HOW
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- Feb 21, 2012
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Been a while ain't it! :O
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Welcome Back to Digital Pinball Fans - please read this first
BlahCade Podcast #6 - James Bondage (or, Pinball Fools!)
- Thread starter shutyertrap
- Start date
Been a while ain't it! :O
Chris Dunman
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- Apr 11, 2012
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Good to have you back Andy
DukeCityPinball
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- Apr 5, 2012
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I recently upgraded from a 7-year-old Sharp Aquos to a 2-year-old Samsung...uh...something. Anyway, since I did, there has been noticeable flipper lag on TPA on my PS3. I turned off all the nice new features of the TV and most of the nice features of the PS3, but there's still a little lag. I'm constantly Shatzing! I'm not asking you guys to diagnose my problem, but maybe you could give some tricks or tips on flipper lag on TPA. I assume on the mobile versions it's a non-issue, my Vita works fine for example. No monitor or controller to communicate with! Thanks!
- Mar 17, 2012
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Hmmm...I have no firsthand experience with flipper lag in TPA, but shutyertrap plays on PS3 and might have encountered it. I'll run it by him and see what he thinks.
- Mar 14, 2012
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- Thread starter
- #25
I haven't. My tv is a rear projection CRT, so there is zero post processing going on. I also hook the PS3 up to my computer monitor and have zero lag there. I experienced a touch of lag at a friend's house in his Sony TV, but I got used to it within minutes and compensated for it. Like I said though, it was very mild.
Timelord
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- Oct 29, 2012
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The way I read this post I understood it to be our 2nd genuine mailbag request.
Timelord ...
- May 8, 2012
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For Real!
Buzz1126
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- Dec 27, 2013
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A little late in listening to the podcast, but you guys did a great job! I'm from the era where the arcades were mostly pinball machines with a few videos sprinkled. The best one I ever ran across was on "The Boulevard" in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It had a concrete roof but the sides were roll up doors like seen in malls. Some friends and I each told our parents we were staying at the others house. We headed east from a small town about a hundred miles away. We played pinball, tried our lck at the machines that push quarters over a ledge (and did surprisingly well), and the four of us slept in a '67 Camaro in the parking lot of Mother Fletcher's. What a night.
Zombie Aladdin
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- Mar 28, 2014
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I noticed someone in the podcast mentioned that they would like pinball (and other arcade games, I presume) to be social experiences and that's how it used to be like in Chicago, and that definitely is a foreign thought to me, at least if I take it to mean socialization with strangers.
Based on my experiences growing up in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles (looks like shutyertrap is from La Habra, so he might have seen it too, as no doubt at least some Farsight employees), arcades were a mostly solitary thing. Most people would walk in, find a machine (whether video games, arcade, redemption, or what have you) that isn't in use, and put quarters or tokens in them. The only social games in arcades--and they are still like that with the few remaining arcades left in the region--are fighting games like the Street Fighter series or, increasingly popular nowadays, those ultra-difficult-to-learn Japanese fighting games like Melty Blood or BlazBlue, and each arcade has its own clique where they mainly play against each other and don't really welcome in newcomers.
In fact, it felt like the opposite of socialization to me: Arcades tended to attract antisocial people here, between egocentric people who will get mad at you because they think you're inferior (usually children) or socially awkward geeks who are uncomfortable when people they don't know are nearby. Both groups will attempt to scare you off. In other words, every arcade was full of people who wanted to hog the machines to themselves. That's why I rarely stepped into arcades after some certain point. I didn't even know pinball machines had multiplayer until last year.
I learned several years ago that arcades are a VERY social thing in Japan and are a popular teenage hangout spot for boys and girls alike. For this reason, arcades are still a big thing in Japan. (And no, pinball has never been popular in Japan, as pachinko took whatever audience pinball could get.) I must wonder, then, if arcades died out in North America because arcades are pretty much the opposite around here, and teenage hangout spots here tend to be either hanburger restaurants or an alley by the nearest heroin dealer.
