Barcades Hitting Mainstream?

honestly, if I was to open one of these joints, this is almost exactly what I would do (hear me out) ...

* fabricate several cheap cabinets with basic controls, LCD screens, micro-PCs running zero clients
* connect each over ethernet to a VM server (ESXi, Hyper-V, whatever)
* stand up emus on a few dozen VMs
* have each cabinet/zero client boot to a VM running a classic game via an emu

done and done. repair and sourcing old school parts costs = zero.

your average person doesn't know or care about inaccurate side art, wrong controls, or LCD screens. just keep the beer flowing and you'll make money

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.
 
your average person doesn't know or care about inaccurate side art, wrong controls, or LCD screens. just keep the beer flowing and you'll make money

Liquor licenses in NJ are astronomical. If you can even find one. Best bet probably to buy out an old bar that still retains one but from my co-worker's comments it seemed like he was not interested in liquor sales, but rather a straight up arcade.
 
* connect each over ethernet to a VM server (ESXi, Hyper-V, whatever)
* stand up emus on a few dozen VMs
* have each cabinet/zero client boot to a VM running a classic game via an emu

So you mean run VMWare View (which connects to and ESXi host) in Kiosk mode with the emulators booting at startup?
 
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.

My kids beg the shit outta me to play the games nearly every day, they're quite good at them too. I have to warn my friends to not play my son Tekken 3 for money, especially if he's wearing his black finger less gloves.
 
How many salty, secretively jealous people gray-hairs will be triggered by the time this thread runs out?
 
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if it was me, I'd just stand up like 50 instances of Windows XP to which I'd attach the zero/thin clients (would only buy cheap refurbs, and have several spares on hand) ... and yes, just write a tiny .bat file to launch the emu with one "dedicated" game

you have a dead piece of client hardware? just throw it away, throw another in its place, connect your peripherals, and point it to the desired Windows XP VM

So you mean run VMWare View (which connects to and ESXi host) in Kiosk mode with the emulators booting at startup?
 
if it was me, I'd just stand up like 50 instances of Windows XP to which I'd attach the zero/thin clients (would only buy cheap refurbs, and have several spares on hand) ... and yes, just write a tiny .bat file to launch the emu with one "dedicated" game

you have a dead piece of client hardware? just throw it away, throw another in its place, connect your peripherals, and point it to the desired Windows XP VM

Only takes one dedicated, disgruntled competitor or customer who knows their shit that makes it their life mission to sic the law on you.
 
I once played in a tourney where Mark Alpiger charged 50 cents a game to play MAME.
 
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. ;)

It sounds to me that you have a bigger problem with hipsters than you do with misnaming beer. Were you frightened by a skinny-jean, manicured-beard, man-bun wearing hipster as a child? :)

"Craft Beer" is a common term here in Texas. I don't know anyone who is annoyed by it. Maybe it's a regional thing. Personally, I find the argument about whether to call it craft beer, micro brew, small batch or whatever, to be a bit beer-snobbish.

I'm more annoyed by people who can't complete a sentence without extraneous 'likes', 'you knows', or 'I means.' I also cringe at 'chill' as an adjective, the overuse of 'amazing,' and ANY use of 'legit'; but that's just me.
 
You would be surprised...one of the places named in this article only has newly-made fake Bally cabinets all running 60-in-1s and fake street fighter cabinets running pandoras boxes and mame.
 
I'm more annoyed by people who can't complete a sentence without extraneous 'likes', 'you knows', or 'I means.' I also cringe at 'chill' as an adjective, the overuse of 'amazing,' and ANY use of 'legit'; but that's just me.

This is irritating to the Nth degree. It's not just you my friend.
 
There is a Barcade about a 10 min walk from my apartment in Brooklyn. There are two other barcades in Manhattan, one is in the East Village. I find that they do a pretty good job of maintaining their machines in working order. They have a decent selection of classic games and if you go during the day you have the place to yourself. My friend and I have been really getting into the Robotron Machine at the place near me. If not for that I wouldn't have a chance to play this game. (sadly I still suck at it)

There are other arcade bars around the city. There is a place in the Lower East Side called Two Bit - the games don't seem to be as nicely maintained as Barcade's. If you're into Pinball there is a place in Greenpoint, a laundromat called Sunshine Laundry with a speakeasy bar in the back that has an amazing selection pins that are well maintained.

When I was still living in Kansas City there was a new place that opened called Up-Down, an arcade bar where you would get 10 tokens for a dollar - not sure if they still have that deal. But the place was really nice and gaining in popularity.

Visiting a friend in Denver, we went to One Up - another great venue, I felt.

I say all this as someone who doesn't really drink much at all. I usually go during off hours just to play games and not drink.

Personally I would rather see these kind of retro arcade bars than more modern places like Dave n Busters that just have redemption machines and massive shooting or driving games.

There seems to be a generally negative, almost snobbish attitude in this thread about these bar arcades. I'm not really sure why that is. Remember that not everyone out there has a basement or garage full of retro arcade machines. Times change and so do economic possibilities. It's a bummer that a straight up arcade without a bar is no longer an economic reality for most places. But shouldn't we be celebrating the second life that these games are getting in a public space? I feel like some people are getting too distracted by how tight peoples jeans are, the latest facial hair trends, or how they describe their beer. Who cares, just enjoy the games.
 
...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...

I think mine knows I'd shoot him if he turned all Hipster on me. :D

It sounds to me that you have a bigger problem with hipsters than you do with misnaming beer. Were you frightened by a skinny-jean, manicured-beard, man-bun wearing hipster as a child? :)

"Craft Beer" is a common term here in Texas. I don't know anyone who is annoyed by it. Maybe it's a regional thing. Personally, I find the argument about whether to call it craft beer, micro brew, small batch or whatever, to be a bit beer-snobbish.

I'm more annoyed by people who can't complete a sentence without extraneous 'likes', 'you knows', or 'I means.' I also cringe at 'chill' as an adjective, the overuse of 'amazing,' and ANY use of 'legit'; but that's just me.

Oh, you have hit on something here.... I am a legitimate "beer snob". But at least I can admit it. Hell, I'm proud of it. I take my beer very seriously. Granted, I've been "slumming it" the past few years due to our financial situation. That doesn't mean I like it.

I have been to the promised land, and it was epic!
 
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