Barcades Hitting Mainstream?

sounds like we have an untapped market missing ...

45a0143635.jpg


"barcade" = hard alcohol, "beercade" = beer/wine only.
 
I was recently at a "beercade" in Des Moines, IA called Up Down and I was surprised to see how busy it was with college-aged people, with about 50% women. It has a good number of 80s and 90s classic arcade games, pinballs (90's era mixed with some newer Sterns), and some premium games, including Killer Queen. They also served local micro-brews that were really good.

It will be interesting to see how long the barcade trend lasts, but I can see arcade nostalgia getting an additional boost with upcoming "retro" theme movie Ready Player One coming out about a year from now.
 
The Drudge Report is a convenient homepage, isn't it.

So, is the motto "Come for the games, stay for the beer." or "Come for the beer, stay for the games." ???


.

in Chicago, it's the latter. can't vouch for other places like Grinkers, which I think has its priorities straight. I don't want to call them hipster dives, but I think they wind up playing games at Headquarters simply because it's free. they don't make any money off the games at all. Emporium takes tokens. and I want to say Logans does the same. Logan Hardware has their priorities in order, much respect to them.

that said, playing a bunch of Stern pinballs doesn't appeal to me. I also don't really drink anymore. unless I go out with experts. :)
 
The Barcade in Philadelphia is Hipster Heaven. Full on beards everywhere. Great beer selection. It's fun but not on a weekend. 1984 in Wilmington is much better, IMO.
 
All of our kids are going to grow up playing arcade games and they will fill the void. If they don't just blame yourselves for failing as parents.

I must consider myself a failure. My kids are now grown and off on their own, but when they were home, I simply could NOT get them to appreciate arcade games. The ONLY time they would ever play them was when their FRIENDS came over, and went all starry-eyed about how "they had the coolest basement EVER!!!". I guess they were OVER-exposed, and thought it was just "normal" to have an arcade in your basement.
 
>mfw I just learned that OneNine is old enough to "have kids grown and off on their own"

vlcsnap-2012-12-12-18h48m15s197.png


seriously, wtf man

I must consider myself a failure. My kids are now grown and off on their own, but when they were home, I simply could NOT get them to appreciate arcade games. The ONLY time they would ever play them was when their FRIENDS came over, and went all starry-eyed about how "they had the coolest basement EVER!!!". I guess they were OVER-exposed, and thought it was just "normal" to have an arcade in your basement.
 
>mfw I just learned that OneNine is old enough to "have kids grown and off on their own"

vlcsnap-2012-12-12-18h48m15s197.png


seriously, wtf man

Yep...they turn 25 and 27 this year, and are both productive members of society. But your "WTF" would be more appropriately directed at the fact that they don't care for arcade games!!! ;)
 
I doubt they'll ever be mainstream in the way that arcades were in the '80s. Back then, even Garland, Maine had an arcade; it was located in a dedicated room in the Garland general store / post office / laundromat / gas station, which was/is the only store in Garland:

6nE0ajW.jpg


My town, Dexter, which is the big city compared to Garland (but is still a small town, i.e., ~4,000 people), had a few dedicated arcades in the '80s, plus several stores that had at least one arcade machine.
 
Last edited:
I don't know what "The Scene" is, but craft beer is a common term; nothing wrong with it.

Want to spot a Hipster? Just walk up to them and whisper, "Are you in 'The Scene'?" You don't even have to specify WHICH "Scene"..... and that's the fucking sad part. They will just assume you're talking about the "Scene" they are into, and acknowledge to the affirmative.

I think it's just a change in terminology. When I was in college we used the term "micro-brew" to describe Rogue, Sierra Nevada, etc. At some point the good beer thing really took off and the "craft beer" terminology seemed to replace "micro-brew". I was still drinking said beer but I was not in the "the scene" so I didn't know what the hell people were calling it. I mean, it's fucking beer okay. But anywho, beer aficionados definitely do use the term "craft beer". My sister in law owns a bottle shop and she and all of her cronies say "craft beers"

I understand the point you're making.... and technically, with a wider distribution, it's correct. However, I abhor the term simply because of it's "Hipster" connotation.

