With all the hoop-la of all the new/next gen consoles coming out.  Xbox one (which didn’t we already have an xbox one?) with its target audience being “the whole center of your entertainment” and not being really geared towards the core gamer or even just gamer in general.  We have the PS4 (love sony’s console marketing names LOL) with a new attempt to just follow more trends than actually set any themselves.  We already have the Wii U which is a total flop right now and sales and new games are hard to be found. Well with all that being said.  The Next Gen “flop” is growing the Retro Gaming community even more.  More and more People today are looking back on their childhood.  Even when it comes to toys. With a spike in collectibles such as Star Wars figures, He-man, My little Bro-ny, to name a few.  Retro Console and game prices are not any different.  I been slowly collecting and at some points didn’t even know I was collection (wife says hording) console games and consoles for over 3 decades.  I still even have my original C64 which is pictured at the top of the screen.    I also have my original in box Intellivision, NES, Sega Genesis to name a few.   Every Retro collector has to have an Atari 2600 which (in my opinion) started it all.   Yeah yeah yeah the hard cores will say it was Pong but seriously it wasn’t believe you me.

As arcades of 1980′s are dead along with their business models.  A few have taken it to heart in hopes to re-live their passion for the video gaming they new as a kid.  Places like Funspot still hold onto a lot of memories but it is more of a hybrid of a video gaming place and redemption games (I don’t blame them one bit, it is what people want and they supply the demand).  They still have a Retro Gaming room that still holds true to this day as an Amazing Arcade Classic Museum.  It totally gets my double thumbs up of approval for anyone any age!  You must go there at least once in your life!

Even Seaside (Park or Heights), New Jersey has transformed into a Redemption game mecca!  I grew up in that area and lived in Seaside Park (the nicer of the two) for awhile.  I also worked on the boardwalk as a kid and spent my lunch hours pumping quarters into new pinball machines and video arcade machines.  After the area this past year (fall 2012) has been devastated by Hurricane/hybrid/superstorm Sandy.  Even more and more of these arcade machine video games have been destroyed and probably will never be replaced.  It is just completely heartbreaking. With all that being said the Business model in the “Arcade” world had to change.  It is more of a Dave and Buster’s type of deal which is basically a modified version of Chuck y Cheese for adults that want to get drunk.  They even have a place or Had a place in Seaside Heights, NJ called “Captain Hooks”.  Don’t get me wrong I am no prude and have enjoyed a few times at D&B but the more and more I hear about it.  The more it is just a bunch of 20 and 30 year olds shooting hoops at a record pace and getting tickets for some sort of something.  It just isn’t what it was like growing up at an “Arcade” A handful (and i am sure there are more) have adapted to that same Business model to help keep their passion for Classic Arcade machines alive.  Places like Barcade, Yestercade, 1up to name a few.  Sell alcohol to make a profit and give the arcade gaming away to drawn in business.  Nice and simple model that seems to work well.  The only issue with that is. You need to do what the Arcade did in the past.  GET NEW GAMES IN… Well seeing there hasn’t been a new Classic Arcade game made in Decades (unless you are the over the top Extreme being like Richie Knucklez and his “Wreck it Ralph” arcade Machine Build see photo here) You are just going to have to rely on the nostalgic feel of old games and cycle them in and cycle them out to keep customers actually interested.  Because there is a reason why the arcades died… peopled got bored with them…

With all that being said. Is this where the Console gaming industry is headed?  I mean if you look back on the History of the Arcade machine…  The console industry bounced back from the disaster but I believe it is headed in that direction again.  It might open the doors for a new competitor  Ummm  Well looks like I’ll just be plugging in my C64 and bringing back those good old memories…

Brent @ like us at facebook.com/extendedplayarcade