Would a classic video game arcade be viable in Sheffield?

You're never quite as good though using 2nd choice. Try playing Daley Thompson's on the Spectrum using your middle fingers trying to run, when the index fingers are knackered!

(which keys were always knackered on spectrums when they had that game? was it z and x? or o and p?)

I remember going through a fair few keyboard membranes on my Speccy thanks to Daley Thomsen's Decathlon and assorted followup games. The Hyper Sports swimming event also didn't do it any good.

Luckily my dad was an electrical engineer, so he used to replace the membranes for me.

Me and my brother would definitely go somewhere like this! Neither of us play video games anymore but we were obsessed back in the 80's and early 90's and modern day arcades are a masive disappointment due to the lack of the classic joystick and platform games.

 

If you do it please consider double dragon 3, WWF, TMNT, POW, street smart, Pit fighter!

NO! Double dragon 1!

Also, Pit Fighter was pretty bad

My faves used to be Wonder Boy, The NewZealand Story, Bubble Bobble, Street Fighter II, Crude Buster/Two Crude Dudes and Space Harrier.

Oh and Star Wars.

Pricing will be important, tho. Charge too much, no-one will play and you lose your USP. Charge too little, people will spend all the time playing the games and not buying your other products. Might be a bit trial and error to strike the right balance. However, if you were to get some decent games in, charge me 50p a game (or 3 credits for a quid), the same as the average jukebox, say, I think I would frequent it.

That's the nub of it. when your looking at a quid a qo for approx 5-10 mins entertainment your going to put off a sizeable chunk of prospective customers, ie children/parents with children so the cost needs to be looked at as a whole.

If you site it in town people have to travel to it, then pay to play, buy food and drink and importantly leave feeling it was A GOOD DEAL.

If you can get the price right, say sub £20 for an afternoons entertainment & bit of food drink (from a set menu )

Then you'll have endless amounts of custom from all over sheffield for quite a while.

Because when it comes down to it a business centered around video games is going to be funded most by children (parents) and the fans.

Thanks for all your input and ideas, the "meal deal" idea is essent - looking into it as we speak.

End of chat.

I remember going through a fair few keyboard membranes on my Speccy thanks to Daley Thomsen's Decathlon and assorted followup games. The Hyper Sports swimming event also didn't do it any good.

 

Luckily my dad was an electrical engineer, so he used to replace the membranes for me.

My Dad's Dad was one, but my Dad wasn't. Hence I opted for plan B. Play these games on other people's machines, and stick to Football Manager on mine

Picture House Social has a Street Fighter machine in it, but it's clearly not there making them money.

Seems like a nice idea, but I think you would find the cost of buying decent machines and maintaining them would be massive.

Besides, there are already a lot of people hiring these machines out (see Google)

Like this http://www.amusements.co.uk/amusement-games-for-hire/retro-games-for-hire

I have a Jar full of 10p pieces.... wait... it will be 10p play wont it?

I'd pop in n play n relax if you did. my old mate dan had a few full arcade machines ..lugging them whenever he moved! was a nightmare, but worth it afterwards!.

i think it'd work ..and of course if you buy the full cabinet gamestation you don't have to be afraid of being sued as you own the machine. +1 from me. 0range.

---------- Post added 21-11-2015 at 03:30 ----------

I have a Jar full of 10p pieces.... wait... it will be 10p play wont it?

i hope so!

Just seen this ..

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-10-15-uks-first-permanent-video-game-museum-opens-in-november

Apparently it’s going to be in the old castle house co-op building..

Excellent.

I have lost all personal interest in video games. But must admit I used to love them.

The museum should open in november and i'm pretty sure i will make some time to check it out and look around. There was this silly early eighties movie on television the other day with this chick in silly clothes playing a video game while excersising and listening to disco music.

It reminds me video games may not be that old but times have changed as much in last 40 years as things used to change in a century during middle ages.

Good news for gaming fans, yet another one to open in the North!

Europe’s largest retro and futuristic arcade set to open in Liverpool

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/europes-largest-retro-futuristic-arcade-16587247

After looking on YouTube recently, for nostalgia purposes, at some old Megadrive and SNES games, I must say that many of them are not as good as I remember.