I also feel a bit envious of how apparently many of you were given quarters to go play on the games at supermarkets and such. While I grew up after they by and large disappeared from supermarkets, restaurants (besides pizza places), and such, I at least remember a time when every shopping mall had an arcade, and I also remember my parents felt I shouldn't be wasting my money on these things when I should be concentrating on studying for school. That being said, my father was an electrical engineer, so he had some interest in pinball, but only from a mechanical standpoint as the gameplay never appealed to him.
As for whether I prefer control or flow, I prefer control, but every flow table can be played as a control table. It just fits with my thinking pattern better. I am terrible at improvization but good at planning and predicting. I also have bad reflexes. Hence, I can overcome seemingly insurmountable opponents playing online in Pokémon but I cannot beat newcomers in Capcom Versus games.
Based on my experiences growing up in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles (looks like shutyertrap is from La Habra, so he might have seen it too, as no doubt at least some Farsight employees), arcades were a mostly solitary thing. Most people would walk in, find a machine (whether video games, arcade, redemption, or what have you) that isn't in use, and put quarters or tokens in them. The only social games in arcades--and they are still like that with the few remaining arcades left in the region--are fighting games like the Street Fighter series or, increasingly popular nowadays, those ultra-difficult-to-learn Japanese fighting games like Melty Blood or BlazBlue, and each arcade has its own clique where they mainly play against each other and don't really welcome in newcomers.
In fact, it felt like the opposite of socialization to me: Arcades tended to attract antisocial people here, between egocentric people who will get mad at you because they think you're inferior (usually children) or socially awkward geeks who are uncomfortable when people they don't know are nearby. Both groups will attempt to scare you off. In other words, every arcade was full of people who wanted to hog the machines to themselves. That's why I rarely stepped into arcades after some certain point. I didn't even know pinball machines had multiplayer until last year.
I learned several years ago that arcades are a VERY social thing in Japan and are a popular teenage hangout spot for boys and girls alike. For this reason, arcades are still a big thing in Japan. (And no, pinball has never been popular in Japan, as pachinko took whatever audience pinball could get.) I must wonder, then, if arcades died out in North America because arcades are pretty much the opposite around here, and teenage hangout spots here tend to be either hanburger restaurants or an alley by the nearest heroin dealer.
I also feel a bit envious of how apparently many of you were given quarters to go play on the games at supermarkets and such. While I grew up after they by and large disappeared from supermarkets, restaurants (besides pizza places), and such, I at least remember a time when every shopping mall had an arcade, and I also remember my parents felt I shouldn't be wasting my money on these things when I should be concentrating on studying for school. That being said, my father was an electrical engineer, so he had some interest in pinball, but only from a mechanical standpoint as the gameplay never appealed to him.
As for whether I prefer control or flow, I prefer control, but every flow table can be played as a control table. It just fits with my thinking pattern better. I am terrible at improvization but good at planning and predicting. I also have bad reflexes. Hence, I can overcome seemingly insurmountable opponents playing online in Pokémon but I cannot beat newcomers in Capcom Versus games.
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Timelord
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- Oct 29, 2012
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Hi Zombie,
That person would be me.
I think you missed some important factors in my stories.
First of all I clearly said that I was the "odd man out" and didn't play in arcades, but rather in bars or pubs.
But I think you clearly expressed what I objected to when I said that I had looked into arcades but chose not to game there. I said that I thought they were antiseptic. Now i didn't intend to imply that they were cleaner or more well lit, but that they were socially antiseptic; i.e. no social interaction. So I guess we actually agree in some respects. In Chicago (and actually in San Fransisco where I lived for several years in the mid 60's) the scene was different. Bars, not arcades. Socialization, not elitism.
Respectfully,
Timelord ...
That person would be me.
I think you missed some important factors in my stories.
First of all I clearly said that I was the "odd man out" and didn't play in arcades, but rather in bars or pubs.
But I think you clearly expressed what I objected to when I said that I had looked into arcades but chose not to game there. I said that I thought they were antiseptic. Now i didn't intend to imply that they were cleaner or more well lit, but that they were socially antiseptic; i.e. no social interaction. So I guess we actually agree in some respects. In Chicago (and actually in San Fransisco where I lived for several years in the mid 60's) the scene was different. Bars, not arcades. Socialization, not elitism.
Respectfully,
Timelord ...
