Surviving Golden era video arcade games

[giantkeeling]

I have a friend who is writing a book about British arcades, the players, and their stories. He wants to know if there is any kind of census of surviving golden era arcade games. Does anyone know how many approx are still around?

 

[stevebm1]

in the wild hardly any,in collectors hands lots

 

[chubsta]

Jamma+ has a database of members machines, but of course not all members list their cabs and not all collectors are members of jamma+!

it makes for interesting reading though so may be worth a look through...

 

[silverfox0786]

the one on j+ is hardly moderated or kept up to date as its left puly to the members

I haven't updated there since I left and have different boards now

and others that list as board for sale you cant be sure they are still available as the users never reply when you enquire

I think KLOV database is slightly better kept

 

[chubsta]

the KLOV database is more US orientated, i would be very surprised if many UK collectors have a listing there - as imperfect as it is i think the J+ one is the best we have...

 

[Bensonrad]

I actually updated mine on there a day or so ago, now it just reads Outrun, outrun, outrun, paperboy, paperboy, paperboy.... hehe

 

[Alpha1]

Wait another 2-3 months

 

[Milky]

What years do collectors consider gold/silver/bronze? 70s/80s/90s? Or more specific based on pre/post videogame crash(es)?

 

[Adrian Purser]

The local arcade that I went to back in the day (Smokey Joes in Cheltenham) has just reopened as a cafe and they will soon reopen the arcade with it's original 80s line up. They also have a defender on site in the burger star and I believe a donkey kong (or maybe dk jnr) in Gloucester. I don't know the proportion of cabs that they have had stored versus cabs that they have aquired more recently.

I used to have a list of my cabs online but haven't for a long time.

 

[giantkeeling]

Wow, that burger cafe / arcade sounds great! The golden era would be from 1978 to 1984 i would say. Does anyone agree?