad to know that you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. It’s refreshing to know that when you give me your money, I give you a great arcade gaming experience in exchange. At least I’m doing something right lol.
The $5 entry fee is here to help me maintain the place Whether it be for electricity, buying buttons, or buying games.
A lot of the money went to buying MK9 and buying multiple copies of MVC3 and it’s DLC’s. Personally I hate MVC3 but it’s an important game to the community. For the record the games are only on once a week. Which is the day of the gathering. I rarely play them myself. So pretty much it’s the community that plays here that gets the most enjoyment of these games. I hardly ever touched the MVC3 myself. The people who play here played my systems more than me lol. They pretty much are off the whole week.
It’s really a shame that there are people that don’t understand what it takes to do what you do. It seems like people have become more and more selfish ever since the internet generation came into existence. They get a sense of entitlement to everything and can’t appreciate the effort of those providing these products and services. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there that just don’t understand or care how much an electricity bill costs after running numerous arcade cabinets, consoles, and monitors for people to enjoy. They don’t understand that normal people don’t buy multiple games and consoles so that players don’t have to wait as long for their turn. Most importantly, they don’t understand that you don’t have to open up your home for strangers to come in and make a ruckus in your quiet neighborhood late at night.
I don’t think I’m qualified to defend your arcade since I’ve only been there twice so far, but I for one appreciate very much what you offer for a mere $5. Me and my friends would drive to arcades miles away just to hang out and play some games. Places like Arcade Infinity and Family Fun Arcade are great places to go to have fun and compete. But just spending a few hours at these places would pretty much be a sinkhole for your wallet. Not only do you have to spend tons of money on the games, but spend ridiculous amounts of money on the gas to get to these locations.
For someone living in the South Bay, there’s really no place to go around here for an arcade experience. The 90’s were pretty great with Alladin’s Castle and Mulligan’s, but Alladin’s is long gone and Mulligan’s is a joke now. What you offer now for the local scene is far better than what any of those arcades have provided. You not only offer a full blown fighting game arcade with both the classics and the latest stuff, but you offer a place for an actual community to prosper and communicate away from some faceless message board or online lobby. All this for $5 and a huge saving on the gas tank is unbelievable.
Like I said, I’ve only recently participated at your arcade, but I’ve been appreciating everything that you have done for the South Bay and for the fighting game community in general ever since you posted this thread over a year ago. I totally understand your frustration, and I don’t think you are no where near being in the wrong for what you do. Thanks Don, and keep doing what you do.
Man, that got pretty long. Haha. Sorry about that. I just can’t believe people can feel negatively towards what you do. It really is frustrating.
TL;DR: Don is awesome, $5 is cheap, haters gonna hate.
P.S. to Don: I have a question that I wanted to ask you through PM. Please respond when you have time. Thanks!
I think it should be dubbed the SF4 syndrome.
Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I also checked out the PM.
Have you ever been to the arcade in Hermosa Beach? It was on PCH. I never actually knew the name of it. My friends and I just called it “Hermosa”. We would just say “Wanna go to Hermosa?”. It was a hole in the wall but it had a good fighting game following with Tekken Tag, MVC2, and Alpha 3. Actually a lot of people who went there go to my place.
Ya the South Bay has a great fighting game arcade history. I’m sure if there was a real arcade here it would have a solid following at least. It’s just that rent might be too high.
You know when Mulligan’s first got Tekken 5, they accidently put it for a quarter. And for that first week, everyone of the Tekken Community of that time went there. Alex Valle went there to play in Torrance and that was amazing to me lol. But when the manager saw the long line everyday, he changed it to 50 cents and people stopped going just like that. Mulligan’s was a ghost arcade again.
yeah the hermosa arcade had it’s moments on 2nd street. they had 3rd strike mvc2 and tekken i believe. haha i used to go there and play counterstrike and unreal tournament and of course MVC2. well will be over this weekend guys i need to level the f up on mvc3 and get my Mortal Kombat game on point.
To the guys that disagreed with the entry fee:
Don’t worry I’m not mad and it’s ok to criticize. I just want to set the tone that you must pay $5 each session and that it is not a matter of questioning. I’m not trying to exploit anyone. I’m just trying to make it a fair balance between me and the community that plays here. So I hope you will still continue to join us because we need you.
The guys that brought up a minor opposition against the entry fee are PMing you? I’m not trying to make this a point of calling anyone out, but it’d be nice if things were brought out into the open. Sure there are some of us who will put our foot down like a hot iron and probably come off as assholes, but that’s never the intent. If people really want to think of this as a good community, bring up the concerns out in the open to the rest of us in the thread.
I understand the want to not rock the boat, but it’s not like anyone here is going to go ape shit and drop F bombs on people left and right for an opinion. Well, except maybe that JR----JK.
No need to bring this out. We had drama in the past and I already ruin two or three threads lol.
I just want to make the policies clear. You know the rules and there are no more issues.
Let peace reign in Don’s Arcade:)
No you’re not.
Where is everyone!!!
Yeah, I remember the Hermosa Beach arcade. It was right next to the news stand, or it turned into the news stand…I forget. That place was pretty awesome, considering it was only there for a little bit. Malibu Castle was pretty awesome too. They had a decent selection of fighting games, as well as other big-cab games. It really is a shame that there isn’t a real arcade out here anymore.
Don’t worry I’ll keep the spirit of South Bay arcade culture alive as long as you help me keep it alive too:)
Preach Don…