Zombie Aladdin
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- Mar 28, 2014
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I see. I very rarely go into bars or pubs as I am a teetotaler (very low alcohol tolerance in my family), but I can see the social aspect in those locations. I also wasn't too sure what you meant by "antiseptic"; as you were relating it to changes brought about by parents scared of child predators, I thought you meant that places like Chuck E. Cheese's made sure to give off as much of a clean, family-friendly image as possible. Thanks for the clarification.
Do you mean that in Chicago, pinball tends to be a bar thing and not an arcade thing; or do you simply mean that you chose to play pinball in bars? It made me wonder--if the former is true, then that environment must radically shape the mindset of pinball makers in Chicago. If the Los Angeles locations I've visited are any indication, pinball here is and has always been an arcade thing, as pinball is considered a children's game here by the mainstream.
Do you mean that in Chicago, pinball tends to be a bar thing and not an arcade thing; or do you simply mean that you chose to play pinball in bars? It made me wonder--if the former is true, then that environment must radically shape the mindset of pinball makers in Chicago. If the Los Angeles locations I've visited are any indication, pinball here is and has always been an arcade thing, as pinball is considered a children's game here by the mainstream.
Timelord
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- Oct 29, 2012
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Hi Zombie,
That was Shut_Your_Trap, not me relating the scared parents.
Yes, in Chicago pinball still is largely "bar thing" vs "Arcade thing", but when I go into a bar now-a-days I order a Coke and give the bartender a nice tip and all is forgiven. There are two bars where pinball machines are available and in great condition.
!) The Beercade; about 15 tables in great shape and all set on free play
2) Emporium; the Stern pinball presence in Chicago. This is where all their pinball tables are seen first in the world, and maintained by the factory.About 15-20 tables at any given time, mostly modern Sterns. Play is by "tokens", not free play.
I am not aware of any arcades still in existence that actually still have pinball tables.
Timelord ...
That was Shut_Your_Trap, not me relating the scared parents.
Yes, in Chicago pinball still is largely "bar thing" vs "Arcade thing", but when I go into a bar now-a-days I order a Coke and give the bartender a nice tip and all is forgiven. There are two bars where pinball machines are available and in great condition.
!) The Beercade; about 15 tables in great shape and all set on free play
2) Emporium; the Stern pinball presence in Chicago. This is where all their pinball tables are seen first in the world, and maintained by the factory.About 15-20 tables at any given time, mostly modern Sterns. Play is by "tokens", not free play.
I am not aware of any arcades still in existence that actually still have pinball tables.
Timelord ...
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- Feb 19, 2012
- 8,144
- 2
That segment was a lot of fun. I really liked hearing about Timelord's experiences in Chicago, the home of pinball as we know it...as well as the Blues, great Pizza, the best sports teams on the planet, etc...can you tell I love Chicago? 
If you ever feel adventurous, it looks like there are quite a few other bars around Chicago that have pins too:
http://pinballmap.com/chicago
176 pinball locations in the Windy City. Timelord, it looks like you have a homework assignment for our next podcast.
If you ever feel adventurous, it looks like there are quite a few other bars around Chicago that have pins too:
http://pinballmap.com/chicago
176 pinball locations in the Windy City. Timelord, it looks like you have a homework assignment for our next podcast.
Zombie Aladdin
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- Mar 28, 2014
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Oh, whoops, sorry for the confusion. I've only started listening.
Around here, arcades themselves are few in number, but unless it's a Dave & Buster's or it's within a small bowling alley, it more often than not has about one machine, usually a modern Stern. Chuck E. Cheese's has them too.
Around here, arcades themselves are few in number, but unless it's a Dave & Buster's or it's within a small bowling alley, it more often than not has about one machine, usually a modern Stern. Chuck E. Cheese's has them too.
Timelord
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- Oct 29, 2012
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That segment was a lot of fun. I really liked hearing about Timelord's experiences in Chicago, the home of pinball as we know it...as well as the Blues, great Pizza, the best sports teams on the planet, etc...can you tell I love Chicago?
If you ever feel adventurous, it looks like there are quite a few other bars around Chicago that have pins too:
http://pinballmap.com/chicago
176 pinball locations in the Windy City. Timelord, it looks like you have a homework assignment for our next podcast.
