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So.... I inherited an old Japanese Game Center

M

mattiewheels

And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
DAREALGUMMY said:
That sounds awesome. Reading all these replies makes me sad that arcades are dead in the US. I always wanted to make enough money to open a retro arcade/drink bar.
Click to expand...
There's a guy here in Miami who's living that dream, he opened the slickest modern arcade I've seen and has fighting tourneys their too. Arcade Odyssey, I think the name is.
 
C

Cheesecakebobby

Banned
I'm in Tokyo, let me come see!

Of course the way to make money is to convert it into a packing parlour instead. But then the yaks cap you for muscling in on their turf.
 
M

mollipen

Member
Oh my lord. I'm not sure I'd want this to happen to me, because if it did, there's absolutely no way I wouldn't try to re-open the arcade—which could lead to my financial downfall. *heh* I've always loved the idea of having an arcade, and having one in Japan in a crazy old building like that would only make it a hundred times cooler.

The gaijin trying to bring the retro Japanese arcade back to life. The tech-savvy hikikimori hired to fix the machines up. The cute girl staff member who secretly is an expert gamer. The girlfriend's grandmother who always proclaims that the arcade will fail—but who, secretly, is rooting for you. Manga, anime, J-drama, it could be anything and everything!
 
M

Mailenstein

Member
I wouldn't consider reopening it again. If you do tho, I'll come and visit. I'm located in Fukuoka^^. Good luck with whatever you do with it!
 
P

Persona7

Banned
Drencrom said:
You have to name the center Neogaf and invite The Kacho!
Click to expand...

cx8dq5Y.png
 
M

mrklaw

MrArseFace
If you are really near chiba station, isn't that pretty valuable real estate? Odd to have been lying unused for a long time. Got any backstory to it?

My in-laws live in inage so I've been to chiba station loads of times - a couple looking for decent arcade but they seem to only have the usual UFO catchers and print clubs
 
C

Crazy_Sunshine

Banned
It's almost too beautiful for words OP, If I was you, before you sale them, I would get a whole bunch of friends together. Get drunk and play all those old games till the next morning. And keep the ones you had the most fun with.
 
C

chrono01

Member
mrklaw said:
If you are really near chiba station, isn't that pretty valuable real estate? Odd to have been lying unused for a long time. Got any backstory to it?
Click to expand...
There have been reports of a strange moaning coming from behind the walls, and mention of a long, black-haired girl roaming the halls. But I'm sure it's nothing to be worried about.

FREE ARCADE CABINETS!!

[I'm not being serious, obviously.]
 
M

mrklaw

MrArseFace
Chris_C said:
I swear I thought the same thing. I need this movie made.
Click to expand...

Maybe not a movie, but you could probably make a fun YouTube series where a bunch of gaijin gamers try and get a dusty old Japanese arcade renovated and all the hilarious escapades that ensue.

Loveable Japanese Grandma would be the icing on the cake. Language barrier, generation gap etc - perfect
 
kyoya

kyoya

Member
I know you want money but please consider donating them to a Japanese museum so they can be played by future generations, you could try here:

JAPAN GAME MUSEUM
Based in Inuyama-City, Aichi Prefecture
http://www.one-more-time.jp/game-en/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYX2b3HCX2E

Idol Haruna Anno also operates Game Museum in Tokyo
http://eggcore.cutegirl.jp/eggcore_official_site/gamecolonyBlog/gamecolonyBlog.html


Natsuge Museum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DB3jKWcCYY

Any retro themed arcade in Akihabara might also be interested in them, including Super Potato (they have a small arcade), or Natsuge.
 
K

keisuke999

Member
kyoya said:
I know you want money but please consider donating them to a Japanese museum so they can be played by future generations, you could try here:

JAPAN GAME MUSEUM
Based in Inuyama-City, Aichi Prefecture
http://www.one-more-time.jp/game-en/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYX2b3HCX2E

Idol Haruna Anno also operates Game Museum in Tokyo
http://eggcore.cutegirl.jp/eggcore_official_site/gamecolonyBlog/gamecolonyBlog.html


Natsuge Museum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DB3jKWcCYY

Any retro themed arcade in Akihabara might also be interested in them, including Super Potato (they have a small arcade), or Natsuge.
Click to expand...


Most of these places are only looking for games made before 1988. There are a lot of these here as well. Do I could donate all the old ones, and sell the newer ones. Win-win :)
 
E

excaliburps

Press - MP1st.com
keisuke999 said:
My girlfriend's Grandma bought a old building in Chiba, Japan. The first two floors, it turns out, are an old game center reaching back to around the mid 80s.

