Settled on an arcade layout for the games

[OdinM]

***Updated with new image*** This seems to be the best use of my space that still lets me create the early 80's arcade maze feeling with my limited space.

 

[Coindork]

Ok, so this is like walking into a titty bar and finding out they don't serve booze and the girls are all wearing pasties.

Need more information.
Which games are in which spaces.

 

[thegleek]

...also for the middle island grounds, you going to drop down a line to power those?

 

[BoomstickSaint]

Is "Garaga" a Chinese knock-off?

 

[rod90]

Your layout assumes that your current line up stays the same. It is a proven fact that once you start this madness, it only grows. You will get more games and then realize you have wasted floor space. You will then re-arrange your layout for maximum density rather than a maze.

 

[rod90]

Is "Garaga" a Chinese knock-off?

Yes, you need to save money on that door to get more games.

 

[thegleek]

Your layout assumes that your current line up stays the same. It is a proven fact that once you start this madness, it only grows. You will get more games and then realize you have wasted floor space. You will then re-arrange your layout for maximum density rather than a maze.

yar u wanna crunch in all those games side by side as closely as possible and have ROOM in the middle so you can move games around, pull them out to fix!!!!

 

[Charles Kline]

The maze layout is cool, do you have that many games yet or are you planing the layout for future fill in?

Label the boxes if you know what the games are going to be.

 

[VectorCollector]

Take the time and use SketchUp to see if it physically/aesthetically makes sense. 13.5ft x 35ft is a large area, I guess.
By looking at your floor, power to the middle islands may imply AC hang-down cords ... or AC cord floor covers (moderate tripping hazard) ... of fake stipper poles.

 

[OdinM]

Thanks guys.

I literally just had electricans add 4 dedicated 20A circuits to the existing garage outlets I had every 8'. So I have plenty of power, BUT I didn't add any power to the ceiling. And now I've added HVAC and insulation over the ceiling and don't want to fool with more electrical, so I will probably drop down on the front island from the overhead garage door outlet. But the rear island doesn't have power overhead, and I can't run 8 games on a single 15A circuit, so I'll probably use a side wall outlet and a cord cover and hope I don't trip on it.

As far as my game list, it will never change. I only care about a narrow window of video games from 1979-1983, and I can fit most of those games in here, so once I've got my collection in place that's it. No pins, nothing but games.

I'm going to tweak my late night drunken Excel diagram and try to label the games I have now.

 

[Grantman]

As far as my game list, it will never change. I only care about a narrow window of video games from 1979-1983, and I can fit most of those games in here, so once I've got my collection in place that's it. No pins, nothing but games.

 

[MasterFygar]

have ROOM in the middle so you can move games around, pull them out to fix!!!!

I cannot echo this enough... my "best" layout when I had 20 some cabs was a maze that looked amazing... but it was IMPOSSIBLE to get to some of the games when they broke enough to be able to fix them properly/safely, so a bunch of them stayed broken for longer than I will ever admit... much prefer my current "boring" layout with fewer cabs, but all of them working because I can actually get inside of them.

 

[OdinM]

Here's what will probably be my final layout. It fits 29 games, could probably squeeze in 30 without any real issues. Every game has at least 36" in front of it so they can all be pulled all the way out, and all walkways are at least 36" wide so games can be dollied in and out of necessary.

The game titles in black are already in place. The games in red are being delivered to me in 2 weeks and will be moved into place.

As I add more games they will get added to the front of the arcade until it's full. Generally, I tried to lay them out so that the best sideart was showing. The reason the Williams games are in the back is because they have fairly boring stencil sideart compared to the Atari and most other games.

 

[ArcadeTechGW]

I think it looks pretty good. If those were your walls and floor in the pics - quite good!

 

[OdinM]

I think it looks pretty good. If those were your walls and floor in the pics - quite good!

Yeah, that's my space in the big pic posted. I would LOVE to put down arcade carpet, but I don't want to do anything to mess up the epoxy floor and the carpet would definitely need to be glued down good with all of those heavy games on it.

 

[ArcadeTechGW]

Yeah, that's my space in the big pic posted. I would LOVE to put down arcade carpet, but I don't want to do anything to mess up the epoxy floor and the carpet would definitely need to be glued down good with all of those heavy games on it.

I thought the epoxy floor looks great! Put a black light on anyway - all the little bits will glow. Put glow in the dark stuff on the walls too!

 

[VectorCollector]

As far as my game list, it will never change. I only care about a narrow window of video games from 1979-1983, and I can fit most of those games in here, so once I've got my collection in place that's it. No pins, nothing but games.

 

[OdinM]

LOL I have never had any interest at all in any games not on my list. I have actually never played Mario Bros - not in the arcade, not on a home console, never. Never played any fighting games. All that stuff bores me to death, by 1984 I was into other things and didn't care about anything in the arcade but the "old" games from when I used to hang out at the arcade. My arcade is just for me to play those old games and have friends my age hang out and play those old games.

Pinballs look awesome, and I love the electro-mechanical nature of them. I did used to play Black Knight sometimes, loved the 2 layer playfield. But I'm just not interested in anything but the golden era arcades.

Honestly, half the titles I own or will buy are games that I don't care for, but they're really "must have" games for a golden era arcade. Asteroids, Galaxian, Missile Command, etc I never liked. I liked Donkey Kong, Galaga, lots of the Williams games like Defender/Stargate, loved Tempest, etc.

 

[alfonzotan]

Is "Garaga" a Chinese knock-off?

***golf clap***

 

[VectorCollector]

The BitKit, for example, has educated me that there were many "rarer" 80's games I missed yet I appreciate and now enjoy. I have ~70 games now ... wasn't my choice when starting my collection >30years ago. I only really collect early Golden Age classic games too. Just happens. Just sayin' ... can't deny the addiction and what eventually will happen.

Oh, and Williams stencil art is cool.