I Love My Local Movie Theater!

[EldarOfSuburbia]

Last time I was there they had AC/DC and Avengers. The former was great, the latter in not great shape and not that good of a game. However tonight...

Hell yeah! $1 a go but worth it. Walking Dead was busy but I had time for a quick go on Metallica. Did okay for a first attempt. Will definitely be back for more.

 

[workshed]

So I guess you managed to sit through the movie instead of leaving half way through to play more pinball. If my local theater had any pins, especially those two, I would have walked out of quite a few. What did you see? Any good?

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

Cinderella. My daughter wanted to see it. It was Cinderella. Not badly done if you like that kind of thing I suppose.

 

[jaredmorgs]

Last time I was there they had AC/DC and Avengers. The former was great, the latter in not great shape and not that good of a game. However tonight...

Hell yeah! $1 a go but worth it. Walking Dead was busy but I had time for a quick go on Metallica. Did okay for a first attempt. Will definitely be back for more.

We pay $1.40 on swiper card systems here in Australia for badly maintained machines. And up to $2 for brand new releases. I don't know how operators make any money over there in the US.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

Helps that they put a table with a well known IP - albeit questionable on the family friendly side for a movie theater! - in a high foot traffic location.

 

[workshed]

We pay $1.40 on swiper card systems here in Australia for badly maintained machines. And up to $2 for brand new releases. I don't know how operators make any money over there in the US.

How does a swiper card system work? I'm not quite sure what you mean, or at least I haven't seen one. Is it just swiping your credit/debit card to pay for a game?

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

You buy a charge card in a machine at the location. You charge it up with credits at that same machine using cash, credit card, whatever. Each game in the arcade has had the coin slot replaced with a card swiper. Swiping the card deducts the cost of the game from the balance on the card.

 

[Fungi]

We pay $1.40 on swiper card systems here in Australia for badly maintained machines. And up to $2 for brand new releases. I don't know how operators make any money over there in the US.

You've just put your finger on why arcades no longer exist as they did in the 80's.

 

[workshed]

You buy a charge card in a machine at the location. You charge it up with credits at that same machine using cash, credit card, whatever. Each game in the arcade has had the coin slot replaced with a card swiper. Swiping the card deducts the cost of the game from the balance on the card.

I see. Thank you.

 

[Bahnzo]

You've just put your finger on why arcades no longer exist as they did in the 80's.

Hmmmm, you don't think PC's and (more importantly) game consoles might have something to do with that?

 

[Captain B. Zarre]

A movie theatre in Maine near my summer house used to have Barb Wire and Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure. Sadly the latter was turned off so I spent most of my time playing Barb Wire. It's surprisingly deep for a Gottlieb but I feel the Haywire round (the wizard mode of the table) unbalances everything.

 

[shutyertrap]

Hmmmm, you don't think PC's and (more importantly) game consoles might have something to do with that?

Actually? No.

Consoles of the 80's, your ColecoVisions and NES, were trying to copy arcade games. Not until games started ditching the 3 lives approach and started going with saves and continues were they a threat to actual arcades. I mean, can you imagine playing Call of Duty, Uncharted, or Grand Theft Auto in an arcade? Those aren't exactly 3 minute games! And how did arcades try to combat home consoles? By bringing in games that weren't the same at home, thus the rise of these giant elaborate cabinets that cost a fortune, thus raising the price on the game. There's something psychological about being okay dropping a single quarter into a game as opposed to even 50 cents. Dropping a whole dollar? Well now you start thinking, gee I could buy a soda with that. Or, 5 games is going to cost me 5 dollars, which I don't know if I wanna drop that much. In reality, the inflation might work out to the same, but those of us that remember arcades from back in the day have a real hard time coming to terms with today's pricing.

So those are my ideas on what killed the arcade. Or it might have just been the introduction of redemption gaming which totally suck.

 

[Fungi]

Both Bahnzo and SYT are correct. One thing led to another and with the combined forces, took out the golden age of arcades. And when the arcades went away, so did a major market for pinball manufacturers to sell to, thus, only Stern surviving the fallout. I wish good luck to Jersey Jack. They've entered an uphill climb.

 

[Johni3w6]

That's awesome Elder, a local bowling alley near me has a broken down Johnny Mnemonic table.

 

[Reagan Dow]

And we all complain when there is a little glitch in TPA or ASK. Actually, That is more directed towards the whining i see on Far Sights FB page. Its gotten way out of control!