Hi! From all of us - Nick, Ben, Geoff, the Unknown Mechanic, and me - to all of you, our best wishes for your holiday season.
Meet our Team -
These are the guys at Ace Amusements who breathe new life into old, worn out arcade video game cabinets. They are the ones who create multicades and restore old games.
I call them The Multicade Mechanics.
Interestingly, they all share many things in common. Mainly, they love to play video games, and they are young, single, really smart, and creative.
Can you guess the oldest? Well, I believe that would be Tron - there on the back row, born 1982. Okay, Tron is not a team member. But, he is a darn good example of their craftmanship. (And, he probably is the oldest.)
Their names: (front to rear) Nick, Ben, Geoff, and the Unknown Mechanic.
The Multicade Mechanics are dedicated to building games that you will treasure forever.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!
R. Steve McCollum
Hi! On Father's Day, 2010, a Sunday, I experienced a revelation. No, it was not anything divine, I don't think. Instead, my revelation was more like an awakening, and is best described in a recounting of the day.
Sunday morning, I opened my email to learn that one of my classic arcade video games listed on eBay had sold. That is a nice way to start any day, especially Father's Day. As the day unfolds, you will see the sale of that 25-year old arcade video game will mark the beginning of my awakening.
In the afternoon, my wife treated me to lunch and a movie. Now, given that I have read a number of books on the history of video games. And, given that I have been in the amusement game business for 25 years. I am somewhat aware of the influence of video games upon today's culture.
So, while enjoying our lunch at Bone Daddy's, it was not hard for me to begin imagining the humorous possibility that the three television screens, which were broadcasting what appeared to be live FIFA soccer, PGA golf, and MLB baseball, might really be the latest EA Sports video game releases.
In case you think my imagination is a little too active, let me ask - have you seen the movie Avatar? The line that visually distinguishes between real and computer-generated images (CGI) has all but vanished.
After lunch, came what is usually the painful process of movie selection. You know what I mean. She likes mushy stuff.
While I, on the other hand, invest my time preparing my mind for urgent matters of extreme consequence. One never knows when a call to duty will come. Still, when the "call" comes, one must be prepared to fight to the death in what could be the ultimate battle - the battle to save humanity from annihilation, absorption, enslavement, or whatever other fate, legions of invading mutant cyborg aliens might have planned for us.
We must be always vigilant, and ready to stand to the last man to plasma cannon blast those unwelcome critters right back into their alternate universe. And then, blast their wormhole closed once and for all time.
Remarkably though, we both quickly agreed on a movie simply because of its interesting title, The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Indeed, it turned out to be a great choice. The movie had fascinating action, a great story, great music, and the right amounts of everything else.
And once again, my imagination carried me away. I could not stop thinking about what a great video game this movie would make. Unfortunately, at the movie's end, I discovered that while my imagination seems to be grinding along okay, I am distressingly much farther behind the cultural curve than I would ever have thought.
According to the credits, the movie is actually based upon the very successful Prince of Persia video game franchise which was first released in 1989. (Duh.) As to a movie about a video game, this is not the first movie about a video game. There have been many others. And, there have been video games about movies. As well as, video games about comics.
Coming this December, we can watch the sequel to a movie made 20 years ago that was the first to introduce CGI...that featured an imaginary arcade video game...that spawned a real arcade video game...which spawned its own sequel. Stumped? Here is a hint: Tron: Legacy. I can hardly wait. Click here for more about the arcade video game, Tron.
Following the movie, came a stroll around the shopping mall. There was, of course, our obligatory visit to Brookstone, the cool high-tech gadget store. Which, by the way, offers neat stuff to enhance one's mobile experience, including video-gaming .
At this point, my awakening had been fully seeded, and fertilized. But, it was not until our visit to the next store that it would be watered, and finally blossom.
Standing at the front entry of GameStop, we were first greeted by a rack of the hottest new video game titles. Not surprisingly, the Entertainment Arts (EA) logo was on most of the boxes. The real surprise, however, was what I saw inside the store. The place was packed. With games, naturally. And, more importantly, with people.
There were all kinds of people. Young and old. Male and female. And, multiple colors and heritages. I am certain that there were more people per square foot of space, than in any other store in the mall.
But, none of these patrons radiated the absolute joy of being there like the little guy back in the corner. His mom was at his side. His pacifier was firmly planted between his teeth (or gums). And, he was playing the Wii with his slightly older sister.
There was a smile on his face so large, one had to wonder about the future of that pacifier. I have never seen a kid have so much fun driving a race car that was, well honestly, not going anywhere.
Then, there are my grandkids. Since they have been tall enough to climb a stool, they have been guiding Ms. Pac-Man deftly through her maze. With kids like that little guy, his sister, and my grandkids around, there should be no wondering about the future of video games.
After an enlightening Father's Day, later that evening there was just enough time left to finish reading EA: Celebrating 25 Years of Interactive Entertainment
I would venture that video games are today much more than a pop culture phenomenon. Certainly, they once were. The late 1970's through mid-1980's is commonly thought of as the classic or golden age of video games. During those early years, their rise in popularity was phenomenal.
