"Laundrocade" or am I just crazy?

OregonPacman

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I've had this idea for a while now. One day when I have a house that is big enough, I want to have two game rooms. One will be a normal game room with the normal games and associated stuff. The other one will also be the laundry room. I would like to have a laundromat style arcade. Seems a bit off the wall but it would be pretty easy to have a room styled after a typical laudromat. The place I work for (appliance store) sells coin operated washers and dryers. They are the free standing units that are typically seen in apartment building laundry rooms. I am sure that I could get a couple of pairs without too much $ invested. I was thinkng that two pairs of older GE units would look good with a change machine and several 80's - mid 90's JAMMA games and a beat up Ms. Pac for good measure. That way, I would have something to do while waiting for my laundry. The typical laundromat signs, detergent vending machines and even fake security cameras could also add to the look/feel. A candy machine and 80's era Coke or Pepsi machine would go great as well.

I remember a laundromat from when I was a kid that had a DepthCharge, Carnival and some old EM pin. The games were great, though our quarters usually went into the laundry equipment. They also had a small, free standing popcorn machine that only cost a dime. Great memories. I am sure that most of us did some laundromat time at one point or another and many of them had games. So, is this a good idea or am I nuts?
 
Not a bad idea at all... if playing games in a laundromat evokes feelings of nostalgia for you, then go for it!

I used to play games in the late 80s and early 90s at a campground's laundromat that was within bike riding distance of my house. They only had four games at a time, but the one constant through all those years was Gyruss. Other titles that rotated through were Carnival (coincidence?), Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros, Frogger, Time Pilot, Express Raiders, Crime Fighters, and Black Tiger.

I can practically smell the detergent and fabric softener sheets now...

Kyle :cool:
 
I've had this idea for a while now. One day when I have a house that is big enough, I want to have two game rooms. One will be a normal game room with the normal games and associated stuff. The other one will also be the laundry room. I would like to have a laundromat style arcade. Seems a bit off the wall but it would be pretty easy to have a room styled after a typical laudromat. The place I work for (appliance store) sells coin operated washers and dryers. They are the free standing units that are typically seen in apartment building laundry rooms. I am sure that I could get a couple of pairs without too much $ invested. I was thinkng that two pairs of older GE units would look good with a change machine and several 80's - mid 90's JAMMA games and a beat up Ms. Pac for good measure. That way, I would have something to do while waiting for my laundry. The typical laundromat signs, detergent vending machines and even fake security cameras could also add to the look/feel. A candy machine and 80's era Coke or Pepsi machine would go great as well.

I remember a laundromat from when I was a kid that had a DepthCharge, Carnival and some old EM pin. The games were great, though our quarters usually went into the laundry equipment. They also had a small, free standing popcorn machine that only cost a dime. Great memories. I am sure that most of us did some laundromat time at one point or another and many of them had games. So, is this a good idea or am I nuts?

I think it's a really cool idea, but I'd think it'd be very difficult to replicate the nostaligc part of gaming in a laundromat, or a laundromat in general. Without the random strangers, dirt and lint bunnies everywhere, games that only half-work (and, for me, older coin-op washers with the rectangular "chicklet"-type wash cycle lights), dirty window overlooking the street...you get the idea.
 
I like it.

You can sit on top of the washers and talk smack while drinking 1/2 liter glass Pepsi drinks.
I've got a few change machines but they're crazy heavy and non-functional.
 
Sounds like a neat idea. Unfortunately my favorite non-arcade arcade gaming memories involve where we went camping. They kept their games outside, which seems like a terrible idea. Oh well. Make sure that 1p start doesn't work and the coin mechs are nice and gummed-up.
 
It's a crazy idea and I think it's awesome. Only a coupe of places local to me still have games, and one is the laundromat.
 
I would be severely concerned about water damage. Laundry rooms very often have leaks. Otherwise, if you like it then sure....why not?
 
I like it.

You can sit on top of the washers and talk smack while drinking 1/2 liter glass Pepsi drinks.
I've got a few change machines but they're crazy heavy and non-functional.

as long as the hopper motors work you could do something with those change machines..

i have an old rowe bc something little skinny one, computer is dead..

i wired the payout solenoid/door open. I then wired switched 120vac to the hopper motor of the hopper i use. On mine it took 50 cent pieces so i mounted the pushbutton switch in the inside, so when you press down on the 50 cent piece reject lever, it contacts and allows the hopper motor to run.. hopper motor turns auger in hopper and viola free tokens
 
thats too funny, while waiting for my pizza yesterday at pizza hut me and my son walked down the stripe center to a washateria to see what they had and there set a beat up ms pac, along with a neo-geo and couple other games.
 
Not a bad idea at all... if playing games in a laundromat evokes feelings of nostalgia for you, then go for it!

Exactly... that's what it's all about. Do whatever makes you happy.

My fondest arcade memories come from skating rinks, bowling alleys, and Alladins Castle....hmmmm.
 
I would be severely concerned about water damage. Laundry rooms very often have leaks. Otherwise, if you like it then sure....why not?

I repair washers and dryers for a living. If things are done right, leaks aren't too big of a concern for me. I have specific washer models in mind, they don't have a lot of leak problems. There is a local laundromat that had games a couple of years ago. They had a Taxi pinball, a Gottlieb baseball theme pin (Silver something, I think) a Street Fighter 2 and a ...............wait for it...............WORKING Pole Position upright. I played the Pole a few times just for kicks and the gas pedal was wired as though it was pressed all the way down. Just seeing a 20+ year old Pole Position working on location was a real head trip. The wife and I used to go there around 5 years ago, before the kids and before having our own washer and dryer. She didn't care for the games but I would play the pins while she watched TV. I haven't gone in there in years but I have walked by and seen through the windows that the games are gone.
 
I think that's an outstanding idea.....Hope to one day see pix of your finished prject.

First arcade memory, It was a junky old laundromat in DECATUR TX. It had still to this day my all time fav Galaga and a Pac Man both of course were beat to shit. I loved them both and played as many games of Galaga as i could find quarters on the floor.

Second arcade memory, the brand new Pizza Hut also in DECATUR TX had from what i remember a cocktail table Ms Pac Man, Star Wars, Pole Position and a few others in there game room.


Id take both those beat up machines from the laundromat any day just for the memories.
 
I tried to have a cool Laundromat sign made once. That was over a year ago. I'm still waiting.

cosmiccoinsign.jpg
 
great idea! there is a laundromat near me that has a beat to hell ms pac,beat to hell strange science pin and some bicycle game by atari. and a bartop game.when our dryer went out i went with the wife and played some strange science. it is 25 cents a game. put a new heating ellement in the dryer and now no reason to go play a beat up pin.
 
Silver slugger.

Yeah, that's the one. It was on a quarter a play. I think the Taxi was also. The gameplay in Silver Slugger seemed pretty simple but I got hooked on it. Taxi was alight too. At first, I was surprised to see pins in a laundromat in this day and age. There aren't a lot of pins around where I live, so I will play pretty much any pin that I encounter.

Yeah, the Laundrocade is a "someday" thing. However, if I do ever get to build it one day, I will definitely post a longwinded picture filled rant about it.
 
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