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Arcade resurgence?


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This is an older story but the momentum for Timezone re-opening stores doesn't seem to have slowed:

 

https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/timezone-planning-massive-expansion-as-shopping-malls-seek-to-entertain-20170131-gu27w9.html

 

Not sure if it's already been posted here but I found it interesting that they're debt free and looking to expand again in a big way, looks like the demand hasn't gone away and the push is being led by parents in their 30's and 40's who want somewhere to take their kids for fun.

 

Sadly competitive fighting games or beat-em-ups don't seem to be on the cards (at least from Timezone anyway).

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This is an older story but the momentum for Timezone re-opening stores doesn't seem to have slowed:

 

https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/timezone-planning-massive-expansion-as-shopping-malls-seek-to-entertain-20170131-gu27w9.html

 

Not sure if it's already been posted here but I found it interesting that they're debt free and looking to expand again in a big way, looks like the demand hasn't gone away and the push is being led by parents in their 30's and 40's who want somewhere to take their kids for fun. go from

 

Sadly competitive fighting games or beat-em-ups don't seem to be on the cards (at least from Timezone anyway).

 

Id say there is a resurgence in arcades, It was cool in the 90's I remember allot of shopping centers had more than one arcade, an Intencity at one end and time zone up the other end and both would be full, Was good walking from one to the other once you had played all the games in one of them.

But then it died and you barely started seeing any arcades in shopping centers, but they seem tobe popping back up now which is great,

Id love to see a few more really large ones like we see at the gold coast.

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Problem is they will be full of redemption machines anyway. God I hate those kid's gaming machines. They should all be banned as it only teaches kids the fundamentals of gambling but hell, no operator will miss the opportunity to run machines that earn quicker than any proper arcade has in the history of machines.

 

$1 for a go that lasts 10 seconds makes for a very fast earning machine doesn't it.

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Ironic line from that article:

 

"arcades started closing down as teenagers and gamers found Xboxs, Playstations and then smartphones delivered the same thrills without the need for gold coins."

 

The microtransactions in those games are now making arcades seem like far better value.

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I'd say another factor is that in the 90's commercial rent especially in places like Westfield was hideously expensive. Margins for retailers and arcade couldn't cover it. Now commercial space is competitively dirt cheap and arcades if run right can make a living. As soon as rents start to go up they'll drop out of malls again.

 

Like has been said though, **** redemption machines.

 

Brad

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Interesting article.

 

As a side note, some may not know - Coin Cascade, who are the franchisees/operators of Time Zone here in NZ are being bought out by LAI, handover soon I believe. Don't know if this will affect anything at the stores here or new pinball prices etc.

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Yes LAI is a sleeping giant apparently!

 

 

I sent timezone an email asking them if they're going to cater for us guys that like older stuff and pinball and this is what they said:

 

Hey Michael,

 

 

 

Thanks for your email! Yes, Timezone is currently going through an aggressive expansion and along with some new partnerships formed (Zone Bowling, Kingpin, Playtime) Timezone is currently the largest family entertainment provider in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

 

 

We do acknowledge that there is a nostalgic audience who frequent our venues and we try to have something to cater for all demographics. This includes having Pinball machines and some of the classic arcade games such as Space Invaders in a revamped, modern style.

 

 

 

Hopefully we can look at opening a Timezone in the central tablelands of NSW so we can showcase Timezone’s modern take on the arcade scene.

 

 

Thanks again for the email and hope to hear from you soon about your experience when you visit us next!

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I will admit I dont mind the ticket games, It is fun trying to collect tickets for stupid toys and so on, and playing the odd skill testers and so on, as rigged as they are. lol.

It is good fun doing that, But saying that I wouldnt allow my kid to play those wizard of oz token games or those sort of machines, While I have played them my self which I now stay away from as they take your money way to quick lol, as people have said they are like slot machines, they are really something only an adult should play IMO.

But the old bowling games, wack a mole games ticket games, basket ball hopes, those stupid horse riding games and even the stupid spin the wheel games I dont take to much issue with, as they dont have the same level of addiction, But that wizard of oz game is a big problem which you wouldnt want your kids to play at all or at least not very often.

Its addictive, you will see allot of people sitting on those all night.