Thanks, Jeff, I enjoy talking about the good old days.
I just got the car running from it's winter's sleep, had the two rear passenger windows repaired so that they don't just drop down while I'm driving; but need rear brakes. I think that I can safely say beginning of May I'll be ready to start visiting some locations, so probably Podcast # 8 rather than next one. Besides Jared's gonna have some great stories to relate about his visit to San Fransisco, which will give me some breathing room.
Timelord ...
- Feb 19, 2012
- 8,144
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Sounds good. It would be really cool if we could make a Chicago pinball report a regular segment.
Stuart Webster
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- Apr 24, 2013
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We barely survived the most recent attack. I knew I should've gone for Vegemite toast instead of the English muffin this morning...
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- Mar 14, 2012
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- Thread starter
- #38
First of all, thanks for listening! Maybe we should call out each other's names more during the pod?
While Timelord meant antiseptic socially, I meant it in the literal sense. In my day, arcades were lit ONLY by the machines. Walking by one at the mall was like looking into a black pit. Early 90's, the arcades started brightening up more. Look at the sequence in T2 and you'll get a better picture. Still crowded with machines and somewhat dark, but lights are on. Step into a Chuck E Cheese today, or a Nickel Nickel, and you practically need sunglasses on with how bright it is.
My ideal is that early 90's feel, or even what Dave and Busters has going on (though I haven't stepped foot into one in probably 10 years).
If you are looking for pinball to play in LA, check out Pins & Needles which is inbetween downtown and Hollywood off the 101. I wrote a whole article about it here. There's also some place in Glendale, but I've yet to get an exact address. Some of the guys at league were talking about some bar in downtown that has a mess of machines, and I'm wondering if that is the same place Molly talked about going in on in my article.
EDIT
It is exactly that place! Here's a link...http://downtownmuse.com/eightytwo-classic-arcade-bar/
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Zombie Aladdin
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- Mar 28, 2014
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Oh, I certainly know about Pins & Needles. I've been there a few times. I've been to 82 as well. I prefer it there as there's more open space and because I like playing pinball during the day more than the night. (Well, it's only open during daylight hours on Sundays, but curbside parking is free on Sundays in Little Tokyo, and it's a block away from there.)
I've never heard of Nickel Nickel...which is odd, as I'm sure I've been to many of the same locations as you. Also, I can't step into a Chuck E. Cheese's because the ones around here have bouncers. It's like...the reverse of a nightclub or something, as they will block any adults from coming in unless children are present.
As for arcade lighting, most of the remaining arcades here, even the social hangout ones, tend to be pretty brightly lit. I think the only two arcades I'v been in recently that were dim were Japan Arcade (in Little Tokyo; now closed down) and Family Amusement Corporation. Japan Arcade made me not like dim lighting as it had a Data East Time Machine, and as the playfield is black, I could hardly see anything going on. I hope I'm not strange for saying that I prefer brightly lit places (and daylight) for pinball.
I just need some time to listen more until I can recognize everybody's voices, though it may take some time.
I've never heard of Nickel Nickel...which is odd, as I'm sure I've been to many of the same locations as you. Also, I can't step into a Chuck E. Cheese's because the ones around here have bouncers. It's like...the reverse of a nightclub or something, as they will block any adults from coming in unless children are present.
As for arcade lighting, most of the remaining arcades here, even the social hangout ones, tend to be pretty brightly lit. I think the only two arcades I'v been in recently that were dim were Japan Arcade (in Little Tokyo; now closed down) and Family Amusement Corporation. Japan Arcade made me not like dim lighting as it had a Data East Time Machine, and as the playfield is black, I could hardly see anything going on. I hope I'm not strange for saying that I prefer brightly lit places (and daylight) for pinball.
I just need some time to listen more until I can recognize everybody's voices, though it may take some time.
- May 8, 2012
- 4,334
- 3
We barely survived the most recent attack. I knew I should've gone for Vegemite toast instead of the English muffin this morning...
That's Awesome!
Caramello Dropbear!
(Side note: sent the guys some Aussie chocolate while I was stateside)
I am sitting in an airport lounge ROFLMAO at the mods to that wrapper. I'm in Auckland, while I wait for my flight back to Aussie.
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