Living in So Cal I’ve come to learn that the few arcades here actually have life in them still. It’s not spectacular like in the good old days but it’s still something. What I noticed that in arcades today for it to be successful it’s a combination of the new games like SF4 and the old classics like Marvel Vs Capcom 2 and Third Strike. So I’ve been thinking, if you had to start a small arcade today which games would you get? Bare in mind that some of these games have to still make money today to keep the arcade alive. You could have your games but you must have your money makers as well. I believe for a small arcade you have to have a minimum of 15-20 games.
So what games would you get?
Here are my choices, not in preferential order:
1-2 Marvel Vs Capcom 2 (Two machines). Besides being a fun game, this game is the life of the arcades today. A constant money maker with much longevity.
3-4 Street Fighter III: Third Strike (Two machines). Although not as much a money maker as Marvel. It is a game that has a strong hardcore cult following. Unlike Marvel which a lot of ppl play online today. The arcade version of third strike is mostly played seriously and competitively in the arcade. Hardcore Third Strikers here in So Cal will drive an hour away to AI or Denjin just to play the game competitively.
5 Street Fighter 4: Yes it’s the vanilla version of the console but people will drive to the most obscure places just to play against each other in the latest arcade version of Street Fighter. One of the reasons is that there is little or no lag in the arcade version. If you have a dead arcade now and put arcade SF4 in tomorrow, you will see all these new people come into your arcade. Just see what happened to a small local arcade like Cameron’s in Santa Ana. This game alone will make your arcade into the spot. If you noticed at the various Tilt arcades, there are many fake SF4 machines. They are basically xbox360’s housed in a cheap arcade cabinet. It’s all based on timer not the standard pay to play matches. The fact that Tilt tries to put in an arcade version of SF4 shows how profitable and important it is to have the latest SF4 in the arcade. It’s unknown now but if Super Street Fighter IV comes out in the arcade with all those new characters and the excluded console characters, then expect a party at your arcade almost everyday. The arcade version of SSF4 is gonna be hot and probably a good reason alone to open a small arcade.
6 Tekken 6 BR: Just because it’s the latest Tekken and Tekken too has a strong following. But I believe that an arcade version of Tekken 6 BR would do better in a city like San Diego then LA. There seems to be more enthusiastic Tekken players there. It’s also a new game and you have to have another new game there besides SF4.
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo: Say you bring your girlfriend who doesn’t play fighting games to the arcade. Chances are that she’ll love puzzle fighter because a lot of girls are good at puzzle fighter. They love that game. But there are guys who play Puzzle Fighter too. I just haven’t met any.
Puzzle Bobble: Same reason as Puzzle Fighter.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo: This is a classic game that a lot of people still play competitively online. It’s one of the fastest fighting games ever made. You never know chances are some people who play SF4 at the arcade are also people who were good at old school SF2. You might have one of those “good old days” rotation where people start getting all competitive and start putting they’re quarters up. And with the speed of Super Turbo it can be like a slot machine. If one guy beasts everyone under twenty seconds then you can get a lot of quarters super fast.
Well these first nine I think are solid when it comes to making money off of them. My final eleven may make money but I put them as fillers just to make the place look legit.
Punch Out!!! A lot of people grew up playing Punch Out in one form or another so some people may actually have fun playing this game.
Super Punch Out!! Same reason as Punch Out but with different characters.
Vs Super Mario Bros. Everyone knows how to play Super Mario Bros. So if you’re waiting in line to play SF4 then you might kill the time trying this out.
Double Dragon. Just for regression purpose. Chances are you haven’t played this in a long ass time so when you see it you’ll be shocked that your childhood is staring you in the face and you’ll try it out.
Dance Dance. I don’t know which one but everyone seems to play dance dance in the arcade.
Racing game: I don’t know which one. Is it Initial D? One with the realistic clutch so racing people who bring their cars can enjoy it and play it and race each other like crazy.
Guitar hero. Because it’s popular? I don’t know. I don’t play guitar hero
Capcom VS SNK 2: Great game. I know it’s hella popular in Nor Cal. But other than that I don’t know where else it’s played a lot.
Street Fighter Alpha 3: Great game.
Vampire Savior. Great game.
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3: Just to see if anyone still geeks out on this game anymore. I know they do online.
Well sorry if my list got a little long.
So what do you guys think what arcade games will take a lot of quarters in today’s world?
I would have Virtua Fighter 5R in mine if Japan weren’t populated entirely by xenophobic, self-obsessed cocksuckers.
That said, I’d go for Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion first and foremost, and after that I’d add anything else Atlanta plays. Street Fighter IV would be there, as would several SNK games(most notably Neo Geo Battle Coliseum because that game is the shit) and BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger.
As far as beat-em’-ups go, I hate to say it, but 4-player Simpsons or X-Men would usually make more money than Battletoads, Double Dragon, or Final Fight.
Really? People would actually pay money to play console in an arcade? How do they pay? Is it by coin operated timer or is it by like a sign in sheet like a PC cafe?
WW, CE, HF, AE, and then a few ST cabinets.
NG, 2I, and a few 3S cabinets.
Some CvS2 and MvC2 setups.
One KOF2002 and KOFXIII cabinet.
One GGAC and one Blazblue.
Eight SFIV cabinets and probably four T6BR setups (and one TTT setup).
One VF4, EVO, and FT setup apiece.
And then as many VF5R cabinets as I could afford (if Sega wasn’t the dumbest company on the planet that is).
Throw in some Gundam/Robot cabinets, some racing setups, some music game setups, some platform or action titles (like the six player X-Men game), and a few other assorted games and you’d be all set.
Really if you can attract a hardcore fighting game crowd then you should stock an arcade with as many fighters as possible. But having a assorted variety of machines (like music games and light gun games) is a must to attract the widest possible audience.
I would scatter the fighting games all over the place. Rather than group VF in one place, then 3S in another, and so on, I’d scatter games all over the floor to keep people exposed to different games constantly.
More than likely a sign in sheet, not sure if Call of Duty would be an ideal choice but the thought of going to a place with other people actually into guitar hero and willing to face you sounds pretty sweet.
You know what’s funny about KOF 98? Is that in some arcades there are a dedicated few who are always playing that game. There are even nights where there is always a constant rotation.
I heard that there is a recently release upgraded version of KOF 98. If you had to choose which one would you get the old 98 or the upgraded 98? Which one has more longevity?
Another question. What about “The King of Kong” generation? You guys think they’re worth investing in? Game like Donkey Kong, Missile Command, and Ms. Pacman. Are they worth getting? Believe it or not those games are actually more expensive then Capcom fighting games. I think it’s because they are in the antique phase, hence more rare.
I’d say that the OG one would fare better just because of that old school feel, well that and you won’t have to deal with Krauser all day, but I’m sure either version would work because of the ADV/EX and new “ULT” system but that’s just me…
All Initial D, IIDX and DDR machines, so that I can be rich enough to buy cabs for everything previously listed in this thread for my own amusement after the first week of business.
I’d maybe leave one or two of those shady machines on the side where people play cards or whatever and strip off a 3d picture of a girl til she nude or whatever.