 

But Tickets are fun, the best part is spending 20minutes at the end of the night trying to scheme and do maths on which items you could get the best value out of lol, Obviously none are good value but its still fun todo

 

feel like a kid trying to make a decision

Eg

If I spend 300tickets on that walking dead money bank, Ill have 50 tickets to spend on that light sabre key ring, and 20 tickets on that sponge bob pencil sharpener, But do i really want that sponge bob pencil sharpener? hmm its better than that Hello kitty pencil. lol

Hmm decisions, maybe we should just hold off till next time and get that lava lamp for 800 tickets as it will match our Glitter lamp we got last time, aahaha,

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I will admit I dont mind the ticket games, It is fun trying to collect tickets for stupid toys and so on, and playing the odd skill testers and so on, as rigged as they are. lol.

It is good fun doing that, But saying that I wouldnt allow my kid to play those wizard of oz token games or those sort of machines, While I have played them my self which I now stay away from as they take your money way to quick lol, as people have said they are like slot machines, they are really something only an adult should play IMO.

But the old bowling games, wack a mole games ticket games, basket ball hopes, those stupid horse riding games and even the stupid spin the wheel games I dont take to much issue with, as they dont have the same level of addiction, But that wizard of oz game is a big problem which you wouldnt want your kids to play at all or at least not very often.

Its addictive, you will see allot of people sitting on those all night.

 

But Tickets are fun, the best part is spending 20minutes at the end of the night trying to scheme and do maths on which items you could get the best value out of lol, Obviously none are good value but its still fun todo

 

feel like a kid trying to make a decision

Eg

If I spend 300tickets on that walking dead money bank, Ill have 50 tickets to spend on that light sabre key ring, and 20 tickets on that sponge bob pencil sharpener, But do i really want that sponge bob pencil sharpener? hmm its better than that Hello kitty pencil. lol

Hmm decisions, maybe we should just hold off till next time and get that lava lamp for 800 tickets as it will match our Glitter lamp we got last time, aahaha,

 

We got a timezone in april and bang on as walk in is a woz coin dropper

 

Reminds me of old days of coin pushers at the shows

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We got a timezone in april and bang on as walk in is a woz coin dropper

 

Reminds me of old days of coin pushers at the shows

 

ahaha yer I do like some coin pushers, they are damn fun to waste the last of your tokens on, and I think up until recently that would be what most people would have used them for. But when that Wizard of oz game came on the scene, that thing is seriously a bad bit of kit, you watch the people sitting on it like it was a poker machine.

The traditional coin pusher has nothing on that WOZ pusher.

It is on a totally different level of bad news. Surely that WOZ would be the number one money earner these days.

If you had gambling problems you wouldn't want to go any here near one of these, and I wouldn't allow a kid to play it as it would create habits.

 

but I guess arcades and gambling isnt a new thing, Pretty much all the 1930's arcade games I restore are gambling machines including pinball.

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Very interesting. Looks like the Dreamwork disaster hurt Ardent Leisure more than what first appeared and now LAI is able to walk in and pick up the pieces of the amusement division that is now called "Strike Bowling" instead of AMF Bowling.

 

My local EX AMF Bowl was AMF Southgate now called Strike Zone Bowling. Can anyone confirm any other AMF Bowling centers now called Strike Zone?.

 

Southgate was one of AMF's most profitable centers and Playtime Blacktown was one of AMF's biggest earning arcades.

 

LAI now being involved with both these centers is stunning news.

 

I don't know quite how to take this news. AMF did give me employment for over 20 years but they did push me out the door because the last time around I worked for them I was only as casual status and even though I was a level 5 tech, ( the highest before management in AMF), being casual meant I was the easiest to remove and able to replace with Victorian full time staff.

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Very interesting. Looks like the Dreamwork disaster hurt Ardent Leisure more than what first appeared and now LAI is able to walk in and pick up the pieces of the amusement division that is now called "Strike Bowling" instead of AMF Bowling.

 

My local EX AMF Bowl was AMF Southgate now called Strike Zone Bowling. Can anyone confirm any other AMF Bowling centers now called Strike Zone?.

 

Southgate was one of AMF's most profitable centers and Playtime Blacktown was one of AMF's biggest earning arcades.