Don't get me wrong..... I'll try damned near any beer(just ask my wife) on the menu. Just don't hit me with "craft beer" as a selling point. I'm liable to punch you in the throat. ;)

sounds like we have an untapped market missing ...

45a0143635.jpg

Change that to "Heroin(e) Arcade", and we can open shop in Baltimore.

Yep...they turn 25 and 27 this year, and are both productive members of society. But your "WTF" would be more appropriately directed at the fact that they don't care for arcade games!!! ;)

You know, my step-son is 22(will turn 23 next month), and an avid gamer. However, he shows very little interest in the classics. He did like playing Lunar Lander... but really hasn't gotten into any of the others.
 
You know, my step-son is 22(will turn 23 next month), and an avid gamer. However, he shows very little interest in the classics. He did like playing Lunar Lander... but really hasn't gotten into any of the others.

...and my 25 y/o is a certified, registered Baltimore Hipster (beard and all)!!! Funny how the nut can sometimes fall so far from the tree...
 
>mfw I just learned that OneNine is old enough to "have kids grown and off on their own"

vlcsnap-2012-12-12-18h48m15s197.png


seriously, wtf man

Um, MOST of the folks here are in their 40-50's now a days...

Hell, I am old enough to have a 27 year old LEGALLY (ie I was 18 years old 27 years ago)... and a 30-31 year old biologically. I just decided to have fun for a number of years before I took on the responsibility of a kid (whether for good or bad is still undetermined). My boy is only 7. :D
 
I must consider myself a failure. My kids are now grown and off on their own, but when they were home, I simply could NOT get them to appreciate arcade games. The ONLY time they would ever play them was when their FRIENDS came over, and went all starry-eyed about how "they had the coolest basement EVER!!!". I guess they were OVER-exposed, and thought it was just "normal" to have an arcade in your basement.

Nothing a little corporal punishment can't fix. Sure it's harder now that they're grown but I presume you still have the psychological edge on them.
 
I've been to two barcades and I can say they are here to stay. It's a bar. Young people go to bars to hang out. They just happen to have arcades. I know the ones in Manhattan and New Haven have food. They profit on beer consumption not arcades.
 
I've been to two barcades and I can say they are here to stay. It's a bar. Young people go to bars to hang out. They just happen to have arcades. I know the ones in Manhattan and New Haven have food. They profit on beer consumption not arcades.

I don't think the issue is about where the profit margin comes from, it's about draw. What separates YOUR bar, from the next guy's. Right now, arcade games may work, but I agree with the sentiment that the interest will be short lived. If hipsters are nothing, they are fickle. Once the novelty (of the classic games) wears off, they'll move on to their next fad. If the games aren't drawing people in, you can make MORE money by getting rid of the games and replacing them with tables.
 
The Barcade in Philadelphia is Hipster Heaven. Full on beards everywhere. Great beer selection. It's fun but not on a weekend. 1984 in Wilmington is much better, IMO.

Old timey me and my old timey work buddies go there on weekdays while working in the city. Until about 2 or 3pm on a weekday you have the whole place to yourself. The two minor problems are that we can't drink and the food selection is really limited... No burgers or anything, its all casa dilla's <sp> and stuff like that.

The bartender did tell us the place is packed on weekends. I'm glad they're doing a good business, but I wouldn't deal with the city or a crowd on my own time.
 
This about sums it up for me.

I had a co worker tell me they want to open a retro arcade since they know I own some games and do some score competing, etc. I said "do you know how to fix games or know anyone that does?", he replied "it's all just on a laptop right?". That's when I swiveled back around in my chair and went back to work silently.
 
Back
Top Bottom