End of an Era: Arcade Infinity

How do I change the title: It's more like: Infinity is forever! See the update.

As many of you may already know from the reports on Shoryuken, iPlayWinner and other websites, Arcade Infinity is closing after 10 years of business. Given that the articles were saying this was a rumor, we can confirm that they are in fact closing. Problems with the city, hikes in rent price and a lack of business has taken it's toll on the arcade. Round1 opening right down the street didn't help.

Show support and thanks for Ken, Jeff, Jack, Tammy and the rest of the Tao family for all of the hard work they've put into this amazing piece of arcade history we want to try and get as many people as possible to show up on it's last day of business. Come meet up with old friends, share memories, play some games and help show that even though the past few years have been shaky, there's still a great amount of love for what exists to many of us as a place where we've made great friends and shared fond memories.

This is open invite and we want to get the word out, if you know anyone that used to be an AI regular or visitor in previous years please invite them to this event (even if you won't be able to make it yourself). Bemani scene, Racing game scene, fighting game scene or otherwise. Let's get this place packed and help it go out with a bang!

Their last day of business is 15 January. If you can make it out to Southern California, by all means go! Otherwise, find some way to celebrate on your own. Get some friends together and support your local arcade.

We'll miss you, Arcade Infinity...

Update 12 January 2011: Arcade Infinity's been saved! Well, at least for a couple months. If you're in AI's area, go there and celebrate 10 years of Bemani! Otherwise, go and support your local arcades!

http://www.bemanistyle.com/forum/f48/arcade-infinity-selling-off-their-arcade-cabinets-65460/

Long live AI. Thanks for the news, Ray, I haven't had a chance to keep up with stuff back home.

edited 28th Feb '11 9:00:00 AM by Fifthman

I've thought about going down there for the past 8-9 years. Sadly it appears that chance will never arise now.

There should be a facebook event called Arcade Infinity - End of an Era. I hear people are organizing carpools from Northern California.

Unfortunately, the extension was not to last. Last night was February 26. AI is no more.

Farewell, AI. You were one of the best arcades in the U.S. that I'll never get to visit.

Kind of a shame that the only way future generations will get to enjoy a traditional arcade is either through MAME or flying to Japan directly. Then again, stuff like this is cyclical, so who knows; in 2013 someone will find an intact Frogger cabinet in the midst of the irradiated rubble and things will start anew...

God dammit. I miss arcades and grew up in the Playstation era.

There's nothing quite like walking around them, with all those big fancy machines and lights everywhere....

There are also console ports of games; over the past few decades ports have gone from being hardware-limited approximations to almost like playing the real thing, minus actually being in an arcade (and arcade controls, unless you can afford an arcade stick or better yet, a cabinet).

Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of arcades is the communities that form around them. You can form friends with those you play on XBL, PSN, or other online gaming services, but you can't, say, go out to dinner with your online friends after a day or evening of playing games hundreds of miles apart from each other.

edited 27th Feb '11 6:16:40 PM by TsundeRay

Yeah. I have played arcade games once with a friend, but it was one of the most awesome things ever.

edited 27th Feb '11 6:28:28 PM by Chagen46

Phew. I swear I'm going to Arcade Infinity once I get a car. It'll be one of the first places I'll go.

It's already closed. Read the post a few posts above you.

Well that's whack. Oh well.

Well, I hate to say it, but from a financial point of view, arcades just aren't needed anymore.

What's the point in paying thousands of dollars for an arcade machine when someone can pay $50 and get practically the same thing without leaving the house?

No

No

No

Playing someone actually there in an arcade is not the same as playing against an unseeable online.

Well, there's a specific culture, atmosphere and form of interaction that is associated with gathering at arcades to play the games there. You'd only be able to replicate that with home gaming if you were to open up your house and invite random people to use your console/PC/etc.

Whether that particular activity deserves to be preserved is a different question, but it clearly isn't possible with home gaming.

Hey, I didn't say I liked it, I'm just explaining the reasoning.

Well, the reasoning may hold over in the US but in Asia things seem to be different. Cave seems to treat arcades as a big part of their business and a number of new shopping complexes in Singapore open with arcades. I wonder why there's a difference.

Arcade games as a style of game will live on, but the arcade as a venue is on its way out.

It's sad really. Many young and future gamers will look at our tales of arcade shenanigans and will look down upon us with contempt.

"What the fuck?! There are places wit these huge, expensive machines, each dedicated to ONE game? And you PAY for each time you play? And you meet random strangers there? Go to hell!"

Good night sweet prince.

I'll always have memories of Street Fighter.

Yeah, but in Asia, video games are much more ingrained into the society as they are here.