She said she was just going to toss it all out, but I convinced her that there was value in it. So, she gave it to me and said "Do whatever you want. If you can sell them, you can keep the money,"

So... yeah, I own a Game center now. Any advice on what to do with it?

Pics are too hi-res to post here without stretching waaay off the forum, so I put them all here:

http://imgur.com/a/yqxip

EDIT: Okay guys, I emailed Game Center CX. Let's see if anything comes from this. :)
Click to expand...

Wow! That's one of my dreams, OP! :D

I don't think arcades are that big anymore, right? Maybe add in some food stalls or something? Host tournaments and get the big fighting games and pachinko machines. Really curious to hear how this turns out. Keep us updated, man!
 
kyoya

kyoya

Member
keisuke999 said:
Most of these places are only looking for games made before 1988. There are a lot of these here as well. Do I could donate all the old ones, and sell the newer ones. Win-win :)
Click to expand...

Go for it. I think the CRT TV's in these machines are valuable since they are not made anymore - there is a possibility people may want to buy them, take them apart and repair other machines. I'm kind of against this, but that's just me. It would just be cool to preserve the machines as they are and not have others take them apart and sell the parts while junking the rest.

In my mind preservation means people get to enjoy them, games that can be played as they were originally designed, and you might be inspiring a future game designer or two :)
 
VlaudTheImpaler

VlaudTheImpaler

tl;dr
keisuke999 said:
Going to go there soon to take a full inventory.

So far, I know it has:

Raiden V, Metal Slug X, Street Fighter Alpha (Zero) 2, Pocket Fighters, UFO Attack, Sega Tetris
Click to expand...

Sniff, sniff, :') my heartstrings.

keisuke999 said:
Just the stuff inside, as far as I know. Unless, of course, I can think of what to do with them. I mean, If I turn it into some kind of profitable business, I'm sure she wouldn't say no.
Click to expand...

You should reopen it and advertise it specifically as an old school arcade! You might at least get the people that used to game there back in the day.
 
VlaudTheImpaler

VlaudTheImpaler

tl;dr
mrklaw said:
Maybe not a movie, but you could probably make a fun YouTube series where a bunch of gaijin gamers try and get a dusty old Japanese arcade renovated and all the hilarious escapades that ensue.

Loveable Japanese Grandma would be the icing on the cake. Language barrier, generation gap etc - perfect
Click to expand...

This is a fantastic idea. Would watch.
Seriously.

Edit: Dangit, double post! The thread was going so fast I didn't think it would be a problem. :/
 
M

mattiewheels

And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
keisuke999 said:
Going to go there soon to take a full inventory.

So far, I know it has:

Raiden V, Metal Slug X, Street Fighter Alpha (Zero) 2, Pocket Fighters, UFO Attack, Sega Tetris
Click to expand...
The Kacho will definitely come then.
 
R

RoySFNR

Member
mrklaw said:
Maybe not a movie, but you could probably make a fun YouTube series where a bunch of gaijin gamers try and get a dusty old Japanese arcade renovated and all the hilarious escapades that ensue.

Loveable Japanese Grandma would be the icing on the cake. Language barrier, generation gap etc - perfect
Click to expand...

HJWawLk.gif


Sub/10
 
E

eoa-swam

Member
keisuke999 said:
My girlfriend's Grandma bought a old building in Chiba, Japan. The first two floors, it turns out, are an old game center reaching back to around the mid 80s.

She said she was just going to toss it all out, but I convinced her that there was value in it. So, she gave it to me and said "Do whatever you want. If you can sell them, you can keep the money,"

So... yeah, I own a Game center now. Any advice on what to do with it?

Pics are too hi-res to post here without stretching waaay off the forum, so I put them all here:

http://imgur.com/a/yqxip

EDIT: Okay guys, I emailed Game Center CX. Let's see if anything comes from this. :)

EDIT 2: Anyone wanna bet how long it'll be before this story is on Kotaku?
Click to expand...


Might be worth contacting Luke Morse. I believe he lives in Tokyo and could be a real help with all of this :

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj3EZcklopZBkGfgFVHfJQg
 
X

xk0sm0sx

Member
Is your area a populated area, where Japanese salarymen can drop by and play after work?

Also, if you can, write the exact location, people like me might come down when we go to Japan :).

One more question, since the arcade came from the 80s, are you sure there isn't a single porn game among them? ;)
 
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