Pictures of the past: Classic arcades

[YoshiM]

(Kudos goes to m_lynch at the Monroeworld forums, aka Retrogaming Radio for this great link)

This link (http://www.flickr.com/photos/petromyzon/sets/553223/) will take you to an online album that will propel the older gamers here back to the past and will show you younger gamers what it was like back in the arcade heyday.

According to the info on the gallery these images were taken from slides rescued from a dumpster(!!). Many of the images are pictures of various "Time Out" Family Entertainment Centers, a couple "Station Break" entertainment centers and a couple of places that aren't identified. These don't seem to be your typical "family" pictures either (as you'll obviously see) so my theory is that these pictures were taken as a sort of promotional material for getting people interested in either starting an arcade business or buyring into a Time Out/Station Break franchise (see the three images of the man and girlfriend with man playing a game, father/grandfather and son with son playing a game and the man and woman office workers with the man playing pinball and the woman doing a sort of "hooray" gesture).

At first I was skeptical about the age of the images as I've never seen the really "big" arcades back then but one look at the fashion and you'll know it's the 80's, baby.

Enjoy.

[Kid Ice]

This is one of those times I don't mind my age...I'm glad I didn't miss those days, they were the greatest. Man that Time Out Tunnel is cool.

I must have a Maneater cabinet!

http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=M&game_id=8611

[Sanriostar]

Well, if I win 80 Kagillon in a Lottery, I've got my reference photos now...

Damn, I rember those places. Any Phoenix, AZ members recall Bag-A-Telle? or Golf-N-Stuff? Sweet Jesus on Toast, those were big arcades... :eek 2:

[omnedon]

Thank You.

I was 11 in 1981, and those who owned the arcades, also owned my allowance. :)

[ClubNinja]

I was looking over those pictures with chadtower last week. They're my favorite pictures ever.

[pixelsnpolygons]

I was born in 82, so at least I got some time to enjoy arcades - from around 87-95... better than nothing. But I never played in any arcade that cool and it was a different time when I started going there, too. Those images are almost surreal they have an immense power on me, drawing me in and making me nostalgic about a time I didn't even grow up in. (I was either not yet born or a baby when those were taken).

Definitely some of the coolest pictures I've seen.

[Ryaan1234]

I thought that the Indy 800 machine looked preety cool. Even thought it is pretty old, I like the design and concept.
In the slides:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/petromyzon/24815945/in/set-553223/
At the klov:
http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=&game_id=8190

[kaustik]

Time Out was a chain here in St. Louis. Loved that place. If I could only spend one more day there...

Last real arcade I could remember was Atari Adventure. The only place I had ever been that you could rent Atari computers by the hour. They would hand you a print off with hundreds of games that you could play. Tell them what you want and they would hand you the floppies. Weee!

[PDorr3]

since I am 17 I never got to see what arcades looked like back in then, but now I know! thanks alot for the pics, great and enjoyable stuff!

[Emily]

Thaose are some awsome pics. They have given me some insparation for my gameroom.

[DeputyMoniker]

I'm so jealous. You guys had it good. I'm asking people at the arcade if they know where a decent arcade is and they look at me like they don't know what I'm talking about. It really sucks these days...I just can't believe that if someone built an arcade like that today that there wouldn't be any money in it. Maybe it's the $3,500.00 price tag on a single game. Having to invest in new games every month, youd never make a profit. Not these days anyway. I don't know where teenagers are hanging out these days but it sure as hell isn't the arcade. Too bad we don't all have a few grand to pitch in on an arcade. Digital Press the arcade, comming to *insert a popular city* spring of 2006. We could all be silent partners with Joe or someone else running the show. Wow...now that would be some fun.

[YoshiM]

I'm so jealous. You guys had it good. I'm asking people at the arcade if they know where a decent arcade is and they look at me like they don't know what I'm talking about. It really sucks these days...I just can't believe that if someone built an arcade like that today that there wouldn't be any money in it. Maybe it's the $3,500.00 price tag on a single game. Having to invest in new games every month, youd never make a profit. Not these days anyway. I don't know where teenagers are hanging out these days but it sure as hell isn't the arcade. Too bad we don't all have a few grand to pitch in on an arcade. Digital Press the arcade, comming to *insert a popular city* spring of 2006. We could all be silent partners with Joe or someone else running the show. Wow...now that would be some fun.

$3,500? Depending on how old the machine is and going with what's popular (ie the gun games, racers, etc.), the lowest price on a recent machine (last three years) is about $5,000, and I was just skimming. Some of the games I saw are around $10K (Time Crisis 3) to $15K (DDR machine).

One of my "lottery dreams" was to build an arcade and fill it with the classics the family would enjoy (and my wife would have a spa, connected to the other side of the arcade-kind of a "his and hers" center). However I know it'd be just for me as I'd probably get no business unless I up and move to a high tourist area and even then there are no guarantees.