At what point is a collection an "arcade?"

Spunkmeyer

Well-known member

Donor 2011
Joined
Jul 6, 2009
Messages
1,892
Reaction score
39
Location
Salisbury, Maryland
At what point is a collection an "arcade?"

Just curious at what point people would consider their collection legitimately called an arcade. I have 5 machines (1 MAME) and while I think that's decent, my basement lacks a certain "atmosphere" where I'd be really be comfortable telling people I have an arcade down there.

Thoughts?
 
i went to alot of arcades when i was a kid in the early 80s that were in the back rooms of other businesses, i think 5 is a few shy, i would say 6-8 would be the point where it goes from having a couple games to having a legit "arcade".
 
Cool! Me too.

(but I'd probably set the bar higher... 15 game min)
 
Excellent! I'm in the Arcade Club too! (though I'm still a couple short of qualifying by Altan's criteria!)
 
Cool! Me too.

(but I'd probably set the bar higher... 15 game min)
well i am going by what i remember from back in the day, places that would advertise having an arcade.... i think 3 or 4 is just a couple games, but once you have 8 or so that would have qualified as an arcade back in the day, at least in a small city like i grew up in.
 
heheh after reading 75....100... and knowing of some folks with 200+, my 32 ish seems oddly inadequate now :D Of course, the consolation is not having to maintain more games.

I'd say 6+ begins feeling like an arcade, especially if you have the gameroom decor, which I sadly do not.

Tom
 
I think the space there in should be considered as well,for example I only have 4 vids and 1 pln but there in a bedroom in my apartment. When you walk in there is space to move/walk but theres a game every where you look. I would certainly have more if I could but the war that rages against arcade games vs space will never be won by games.
 
I think it is more complicated than that. To me if you have half a dozen or so Atari classics in sweet condition (even better if the decor is there) that could itself be considered an arcade.

But if you have a room full of new crap, like a MAME machine, Golden Tee, Big Buck Hunter, etc., I wouldn't call it an arcade if you had a million of those newer games.

One might also argue that an arcade is not an arcade without a couple of pins in the mix.
 
the funny thing is, in a garage full of 30 games... I usually just play 1 game (crazy climber). .. So the sad reality is I'm prolly wasting space and $$$ and could trim down to a handful of games based on what I actually play. Which brings to the most important ingredient to having an arcade: people and friends to come over and play. The cade is alot more fun and interesting with guests over. This is usually when I branch out and play the other games.

Tom
 
Its not a real arcade without a change machine.

LOL I *was* going to say that, too, but I think a lot of us are on free play.

Speaking of which if everything is on free play does that disqualify it from being an arcade right there no matter how many games you have? Hmmmm....
 
LOL I *was* going to say that, too, but I think a lot of us are on free play.

Speaking of which if everything is on free play does that disqualify it from being an arcade right there no matter how many games you have? Hmmmm....


Im on free play too. I have been looking for a nice change machine. When I find one im going to either go quarters or tokens.

I guess I consider mine a arcade. Only 20 machines in the house another 50 in the garage. Cant play the one in the garage though. no room.
 
Back
Top Bottom