121 episodes tracked since 2023 about →
Episode 43 - MEGALOCATIONS!
PodcastAnalysis updated 3d ago1 hr 1 min listen
Highlights
- Pinball is more accessible on location now than it has been in at least 30 years
- Approximately 18 mega locations exist globally (14 in US, 3 in Europe, 1 in Japan)
- Pastimes Arcade has the most impressive collection of European solid state import games he's encountered
- Next Level has won Twippies (pinball industry awards) for best pinball location for four years running
- Mega locations must locate in warehouses/suburbs due to square footage and cost requirements
- Mega locations can cultivate a warehouse vibe that lacks the intimacy of smaller arcade bars
- Pastimes Arcade opened about one year prior to this episode recording
- Wizard's World/Fort Wayne Pinball has every solid state setup 'hard as fuck' with no maintenance complaints
Notable quotes
“Pinball is more accessible on location now than it has been in at least 30 years. And what's most interesting is the rise of our subject today, the mega location.”
“You're no longer in normal commercial real estate. You're in a fucking warehouse.”
“It's a lot easier to just own the games and keep them in a warehouse for you and your buddies. It's like a passion project, I think, to make these places open to the public.”
“Mega locations aren't my favorite place to play pinball, generally speaking. I typically like a good bar or like an arcade bar.”
“It's currently the largest, and in my mind, this is a personal opinion, the most impressive single location I've ever been to.”
“If you're a nerd like me that likes new stuff, it's another thing we take for granted. It's every time, like, Burrow's BBQ comes out, I can just play it there.”
“You can tell what the owners or what the operators of that space, what their true love is. And when you go into Wizard's World, you can tell that they love early solid state games.”
“It's one of those things, it's this little low ceiling building, games absolutely jammed in there... Like a Pinball Hoarder's garage, where it's like every spare piece of square footage is utilized to put another fucking awesome game in.”
Entities
- Pinball Expo· event
- Twippies· event
- District 82 Pinball· organization
- Flipper Arcade Museum· organization
- Freddy's Pinball Paradise· organization
- Joshua Clay's VFW Pinball Museum· organization
- Next Level· organization
- Pacific Pinball Museum· organization
- Paris Pinball Museum· organization
- Pastimes Arcade· organization
- Pinball Hall of Fame· organization
- Pinball PA· organization
- Wedgehead Pinball Podcast· organization
- Wizard's World / Fort Wayne Pinball· organization
- Alan· person
- Alex· person
- Charles· person
- Joshua Clay· person
- Mike Hale· person
- Rob Burke· person
- Rosie· person
- Tim Arnold· person
- Coindrop· product
- Rain City Free Play· product
