What about…
So if arcades seem like not such a good idea in this generation.
What about the idea of having a few new arcades in a Pizza Place, also having a big screen TV, offering all the latest games from Playstation, Xbox, Nintendo Wii? Customers can buy from 15 mins of play up to 1 hr of gaming? We are also interested in having foosball tournments and game night tournments.
Do you think this would bring in customers?
I think that the day of hole-in-the-wall arcades is over. It either needs to be an entertainment center that also offers things like laser tag or mini-golf (and movie theaters), or have arcade games in a restaurant (especially pizza places). I’m aware that some game stores have had success with arcade machines, as well. If I were looking to start a small business though, I don’t think that a dedicated video arcade would be one to invest in. It’s a shrinking market, and I think that either consolidation with compatible businesses or the “mega entertainment center” model are the only real way for them to survive. I don’t think there’s any reason that the arcade industry should have to go belly up since there are plenty of places where they can potentially put arcade machines and make money off of them, but the concept of “going to the arcade” is one that’s going the way of the video game cartridge.
There’s only a market for things people are interested in. These days, with online gaming so easily available, people would rather play at home then go out to an arcade. That’s just the mentality. This is why arcades will never make a comeback. It simply won’t happen because there is little to no interest.
Ground Kontrol works because its retro. And they serve alcohol. Cheap night out with friends at a spot where the workers care and the owner hosts different events and you’ve got a spot that creates a following. New games will make owning an arcade difficult, but I think some arcades have the right business plan by going after the 21+ market who spent time in arcades as kids and capturing that vibe.
Ground Kontrol looks sweet, i should have went there when i went to Bragging Rights tournament.
As for arcades, they were fun back in the day. If you want to relive it, buys some arcade games & put it in your home. That’s what im doing.
I don’t see how you can have a revival unless new games come out at the same time.
Arcade SF4 created some momentum for arcades in 08/09 but no other notable titles have come out since then.You can’t sell people on the community of Street Fighter alone,but that is why everyone on SRK loves arcades,they love the community of fighting games.This is something that is unique to fighting games because of their depth and variety.This makes them a hard sell to modern gamers though who would see SF4 as merely another game just to complete and move on or just to avoid entirely.I haven’t talked about other traditional games because I don’t see any potential for them at all.An old school style beat em up or racer is far more appealing on a console and costs less to complete and replay.I still think there is a market for arcades that specialize in fighters because the community can keep arcades alive by pumping money into the fighters alone,we just need to get more people interested in arcade communities.Obviously though,seeing as most people don’t even have a chance to visit an arcade,there is no way to gain market research or gauge the interests and opinions of video game players in the area.It’s a rotten cycle.
The community are the ones that keep arcades alive.We just need to find ways to make this community a part of fighting games identity and market this community to people so that more people get interested and more people see the beauty of an arcade.Obviously this is not Capcoms job so basically it will take someone with money to burn/to experiment with and someone who knows both the new and old Street Fighter community well.
BB:CT, BB:CS, AH3, DB, MBAC say hello
Those games in american arcades? wtf
american arcades? wtf
More Tournaments
Higher Prized Tournaments
Attract more women
Get a celebrity
In Japan, its popular to take your girl buddy to the arcade and they enjoy it (not that I like comparing Japan to the world, but I think its exceptable here). In america arcades are for … Even when they were sort of popular, most dudes wouldn’t be caught in them and a chick would only go with their boyfriend. Get some celebrity to endorse arcadism (new word) and make it less of a joke. To me, going to the Arcade and going to the Movies are basically the same. We can all stay home and watch movies (some choose to), yet a lot of us still go to the Movies to enjoy the “movie theatre experience” as a separate type of event…
Pretty sure that’s the case in other countries in East Asia as well, the scenes in those places are pretty much “lite” versions of the Japanese scene.
Eh, my town’s got a few arcade spots in town, but none of the games are particularly note worthy: a Taco Grotto has KOF’01, ice cream parlor has a rusty Cruisin’ USA and CarnEvil, and the Pizza Factory just replaced a bonafied roughd up MvC2 with defunct controls and screen with the first X-Men fighting game. Was the first one Capcom made, I think, I forget.
Oh Wow in Merced is pretty alright. CVS2, all the Marvel crossovers, SF3:TS, and Street Fighter II: CE in a compilation cabinet. Also has a Neo-Geo machine with Metal Slug 4, Art of Fighting, SamShodown III and KOF’95. Not a bad selection. Too bad it’s rarely active, but at least there’s only one DDR machine. And that’s good. Too many of those these days. 
I don’t see arcades coming back unless you hosted tournaments.
A lot… of tournaments.
hearts in the right place but realistically it’s not going to happen. the early 90’s have come and gone.
Arcades need something that the middle class can’t obtain easily… An arcade chain with where you could play player two from a different arcade with a t1 connection and ggpo would be something you can’t get at home for a fifty cents a game… Pinball machines still do pretty well because most people don’t have the room in their apt for a pinball machine… You have to consider what arcade can do for the consumer which isn’t much…
Truth is, technology didn’t kill the arcade, culture killed it… When rappers start making songs about arcades, we’ll see a comeback because general consensus is that arcades are not cool to go to…
Would arcade machines hooked up to the net be cool to you? All new games could just be programmed with the newer GGPO or better style netcode. That way you can always get comp no matter what.
It’s funny when many new fighters came out in other countries then people had to wait a up to a year or more to get it. Arcades should of just got it when its available (translated or not). Then you could get your ass beat by the japanese on laggy net play. Half the reason they were better is because they got the games before everyone else. Fighting games are so straight forward I don’t see the need to have to wait for the translation. All you have to do is put quartes in and pick a character and test shit.
UHM.
Arcade UFO anyone?
It has all the LATEST games, and specializes in fighting games. I’m sure most of you have already heard of it.
Oh look. Now that I see it, today they just got SSF4 in 
From their website: “In fact, all of Austin’s arcade closures have been the result of politics rather than bankruptcy. Le Fun’s space was leased (purchased?) by the Church of Scientology when Le Fun’s lease ran out in 2005.”
The truth about the death of U.S. arcades has finally been revealed.
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger did, in fact, have a US release.
Less kids in my arcades will be the first thing in order, nothing annoys me more then kids in the arcade
Like the ones who decide to keep playing when they lose?