How many cabs do YOU think make an arcade??

[FrizzleFried]

What if you have 23 working games and 2 non-working games? Arcade? How about 24 vids, and a dart board?

I guess I have a gameroom... I only have 20 uprights, a cocktail, 3 pins and a coinop dart board... wait... that makes 25... WOO HOO! I HAVE AN ARCADE!

 

[PrairieDillo]

I would say 5 since it's a nice small number but here's one fact.

I called one of the local city halls to see if they had any ordinances about hours of operation for arcade games and what if any permits were required to operate in that city. They said that if you had more than 4 machines then you needed an arcade permit.

Of course this was only Mountain View Ca... but just another thought.

Certainly not 25.

 

[RedWolfJC]

What if you have 23 working games and 2 non-working games? Arcade? How about 24 vids, and a dart board?

I guess I have a gameroom... I only have 20 uprights, a cocktail, 3 pins and a coinop dart board... wait... that makes 25... WOO HOO! I HAVE AN ARCADE!

It's not an arcade unless there are non-working games... at least, not any arcade I've ever been to....

 

[TK_Monkey]

Ahhh but the definition says (Can be played by a customer for a fee) It does not say they MUST pay LOL

I think we would all easily fit under that definition as customers given cost of maintenance and repair.

For me the number that immediately popped into my head on seeing the title was a half dozen, 3 per side facing each other. At that point at night with all the lights out and the only light being from the games it would start to feel to me like walking down the aisles of games at arcades I was at in younger days. From the start you have to take a couple good steps to get to the games at the end, that's the point where it'd feel right for me. Thinking about this is making me contemplate turning my games to face the wall they're closest to so I could get a piece of that feeling w/ the measly two cabs I have. I'd have to get a screen or something since the backs of the games would be facing directly into the living room, yay for small one bedroom apartments.

 

[orion3311]

It's not an arcade unless there are non-working games... at least, not any arcade I've ever been to....

I think we qualify for this rule, hell just owning a Pole Position guarantees it.

 

[kerri369]

my thoughts are this. i have 19 in my basement and 5 in my garage, after a long day, ruthless week, or an upsetting moment..... it's an escape. an eperience of yesteryear. a place where i can forget all the bs and go back to a simpler time! whether you call it an arcade,gameroom or otherwise,enjoy it! it's yours!

 

[pookdolie]

"Game rooms" are what hotels, restaurants, and folks at their residences have.

"Arcades" are commercial establishments dedicated to gaming that are open to the public, with no invitation necessary.

At least, that's how I see them.

 

[YellowDog]

Though I looked up the definition being the nerd I am:
-noun: an establishment, public area, etc., containing games of a mechanical and electronic type, as pinball and video games, that can be played by a customer for a fee.

If we use that criteria, my storage unit is an arcade....

ken

Edit: As is my garage.

 

[SystemJinx]

2, but only because that's all I have.

 

[Rrcade]

I'd have to say 1 3/4

 

[IvanTT]

I beg to differ.

+1 for 4. I have 4 working games currently and I feel my room feels like an arcade.

 

[Ghostlyguy]

I don't really care unless it has that "arcade feel"... So I vote for two rows = arcade!

What makes an Arcade:

Games (more than 10)

Noise (music counts)

cool carpet

Lights

Soda machine

Coin machine

Area for drinks

If im missing anything...

 

[gretz99]

This makes me sad to do this because I realize how old I'm getting . . . but to have lived through the golden era and spent a good majority of my spare time as a kid in actual arcades, I'd say your estimates are too low. For me an arcade means walking into a building, not just a room, filled with the lights and sounds of games. We're talking rows and rows of games surrounding you. Luna City is (or was - sadly) an arcade.

Just my humble opinion. That's not to diminish anyone's collection, game room, garcade, etc, but an arcade is a whole different beast.

Oh back to the original question . . . I'd say at least 30-40. Again, just my personal recollection of being in an "arcade" - I guess the definition would vary depending how old you are.

