We need to play, Spektrum.
I’ve been ready.
YO JIMS IN THERE. God, I can’t wait to play both of you. I’ve improved.
then get at me! someone needs to host casuals or just hit me up online. 
Well, I’m pretty sure me and Kicks are doing something tomorrow so, if someone could bring a setup we could do it at my house possibly. We all need to fucking play.
Give me the date and time, I’ll see if I can gather up the gas money to get my happy ass up to JAX and I’ll be down for some games
So people of Jacksonville …
… i SUCK at SSFIV … and i was wondering if anyone had any tips to help me start out or if anyones willing to sit down with me and teach me the ropes. I want to learn Yang (not cause hes top tier though >.>)
Hey, what’s the best night to go to Qball? I haven’t been able to find ANYWHERE where I can go regularly and up my game in MvC3. I live in the Orlando area so I want to try and make sure it is worth coming down and meeting some peeps.
So, I want to have a session tomorrow somewhere. Only place I can think of is UNF because my house is getting stuff done to it. Kicks is in town and wanted to chill with him and play some games. I’ll bring a setup if someone can have it at their place.
Yesss I’m in town til Saturday morning and didn’t bring my box >_< but I got my stick. I wanna play some AE!
unfortunately, i have a training session with a team member tonight and I have my daughter this weekend and next weekend. not gonna be able to make any sessions until next week (if any happen).
Hey guys I just wanted to ask if a gaming center focused around fighting games opened in a central location to everyone in Jacksonville and it was a constant reliable location to game and increase skill level and community would you support it? What are things you would want this place to offer you as a customer? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for any support given.
It would have to be friendly, not cost tons of money, and be accessible to everyone. If we had a constant reliable location for casuals, that’d be unbelievable. But those are some pretty ballsy words lol.
I agree with Luke. It can’t be too expensive. You could charge per session like they do at skateparks. Session 1 is from 10am-3pm, 2 is 3-8, n 3 is 8-2am or something. Then charge like 10 bucks per sesh and they get a diff color wristband for each sesh. If you showed up at 5pm then you have the 2nd sesh wristband on and if you want to stay past 8 then you have to buy the 3rd sesh band.
You would also neeeed to have goodies there or be right next to a gas station or something. Having goodies there might bring you more revenue too. You would also need to announce regular specials like Thursday is ladies night haha, or on the days you receive the least business, you lower the prices for everyone down to an incredible price. OH! and OFCOURSE, there has to be one day every week… like Fridays or something, where you have the weekly (or monthly) tournament.
deciding on a central location would probably be the hardest thing tho
Jax already had a constant reliable place to practice and level up. When Spektrum was running tournaments for SSF4, he was also holding casuals a couple times a week. This was 100% free to people, and it still ended up dying off because basically no one except the few people who took Super the most serious showed up.
And that was free to play casuals at his place. I have serious doubts about trying to make a profitable business off of a fighting game center in Jacksonville, If Spek’s place was free and barely anyone showed up, how many people will pay to come and play? I’m thinking zero.
And suppose you managed to get a small community to come in and play, no way will you be making enough money to cover all the expenses that go along with a business. Forget about the initial investment in equipment and stocking food/drinks/snacks. You will have to pay rent each month just to keep the place open.
Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have a place to compete regularly, but there are not enough serious players in Jax to support it.
hands down Spek’s meets were/are the best. and if he did charge for venue id pay.
i would definitely support gaming center provided it was a centralized location.
gaming center plus over somebody’s house casuals … gaming center’s life is gaming, somebody’s house isnt. being able to game without intruding on somebody’s schedule/life is dope.
low cost. cool (actually cold ac) learning environment. that would be best.
I do understand that it’s a risk to invest in this community, however this is a labor of love for me. I’m not looking to become a millionaire from this venture. I’m looking to give all players a place to come and make their own. As much as I respect Spektrum for hosting weeklies and tournaments at his place it’s still his place. It’s hard to feel you are a part of something that is someone else’s house. I’m trying to bring back the feeling of going to your “home” arcade and throwing down with other people who happen to be there. There is a spontaneity to that environment that weeklies at anyone’s house can never replicate.
Another positive thing for having a public place to come and improve your skills is that new or casual players who want to take an interest in the hardcore aspect of the fighting game community have a chance to come and meet new people in a setting that is neutral and open to all. I know most of us who have attended casuals at someone’s home know to expect a certain group of people. Mostly people who actively communicate through forums or know each other personally. Rarely do you see someone who is unknown to most show up to someone’s home to take part in a session. It’s a natural stigma that makes home sessions eventually die out because if the same people play each other over and over then interest eventually dies out. With a gaming center those people who may not know anyone will eventually give the center a try and possibly meet new people within the community and hence increase competition and promote growth. This is pretty much dead on with the arcade scene of the past which I will assume is where most of us met our first challengers and/or friends in the beginning of our long road down fighting game history.
To sum it all up, I want to bring the spirit and excitement of the arcade into the 21st century in Jacksonville. Using consoles and a flat rate for entry is already working all across the country. I say why not here?
Thank you all for the comments and suggestions. Please keep them coming and I will consider them all when I come closer to finalizing the plans for said gaming center.
Also just to get an idea of what I’m thinking of doing www.arcadeinabox.com was my direct inspiration.
good music and food, ac is what you need. if the setups are correcf then the rest should come easily