But then, think about my day - beginning with a classic video game sale, then a restaurant that had the look of video games, then a movie about a video game, then mall shops that carry video game stuff, then children playing video games, and ending with a video game publisher's 25th anniversary commemorative book. It seems that I was bumping into something or someone who were directly or indirectly related to video games at every turn.
A pop culture phenomenon, in the popular sense of the term, does not enjoy a lifespan of nearly 40 years. Yes, video games have been around that long. And, during their near 40-year life their cultural presence and influence have grown pervasively and exponentially. But, in my experience, whatever is at the moment considered '"pop" is either eventually abandoned or absorbed into the mainstream. And, mainstream means becoming "established."
Take for an example, rock-and-roll. Once reviled from many pulpits, rock-and-roll music is hardly thought of any longer as "pop." In fact, rock-and-roll has been "established" for so long that there is even Christian rock music. Furthermore, rockers Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney not long ago were knighted by the Queen of England (can you say, Sir Jagger?).
This is not to suggest that video games have merely transitioned from "pop" to "established." I think that there is much more to the video game story.
In my opinion, video games have grown well beyond the scope of "popular" or "established" in terms of cultural influence. So much so, I would opine that we are now living in what will one day be known as The Age of Video Games.
So, there you have it: we might just be living in The Age of Video Games, and that is my revelation.
Of course, there are many state of the art gaming components yet to come - like a Star Trek holodeck in every home. Or, should I say, a Nintendo holodeck platform with Entertainment Arts virtual open-ended simulation game media for everyone.
By the way, make mine mobile. And, hurry.
R. Steve McCollum
Hey! Here is what I call a real sweepstakes - enter for free, get a chance to win a real Missle Command arcade video game.
Visit this Atari.com site for all the details -
This is so cool I had to pass it along - the release notification about Atari's new Flashback 2+. Preorder now and you get a bonus T-shirt. I sure did!
From Atari:
For a limited time, Atari is releasing Flashback 2+ through a handful of retailers in small quantities. But you can guarantee yours on Atari.com while stocks last.
Pre-order now and receive an exclusive classic Atari T-shirt for free with your Flashback 2+ when it ships on Feb 22nd. This T-shirt features the original Atari VCS 2600, one of the most iconic machines in the history of videogaming. You can't get this T-shirt anywhere else, and the Flashbacks 2+ will be hard to find too (T-Shirt is X-Large). Your credit card will be billed automatically on February 22nd when the Flashback 2+ and Atari T-shirt bundle ships.
The Games That Defined a Generation. Flash back to the 80's! New Wave is in, neon is hip and the Atari craze is everywhere! Relive the Atari revolution. With the Atari Flashback 2+ Classic Game Console, you can play some of the most popular video games of the 80's, groundbreaking back then, just as much fun today.
Shoot through the chaos of Centipede. Hyperspace through the galaxy in Asteroids. Do it all again with the legendary games that set the standard for the future of video games.
40 Games built right in to the console: 3D Tic Tac Toe, Adventure™, Adventure™ II, Aquaventure, Arcade Asteroids™, Arcade Pong™, Asteroids Deluxe™, Battlezone™, Centipede™, Combat, Combat 2, Dodge'm, Double Dunk, Fatal Run, Frog Pond, Hangman, Haunted House, Human Cannonball, Lunar Lander™, Maze Craze, Millipede™, Missile Command™, Off the Wall, Outlaw, Quadrun, Radar Lock, Realsports Boxing, Realsports Soccer, Return to Haunted House, Saboteur, Save Mary, Secret Quest, Space Duel, Space War, Super Baseball, Super Football, Video Checkers, Video Chess, Yars' Return™, Yars' Revenge™.
AceAmusements.us Arcade Video Game Parts No Reserve Auction.
Item: Midway plastic power supply brackets, used in many games such as Gorf. Includes mounting screws. Can be used for any printed circuit board.
Condition: Okay.
Weight: 6 oz.
Quantitiy: 1 set.
Shipping Cost: $3.00.
Minimum Opening Bid: $1.00.
Minimum Increase: $0.10.
Starting Date: 12-23-09
Closing Date: 01-10-10, 9:00 PM CST.
Item #: 0002.
Auction Rules: http://www.aceamusements.us/arcade-video-game-parts-no-reserve-auction.html.
Bidding: Click 'Comments' link below to get started. Then, use the Comments box to bid or ask questions.
Notices: Subscribe to the 'comment feed' to receive notice of bidding activity and winning bid confirmation.
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AceAmusements.us Arcade Video Game Parts No Reserve Auction.
Item: Gorf Midway Power Supply, Part # A082-90411-A000.
Condition: Works, but needs new capacitors.
Weight: 2 lbs.
Quantitiy: 1.
Shipping Cost: $12.00.
Minimum Opening Bid: $2.00.
Minimum Increase: $0.25.
Starting Date: 12-23-09.
Closing Date: 01-10-10, 9:00 PM CST.
Item #: 0001.
Auction Rules: http://www.aceamusements.us/arcade-video-game-parts-no-reserve-auction.html.
Bidding: Click 'Comments' link below to get started. Then, use the Comments box to bid or ask questions.
Notices: Subscribe to the 'comment feed' to receive notice of bidding activity and winning bid confirmation.
Thanks for bidding!