 

[vintagegamer]

I forgot to mention when I posted that 4 qualified for me that, at the front of my garage is where my main lineup of 4 games always is. And every time I look at that 4 in a row, it reminds me of an old school arcade. The other games are off to the side but the 4 in a row sure look purdy

 

[Black Matrix]

The answer is all about the experience. An arcade is any area that truly reminds you of the Arcades you grew up with. For me it was a Gold Mine. Dimly lit, narrow, bout 4 rows facing each other(although 2 is enough), and great with noise. If your arcade had a raised walkway, you need a raised walkway, if you played pins heavy, you gotta have a pin. If music was prevalent, you either need a sound system or a jukebox. But you'll know when you have an arcade. I think I had an arcade at about 8 machines. That's when I got the feeling, I was in an arcade. But for those that don't know, here's the test.

1. Have you ever gone into your gameroom at night and turn all the games on and just look at them.

2. Have you ever coined up those games just to hear the background noises.

3. Does doing 1 and 2 evoke strong emotional responses.

If the answers to the above questions are yes, then you have an arcade.
But hey, that's just my 2bits.

 

[Ghostlyguy]

The answer is all about the experience. An arcade is any area that truly reminds you of the Arcades you grew up with. For me it was a Gold Mine. Dimly lit, narrow, bout 4 rows facing each other(although 2 is enough), and great with noise. If your arcade had a raised walkway, you need a raised walkway, if you played pins heavy, you gotta have a pin. If music was prevalent, you either need a sound system or a jukebox. But you'll know when you have an arcade. I think I had an arcade at about 8 machines. That's when I got the feeling, I was in an arcade. But for those that don't know, here's the test.

1. Have you ever gone into your gameroom at night and turn all the games on and just look at them.

2. Have you ever coined up those games just to hear the background noises.

3. Does doing 1 and 2 evoke strong emotional responses.

If the answers to the above questions are yes, then you have an arcade.
But hey, that's just my 2bits.

I'd have to agree with that.

+1 I have done one and two many times..

 

[Hyde]

The answer is all about the experience. An arcade is any area that truly reminds you of the Arcades you grew up with. For me it was a Gold Mine. Dimly lit, narrow, bout 4 rows facing each other(although 2 is enough), and great with noise. If your arcade had a raised walkway, you need a raised walkway, if you played pins heavy, you gotta have a pin. If music was prevalent, you either need a sound system or a jukebox. But you'll know when you have an arcade. I think I had an arcade at about 8 machines. That's when I got the feeling, I was in an arcade. But for those that don't know, here's the test.

1. Have you ever gone into your gameroom at night and turn all the games on and just look at them.

2. Have you ever coined up those games just to hear the background noises.

3. Does doing 1 and 2 evoke strong emotional responses.

If the answers to the above questions are yes, then you have an arcade.
But hey, that's just my 2bits.

This is a pretty good definition. The definition of arcade is different for everyone.

 

[donkeykong81]

I'd have to agree with that.

+1 I have done one and two many times..

+1 again

To me an arcade for those of us in this hobby would be a place with enough games, lights, etc to make you feel like you have an arcade. I have some games in my apartment, not an arcade based my personal feelings but once when I had an awesome row of classics and a pinball machine along with a few neon lights I thought to myself this feels like an arcade. There are obviously no defined parameters just that good old feeling that we are all seeking.

 

[1badv6]

I don't really care unless it has that "arcade feel"... So I vote for two rows = arcade!

What makes an Arcade:

Games (more than 10) Check (17 cabs)

Noise (music counts) Check (80's hits from slacker)

cool carpet Check (space voyager blacklight)

Lights Check (Blacklights and EL)

Soda machine Check (Coke)

Coin machine Check (Rowe BC-25)

Area for drinks Check (Coke Bar)

If im missing anything...

Yep, a name for the arcade Mine is "The Game Pit.

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae25/1badv6/The Game Pit/100_3991.jpg

 

[yellowstitch]

I feel 20 is the perfect # that will make my gameroom close to an arcade but not an arcade, so 21?