 

LAI now being involved with both these centers is stunning news.

 

I don't know quite how to take this news. AMF did give me employment for over 20 years but they did push me out the door because the last time around I worked for them I was only as casual status and even though I was a level 5 tech, ( the highest before management in AMF), being casual meant I was the easiest to remove and able to replace with Victorian full time staff.

 

Interesting stuff Steve, sounds like you were right in the middle of it all at the time. Sorry to hear it ended on a bad note though!

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My local EX AMF Bowl was AMF Southgate now called Strike Zone Bowling. Can anyone confirm any other AMF Bowling centers now called Strike Zone?.

 

As far as I know all AMF bowling centres are being renamed to Zone Bowling. At least where there is a laser tag in the same centre.

I got an email from AMF a few months ago about it

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Aussie Arcade

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As far as I know all AMF bowling centres are being renamed to Zone Bowling. At least where there is a laser tag in the same centre.

I got an email from AMF a few months ago about it

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Aussie Arcade

 

May have just dropped the name?. The name AMF come about when Harley Davidson owned AMF back in the 60s-70s and made all the founded and forged metal parts in the pinsetter machines. AMF stands for American Metal Founders.

 

Used to be a good company till Macquarie Bank bought AMF Australia and then they sold it to Ardent Leisure and they were just loosers in business loosing money with anything they touched.

 

Shame because the workers knew there jobs but management always seemed to have no idea driving good workers away. I left the company twice, once when the bank took over and them when Ardent took over only to be asked to come back a couple of years later. All was fine till new management come in and started cost cutting on maintenance......Sound familiar.......Ardent own DreamWorld as well and the log ride. accident

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ahaha yer I do like some coin pushers, they are damn fun to waste the last of your tokens on, and I think up until recently that would be what most people would have used them for. But when that Wizard of oz game came on the scene, that thing is seriously a bad bit of kit, you watch the people sitting on it like it was a poker machine.

The traditional coin pusher has nothing on that WOZ pusher.

It is on a totally different level of bad news. Surely that WOZ would be the number one money earner these days.

If you had gambling problems you wouldn't want to go any here near one of these, and I wouldn't allow a kid to play it as it would create habits.

 

but I guess arcades and gambling isnt a new thing, Pretty much all the 1930's arcade games I restore are gambling machines including pinball.

 

Mrs dont let kids on the woz. Luckily kids like other ticket games

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May have just dropped the name?. The name AMF come about when Harley Davidson owned AMF back in the 60s-70s and made all the founded and forged metal parts in the pinsetter machines. AMF stands for American Metal Founders.

 

Used to be a good company till Macquarie Bank bought AMF Australia and then they sold it to Ardent Leisure and they were just loosers in business loosing money with anything they touched.

 

Shame because the workers knew there jobs but management always seemed to have no idea driving good workers away. I left the company twice, once when the bank took over and them when Ardent took over only to be asked to come back a couple of years later. All was fine till new management come in and started cost cutting on maintenance......Sound familiar.......Ardent own DreamWorld as well and the log ride. accident

 

Sounds familiar...

 

Isn't funny where the Macquarie Bank pops up!

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I don't think the arcade will ever come back in the sense of it being a sub-culture hub, where teens hang out on a Saturday.

We're now in the realm of soulless operators like Time Zone, or nostalgia arcades catering for a niche audience.

But I think giant, immersive games that can't be duplicated in the home will always survive in some form.

I took my son to the local Time Zone for the first time a few months back and he loved the Let's Go Island game.

It had a hydraulic seat, simulating the movement of the boat, and was lots of fun.

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Arcade resurgence?

 

Timezone here on the Gold Coast in Surfers has got a lot of redemption stuff, but they do have quite a few other games.

 

Driving cabs, new Raw Thrills stuff like Walking Dead, that new giant Space Invaders game, enough pins to make a visit worthwhile and if you've got kids there's laser tag, dodgem cars and other stuff.

 

It's kind of a shame they don't have Tekken 7 or USF4 (they had a very sad Super SF4 AE and Tekken 6 last time I was there) - but I guess that's not what people want in an arcade these days

 

I haven't been in a while, I wonder if they've got the new Raw Thrills TMNT....

