Quarters or free play?

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

So here's a wacky question for you arcade owners. Do you have your machines permanently hardwired for free play? Or do you still drop quarters or tokens into the machine?

I kinda like to drop quarters into mine. Really. It's just part of the zeitgeist of the arcade, that the game did cost you something. Hearing the coin slide down the slot and into the bucket. And it doesn't make a bad bank either.

OK, fess up. Who's still got some coin drop goin' down? (This is open for folks who haven't yet joined the ranks of coin-op owners too. What would you do given the chance?)

[tholly]

my pinball is wired for free play

my 4 slot mvs i just flip the coin credit switches with my fingers

my nintendo vs sit down i use quarters or my fingers

my vigilante has a button inside it to give it credits

[Icarus Moonsight]

When I acquire a machine (or many ) They will certainly stay coin-op. Whether it be tokens/slugs/washers/quarters/human teeth. Plus when people I rather don't care for start sniffin around for some play... they gotta pay I'd actually love to find a arcade-like change machine (not vendor machine style - no class) for my future private arcade. I guess I'm all about the atmosphere and the phisicallity, or ritual if you will. I also would love to have non-vid games like darts, billiards, skee-ball, pinball, skill crane and even the token skill games all of which coin operated. I don't see myself as a purist anything... I just like the feeling of pockets weighted down with quarters. I think it's more romance/nostalgia than anything. Or maybe I'm just a tool

[MarioAllStar2600]

It's all about quarters. That is what I preffer. I like the noise of the quarters hitting the bucket. Like half of my machines areon free play though just because it's easier.

[classic gamer]

If I ever get the chance to own an arcade game it will be set to quarters (assuming it comes with the mechanism). This way I can use the income from the machine to feed the collecting habit. If friends or family come to visit then they can also help my habit

[chadtower]

Quarters. I just keep a bowl with like $20 in quarters in the room and when it runs low you empty the coin boxes. The only two that aren't on quarters are VF2 (it has a token mech) and Space Duel (the coin mechs need repair).

[Flack]

When you have 22 machines, nothing is ever the same.

Any game that I *can* set to free play is. 99% of them are done via jumpers. The one exception is my Road Riot 4WD, which is done through software, and is stored in the CMOS. Unfortunately, the CMOS battery appears to be dead, so everytime I turn the machine off for more than an hour or so, it loses all its settings. That means every time I turn it off/on, it goes back to taking four credits to start, and not being set to free play.

Out of 22 machines, only 2 of mine have locks on the coin doors -- and I don't have keys for either of them. On the other 20, you can just swing open the door, flip the trip and put some credits on the machine.

Once I'm done testing and rebuilding my Gauntlet II machine, it will be moved from free play to coin play. It'll remain the only machine out there that permanently stays on coins.

EDIT: I forgot to mention ... my slot machine is set for tokens. Legally, a slot machine cannot be sold here in OKlahoma that takes money, since gambling is illegal. It's still set to tokens because I haven't figured out a way to convert it back to quarters.

[Sniderman]

With my machine, if I'm in the mood for many many many games, I'll pop open the coin door and trigger the switch a few times. Close 'er up and play.

But, if I just want a game while I'm waiting for the laundry to finish up, I'll drop in whatever quarters I have in my pocket. PDF's right - there's something about the clunk-chunka-chunka-CLANK of a coin dropping through that sets the mind into an arcade mood. That sound signals "I just payed to play - Damnit, I better concentrate and PLAY." If I set for free play, I have a habit of playing stupidly because it cost me nothing...

[Hovoc]

That sound signals "I just payed to play - Damnit, I better concentrate and PLAY." If I set for free play, I have a habit of playing stupidly because it cost me nothing...

This is why i suck at playing my MK cab

[Videogamerdaryll]

So here's a wacky question for you arcade owners. Do you have your machines permanently hardwired for free play? Or do you still drop quarters or tokens into the machine?

I kinda like to drop quarters into mine. Really. It's just part of the zeitgeist of the arcade, that the game did cost you something. Hearing the coin slide down the slot and into the bucket. And it doesn't make a bad bank either.

OK, fess up. Who's still got some coin drop goin' down? (This is open for folks who haven't yet joined the ranks of coin-op owners too. What would you do given the chance?)

I have all my cabs on Freeplay...But I do switch them to coin credits or tokens sometimes for the Arcade feel..
My son loves putting quarters into the machines..But I'll switch them to tokens so he can use the slot machines tokens..

The only thing I never change from freeplay is the Touchmaster 7000 in my bathroom. :P

[Vigilante]

You have a touchmaster 7000?? Woah! I didn't know they released the upgraded version.... I have the 6522 model....

[grimbal]

Of my machines only Alien vs. Predator is set to free play. That way if the kids want to play they can just press the start button.

[Sylentwulf]

I've ALWAYS either set them for free play, or flicked the coin mech inside 5-10 times before playing.

Actually, I don't even know if the coin mech WORKS with quartes or tokens, never tried it.

[slip81]

When I get an arcade game I will set it on free play.

[captain nintendo]

I just have the keys set in mine so you can open it up and pump credits on for free.

Contra and Robocop for anyone who was wondering what I owned

[Flack]

I just have the keys set in mine so you can open it up and pump credits on for free.

Contra and Robocop for anyone who was wondering what I owned

Awesome! I love my Robocop cabinet. It's funny how different an arcade sounds in a real cabinet versus runningi in MAME. My Robocop cab has a real bassy punch!

[SegaAges]

nothing is cooler than playing for free. my friend had an early 90's pinball machine and i always set it up cool. since i set it up for free play, i got rid of doing things for extra continues, i would make it so you could get extra balls. it was awesome if you were good at it.

[captain nintendo]

Awesome! I love my Robocop cabinet. It's funny how different an arcade sounds in a real cabinet versus runningi in MAME. My Robocop cab has a real bassy punch!

Mine too Flack

Right now I have a small problem with it shorting , but I need to look at all the connections and make sure everything is solid