CARTRIDGE STEALER Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 I was in my local deli the other day and they had recently installed 3 video games! I was like "cool!!! video games!" one was a racing one, another was a multi betting video game type of machine and the other was a MS PAC MAN/GALAGA combo. I didnt have time to play them until yesterday. I go to plunk in a quarter then I read "4 quarters = 1 play"! what the fuq? $1 to play MS PACMAN/GALAGA? No thanks!!! I will wait till I get home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Climber Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 I had this happen to me on a Centipede machine in Chicago somewhere (Roadtrip) I put a quarter in and the same thing happened. I couldn't beleive it....$1 to play Centipede, what a joke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetset Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Hmmph... Actually, there's two arcades that I regularly go to (with my kids...great excuse huh?) and while they piss away thier money on the $1.00-$2.00 (new) games, the few classic games are still a quarter. Unfortunately though each place only has 2 games...one has Ms Pacman/Galaga combo, and the other has Frogger (and they both each have a Centipede) I guess since neither place really attracts old farts like myself those games dont get much action so they must figure a quarter is all they'll get?!?!?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxman Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 The old classics are usually the ones I will play at gameworks and it's a bonus that they are cheaper than the new games. Although with the swiping your card and removing credits they sure do a good job of encrypting what you really spend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 It wasn't that long ago when the expensive new games were 50 cents. There's no way I'm paying a dollar to play a game that was always 25 cents. It better have a special opening and provide a massage parlor type of service with full release as I play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Climber Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 The old classics are usually the ones I will play at gameworks and it's a bonus that they are cheaper than the new games. Although with the swiping your card and removing credits they sure do a good job of encrypting what you really spend. I just went to Gameworks and the Centipede and Pac were only 3 points. Not sure what that equals in actual money but 450 points cost me $25 so I do know thats a lot less than a dollar. BTW - Gameworks is actually pretty damn cool. I had a great time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CARTRIDGE STEALER Posted January 22, 2007 Author Share Posted January 22, 2007 It just urks me that they have the balls to charge $1 to play a classic game! especially one that I can go home and play for free on my mame or on sony. I admit, I would be tempted to play if it were one of those mega arcade games with more than 25 games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic George 2K3 Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 That's a real stupid way to milk people for their money. Part of why I'm glad I have a portable game system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBman80 Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 Yeah I don't waste my money on $1.00 games anymore 50c is pushing it the only time I play a 50c game is when some one else put a quarter in then realized that they have to put another one so then they walked away. I had this happen many times where there was a credit still on the machine. Yeah as for inflation they want you to think the money is worth more than it was back in the 80's for a game but the money really isn’t. I mean man houses cost like $500,000 now when just 15 years ago you could get the same thing for $150,000 to $200,000 ha ha the only thing is people are still making the same types of wages they were 15 years ago. I must say things have gotten crazy everything costs way too much and you get less for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxsolo2000 Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Yeah I don't waste my money on $1.00 games anymore 50c is pushing it the only time I play a 50c game is when some one else put a quarter in then realized that they have to put another one so then they walked away. I had this happen many times where there was a credit still on the machine. Yeah as for inflation they want you to think the money is worth more than it was back in the 80's for a game but the money really isn’t. I mean man houses cost like $500,000 now when just 15 years ago you could get the same thing for $150,000 to $200,000 ha ha the only thing is people are still making the same types of wages they were 15 years ago. I must say things have gotten crazy everything costs way too much and you get less for it. Couldn't agree more with you on that one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow460 Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Gameworks is the BOMB! It's been years ago, but I went to the one in Seattle. Back then the smartcards did display a cent or dollar amount. Virtua Racing was $2, IIRC, but it was is a massive eight player simultaneous machine with an announcer standing nearby and two monitors atop the hulking monster of a game. The seats were in full motion cars with cameras attatched. It was worth every penny that I paid to play it. The Lost World was also in a full motion cabinet, sans the announcer, the relaoding, and six of the players. It was a custom version. One play was a whopping $4! Super GT was $1 to play, and I came close to removing Steven Spielberg's initials from the best times (hey, Steven, look for the JMH on your machine!) That Super GT machine, for the record, was worth about $36,000 USD. Classic games were 20 cents, I think. Now onto the topic...arcade prices are ludicrous these days. Tops I think you should pay is $1 for a sit down cabinet game that's modern (no Missile Command for $1, but thanks). I've played SCUD Race, Daytona USA, Star Wars Episode I Racer Arcade, 1998 Sega Rally, and quite a few others for $1 a pop and loved every minute of it. I played Mant TT for 50 cents a ride, and got to the point where I could finish both tracks (notice a trend of Sega racing games here?). The standard Lost World game usually costs 50 cents, which I think is reasonable. If it's a pre crash game, 50 cents is the most you should pay for a sit down version. DDR or anything similar counts as a sit down since it's more than just standing there. Stand up games should be 25 cents a pop, period. Maybe they could charge 50 cents for the initial start and 25 to continue, but I'm seeing stand up games for a buck each now, and I think that's just absurd. The local Wal Mart has Ms Pac Man/Galaga for 25 cents a play. Incredible Pizza, on the other hand, does charge a bit much for the games, but the pizza sure is good. They use smartcards of their own. Off topic a bit, but how many of you have one of Gameworks's orginial smart cards? I still have the Vitamin G timed play one I got in 1998. In fact, it's in the picture slot in my wallet where it can be seen every time I prepare to lay out for some classic game or other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sukotsu9 Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I echo that: most sit-down games or new releases come in at $1 and I'm okay with that. A dollar for a classic arcade game (Pac) is outrageous, though; they'll probably price themselves out of play. Something just occurred to me: was the cabinet new? A Pac/Galaga combo could be a new construction, in which they're going to try to get their money back. I notice most places (pizza joints, arcades) with original games have them going for a quarter, if they still work. I've seen a lot of "no-pay" machines and hacks too (the zombie Ms. Pac hack was strangest). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow460 Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 Yes, Wal Mart's Ms Pac/Galaga looks like it is new. It still costs a quarter to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari-Jess Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 if you go by inflation games costing a quarter should cost only 50 cents today. Inflation has nothing to do with dollar machines (and two dollar machines in canada!), thats pure greed my friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dauber Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 I still make it a policy to never, EVER pay more than a quarter to play an arcade game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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