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[-] Xulai@mander.xyz 72 points 1 year ago

So they’re copying Dave and Busters by trying to become what they should have stayed to begin with.

Not gonna work. Dave and Busters is terrible.

But get some cool animatronic shows, .25 cent arcade games from the 80s- 90s, maybe even a few amusement center rides like the old Scandia centers had (go karts, suspended rides, bumper boats, mini golf). THAT would be worthwhile.

[-] SheeEttin@lemmy.zip 37 points 1 year ago

It'll work. Millennial nostalgia is a cash cow. There are multiple arcade bars in my area that seem to do pretty well.

...actually, rereading the article, I don't see that they'll serve alcohol. Or food at all, for that matter. And it looks like they're building them out of empty mall tenancies.

Yeah, it's not gonna work.

[-] toomanypancakes@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

I go to a local arcade bar all the time (hubs loves Stepmaniax), I see tons of parents taking their kids there. There's usually people in the bar area if you don't go at like, 11 am. It honestly seems like a great business plan, new and classic arcade games, catered to both children and their parents simultaneously?

[-] halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

There's usually people in the bar area if you don't go at like, 11 am.

The comment you responded to literally says that the article makes no mention of alcohol, or even food. So barcades aren't what you need to be looking at. You need to look at whether standard arcades will work located in old malls.

And the answer to that is clearly no, because they already failed once and things haven't changed for that. Barcades work not only because of the games, but the bar. A tiny selection of basic piswasser isn't going to cut it to attract people.

[-] bcgm3@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Also, there's a pretty significant chance that these "arcades" won't be stocked with cool, nostalgic, actually-fun-to-play games, but rather the usual crop of scammy gashapon* bullshit.

[-] evenglow@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

They need to go the Costco membership route and make it worthwhile. Arcades went out of business for more than one reason.

[-] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 1 year ago

dave and busters sorta does that. You get a card which allows unlimited on the green light games. Its meh.

[-] evenglow@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Sounds like... they have not made it worthwhile though...

How does Costco make charging their customers to go grocery shopping worthwhile?

[-] HubertManne@piefed.social 2 points 1 year ago
[-] evenglow@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Very good point.

[-] AngryRobot@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Costco's annual profit is almost exactly the total of their membership fees. That means that, basically, they sell their products at cost. They honestly seem,to be kne of the few good ones out there anymore.

[-] evenglow@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

They have a rep for being a good company and over the years that has helped them a lot I think.

[-] WhatsHerBucket@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

+1 for Dave and Busters feelings.

If you live in/near a big city, arcade bars are becoming a thing.

The one I visited was a pretty large place, full of old school quarter arcades and pinball machines. It’s a legit arcade and has 2 large bars to get drinks. Thursday night is free night and you can just go in and play for free!

E: comma

[-] njm1314@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Does Dave & Buster's have arcade games? I've only been there one time but when I did it was like all mobile games.

[-] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 38 points 1 year ago

Well you had me at "Rat Casino" but "Adult Rat Casino"?

How do I make a down payment?

[-] d00phy@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

Found John Oliver’s account!

[-] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago

Right when their target demographic has no disposable income...

[-] tatterdemalion@programming.dev 16 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

They call it: funflation.

No. You made that up and now you're calling it that. I hate these basic-ass brainwashing media outlets so much.

Is Good Morning America just ads disguised as news?

[-] girthero@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

always_has_been.png

[-] null@slrpnk.net 3 points 1 year ago

They call it: newsflation

[-] Zugyuk@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago

We've already seen how this goes 🤣

[-] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 year ago

Not pictured is the Confederate flag to the right of this. No I am not joking, look up pictures from some of the original locations.

[-] Kolanaki@pawb.social 16 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I've been toying with the idea of having my 41st birthday at Chuck E. Cheese just because I think it would be funny. But if they're gonna add stuff specifically for adults, it loses all comedic value. 😩

[-] blitzen@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 year ago

I’ve joked for years they should pivot to legit Michelin quality white tablecloth restaurants called Charles E Fromage.

[-] PopcornPrincess@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

They have a ghost kitchen called Pasqually’s. However, it seems like it’s pretty much the same pizza lol just a different name.

[-] VitoRobles@lemmy.today 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It's crazy how many cool local arcades exist on the West Coast of the US.

I lived in the East Coast and they're all shitty chains like Dave and Busters, selling you $20 microwaved chicken wings and watered down beer, while charging you $3.42 in D&B Fake bucks to play Mortal Kombat 3.

While West Coast, you spend $10 to play hundreds of SNES games and they give you a bowl of Fruit loops and milk so you can relieve your childhood.

[-] gnomesaiyan@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

I am done with Dave and Busters. What a shitshow. Some of the machines are always broken, the food is mediocre at best, and I just want to play fun games, not win tickets for shitty prizes. Where are all the real arcade machines?!

There’s a place in my city that has all the classic consoles for people to play at their table. There’s another place that’s just pinball machines

[-] Gerudo@lemmy.zip 9 points 1 year ago

I love my local bar arcade. Flat fee at the door, unlimited play on hundreds of arcade/pinball/midway games. They also have great ciders on tap.

[-] SparroHawc@lemmy.zip 9 points 1 year ago

Isn't Chuck E. Cheese the company that nearly turned Moppet Video arcade machines into lost media, by destroying the cabinets for a tax writeoff?

[-] hark@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

New concept? I'm pretty sure round1 has been around for a while.

[-] lupusblackfur@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

JFC...

Chuck E. Cheese is still a thing?? (Yeah, I have no kids... If I did, they'd be way too old for CEC anyway.)

🤷

[-] HelluvaKick@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

Their pizza game has stepped up a bit

[-] PrimeErective@startrek.website 2 points 1 year ago

What does Consumer Electronics Control have to do with this

[-] j0ester@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

There is. My daughter loves it. She plays a handful of games for a few hours. But it’s definitely not like how it was when I was there when I was a kid.

[-] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 1 year ago

I actually like this idea a lot more than I expected to. Bring it on.

[-] sunbrrnslapper@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

But will they have the pizza buffet?!?

[-] crystalmerchant@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Lmao hard pass

[-] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago

They should do a Cafe 80's (except done well).

Will they be a split location so my kids could be playing their lame games while I play street fighter?

[-] LilB0kChoy@midwest.social 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Any other Circus Pizza folks here? Bring that back along with Rock-afire Explosion for adults and I'm in!

[-] cabron_offsets@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago
[-] beemikeoak@lemmynsfw.com 1 points 1 year ago

In other places a Nintendo rep sues you for playing Pacman.

this post was submitted on 02 Jul 2025
180 points (97.9% liked)

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