[boagman]

So tonight I'm having dinner with a buddy at a regional shopping mall, and since he had to go home to the wife and kids (and I didn't), I decided to once again drop by the local Gameworks to see if they had anything new to play/experience. They did, in the form of both FatF: Super Bikes (a linked pair), and the one machine I've really been waiting for. That machine being, of course, Sega/AM2's After Burner Climax, and not just *any* ABC, but the big old deluxe version of the cabinet that moves in all directions. It's quite the impressive machine to look at, even before you ever stare at the beauty of the screen.

Now, I want to stop right here and note once again that I'm a fan of free enterprise, capitalism, and all that. I understand that nothing's free, and that premium entertainment will often command a premium price, period. I have no problem accepting this as not only realistic, but fair.

The price to play this game was the rough equivalent of $5US per play. I believe that my jaw not only hit the floor, but it darned near rolled away on me. This machine (which, while decent-sized, is far from the biggest, or most elaborate cabinet in the place) was the *single highest priced* game to play in the entire place, by a margin of about $2 *per play*.

They've done a heck of a nice job infusing lots of new equipment into this particular Gameworks lately (long overdue), with a healthy dose of new equipment over the last year or two, for sure. So I don't want to sound ungrateful, but FIVE DOLLARS A STINKING PLAY?

They have the Cycraft machines with full motion hydraulic movement (infused with Initial D 3rd Stage) at about $2.75-$3.00 a play. They have Time Crisis 4 at about $1.50 per play. They have Virtua Tennis 3 at about $2.00 a play. Their 3-story high Pirates game is $3.00 to play...and yet this machine somehow commands $5 per play.

That, my friends, is what happens when the moron bean-counters are allowed to price things. I was there for a solid hour and a half, and *no one* played this machine. They've priced it clean out of reach. The only conceivable way I can see to play this is:

1. Wait until Happy Hour, wherein all machines are 1/2 price to play, making ABC a still-gulp-inducing $2.50 per play.

2. Wait until Thursday night and go over, when you can buy a 7PM until close timed game card that lets you play any non-prize amusement machine you want as much as you want until they close. To me, this sounds like the only rational plan.

Five dollars a game. FIVE DOLLARS. Shoot...I'll play the stinking lottery first. Idiots.

[Mikey]

I'm really cheap when it comes to arcade games - most of the time I think anything over a quarter is too much, depending on the game. I see my friend put $1.25 into BeatMania and I wince.

[Toups]

I'd pay $5 for a chance to play prop cycle again.
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[Pijaibros]

[sethsez]

I'd pay $5 to play it once.

I'd only play it once, though. But honestly, if I was looking for good value for the money I wouldn't be in an arcade in the first place.

[GcDiaz]

I'd pay $5 to play in the Broadway Arcade again. Not per play tho, that shit's crazy.
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Steam/PSN/Xbawks: GcDiaz

Let's bring sexy back!

[Waffen]

I need to get to a decent arcade and get stoned in my car in the parking lot then walk inside.

I haven't played any of these new games you guys speak of although I've heard of them many, many months ago before they were released.

time flys and all that.
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PSN Online ID: SylentButDeadly

[lolipalooza]

[boagman]

[boagman]

[Sub]

[Duckzero]

I goto Gameworks now and then.. only for ladies night, because it's cheaper to have a girl come along and play (most likely not play), but most of the time it burns my soul to put more than 50 cents into any machine.

The Seattle Gameworks is great because it still has a Virtual On machine, and suprisingly people still play that game.
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Keepin' it real like Oatmeal

[Rucio]

The trouble started with the $.50 to play a game. That was Twice as much as we were paying before. I will not pay over a dollar to play arcade games.

You keep the prices cheap, people play them a lot, you get buissness, and when the thing gets paid off, you get free money.

I don't see how it's that hard.
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"Say, that's a nice fez!"
"Thank you very much. Why do you like it?"
"It's better than a sharp stick in the eye."

[Predator Goose]

[Mikey]

[luvcraft]

[GcDiaz]

You run an arcade? Where?
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Steam/PSN/Xbawks: GcDiaz

Let's bring sexy back!

[luvcraft]

[Toups]

[Mikey]

[luvcraft]

[Hondo]

I'm crazy cheap (thrifty is the word I like to use) so I have a hard time giving up 50 cents for a game.

Bring on the quarter machines!

[boagman]

[boagman]

[luvcraft]

[Rucio]

I relent! $.50 it is!

I've just gotten an interesting lesson on the arcade buissnes.
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"Say, that's a nice fez!"
"Thank you very much. Why do you like it?"
"It's better than a sharp stick in the eye."

[luvcraft]