The Uncertain Future of NYC's Last Arcade 188
HansonMB writes "At around nearly the same time every year, rumors start to crop up that Chinatown Fair, the last beloved vestige of New York City's video arcade golden age, will soon be facing its final days. It happened again last week when tweets and blog posts reignited talk of the legendary arcade's imminent foreclosure. Without even talking to anyone, you could feel a sense of looming dread as gamers of all ages partook of their usual button-pounding pastimes. But the Fair, which has stood in one form or another on Mott Street just off Canal since the 1950s, isn't going down without a fight."
Re:The pics make it look like a filthy shithole (Score:4, Informative)
It's not in Brooklyn (yet). It's in Manhattan.
And yes, that's what many of the old arcades used to look like (well, maybe not THAT bad).
Re:Arcades are important (Score:4, Informative)
You get an invite after you've posted as AC on Slashdot for five years. Visit mine [goatse.ac].
My god IT'S A TRAP!
gotta reinvent (Score:4, Informative)
Re:The pics make it look like a filthy shithole (Score:3, Informative)
Yeah, with American culture it's focused on playing games at home with a few friends. The only difference from arcades is you don't have to compete with strangers for a turn, and eventually the cost of a DDR pad pays itself off(assuming you don't stomp it to death.)
I think another reason U.S. arcades died out is because of cost. $1-$1.25 per game for some is beyond expensive, and it's even worse if they require tokens instead of quarters.
Though, last time I made the pilgrimage, Fun Spot in the lakes region(it's the big honkin one though I heard JTs BBQ closed down across the street so no more good after fun eats) of N.H. still had some classics (a really old Star Wars game), and prices weren't too bad on the older machines.