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Will be interesting to see how this new retro arcade in Perth fares:

 

Those susceptible to nostalgia trips have been warned, this time warp will hit hard.

 

More than 100 retro gaming machines from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s will be dusted off and powered on when the Palace Arcade launches in Northbridge next month.

 

Among them will be classics including Donkey Kong, Mortal Kombat, Defender and Space Invaders, sitting proudly alongside dozens of other popular favourites and all available to play.

 

Owner Saran Bajaj said the “barcade”, which will also serve cocktails, craft beer and food, played on nostalgia.

 

“It’s paying tribute to a different time,” he said.

 

“It’s a time warp. I’m 32 and some of these machines are older than I am.

 

“Some kids don’t even realise there was a time before flat screens. They ask ‘how do I play online?’

 

“There really is beauty in simplicity. These machines didn’t need to have 10 buttons to be engaging.”

 

Daytona USA and Sega Rally.

Daytona USA and Sega Rally.Picture: The Palace Arcade

The music promoter bought his first classic machine - a Taito-manufactured Space Invaders - seven years ago.

 

He said he played arcade games as a kid and always wanted to buy one, enthralled by the art and creativity that went into making them.

 

Over the coming years Mr Bajaj continued to add to his collection.

 

“I had loads of people messaging me wanting to come and play them or have me host their birthday parties,” he said.

 

X-Men side-scroller.

X-Men side-scroller.Picture: The Palace Arcade

Twelve months ago he decided to turn his hobby into a business, partnering with his brother to open the new arcade.

 

He is now just waiting on the final paperwork before he would reveal the location and opening date.

 

The rumour is that it will open at Dominion League’s Beaufort Street premises, which is shutting up shop on August 4.

 

The new gaming bar should open in the second or third week of August.

 

“People have stopped going out because all the entertainment is there on their phones,” Mr Bajaj said.

 

“The idea is for people to come here, play some games, have some food and a drink and have a good time.”

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Will be interesting to see how this new retro arcade in Perth fares:

 

Those susceptible to nostalgia trips have been warned, this time warp will hit hard.

 

More than 100 retro gaming machines from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s will be dusted off and powered on when the Palace Arcade launches in Northbridge next month.

 

Among them will be classics including Donkey Kong, Mortal Kombat, Defender and Space Invaders, sitting proudly alongside dozens of other popular favourites and all available to play.

 

Owner Saran Bajaj said the “barcade”, which will also serve cocktails, craft beer and food, played on nostalgia.

 

“It’s paying tribute to a different time,” he said.

 

“It’s a time warp. I’m 32 and some of these machines are older than I am.

 

“Some kids don’t even realise there was a time before flat screens. They ask ‘how do I play online?’

 

“There really is beauty in simplicity. These machines didn’t need to have 10 buttons to be engaging.”

 

Daytona USA and Sega Rally.

Daytona USA and Sega Rally.Picture: The Palace Arcade

The music promoter bought his first classic machine - a Taito-manufactured Space Invaders - seven years ago.

 

He said he played arcade games as a kid and always wanted to buy one, enthralled by the art and creativity that went into making them.

 

Over the coming years Mr Bajaj continued to add to his collection.

 

“I had loads of people messaging me wanting to come and play them or have me host their birthday parties,” he said.

 

X-Men side-scroller.

X-Men side-scroller.Picture: The Palace Arcade

Twelve months ago he decided to turn his hobby into a business, partnering with his brother to open the new arcade.

 

He is now just waiting on the final paperwork before he would reveal the location and opening date.

 

The rumour is that it will open at Dominion League’s Beaufort Street premises, which is shutting up shop on August 4.

 

The new gaming bar should open in the second or third week of August.

 

“People have stopped going out because all the entertainment is there on their phones,” Mr Bajaj said.

 

“The idea is for people to come here, play some games, have some food and a drink and have a good time.”

 

This guy is among a few taking the plunge:

 

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He did a letterbox drop in the local area and has been going for a while now, surviving in an industrial area.

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This guy is among a few taking the plunge:

 

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He did a letterbox drop in the local area and has been going for a while now, surviving in an industrial area.

 

I think it's a great way of reactivating these light industrial zones on the edge of town that, in some cases, have become an eyesore and are not being used.

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