Stride Gum Launches Save the Arcades 2

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
45,698
1
0
Stride Gum Launches Save the Arcades 2


Stride Gum [http://www.stridegum.com/] has launched a new mission to support classic American arcades called Save the Arcades 2, and you can help choose the winner just by playing an old-time videogame.

For most people, the arcades of yore are a fading memory. Lights, noise, crowds and row upon row of classic stand-up machines: Paradise for a handful of quarters. But home consoles spelled the end of most arcades and those few that remain, catering those few who still have a taste for that sort of thing, are often run on a shoestring.

Enter Stride Gum and Save the Arcades 2, through which the company will donate $25,000 to one of three arcades in the U.S.: Arcade Infinity [http://www.groundkontrol.com/] in Rowland Heights, California. And who picks the lucky winner? You do! Sort of, anyway.

It's like this: Go to www.savethearcades.com [http://www.savethearcades.com], check out the profiles of all three arcades and then fire up a game of Cowbots 2010, an old-school action game that pits "man against moochine." (Does it look at all familiar? If so, you're probably old.) Rack up the best score you can, then donate your points to the arcade of your choice. Whichever of the three has the most points on June 15 takes home the money!

"Many iconic arcades across the country have closed their doors, leaving few places for true gamers to play the arcade classics they love," said Stride Marketing Manager Nipa Shah. "We've launched Save the Arcades 2 to encourage fans to support this classic American pastime and ensure these incredible games won't be forgotten."

It may sound like pure marketspeak, but give Stride credit for having some legitimate gamer cred. After all, in 2008 the company promised to give away a million free packs of gum if at least a million people signed an online petition asking infamous movie director Uwe Boll to stop making movies [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/83719-Stride-Gum-Takes-On-Uwe-Boll]. That has to be worth something.


Permalink
 

Jared

The British Paladin
Jul 14, 2009
5,630
0
0
would love to see arcades in the UK...proper ones not just seaside resort ones..
 
Apr 28, 2008
14,634
0
0
I love the arcades. Always a fun time.

I'm so glad there's one near me. Sure its small, but damnit its fun as all hell!
 

Eleima

Keeper of the GWJ Holocron
Feb 21, 2010
901
0
0
Gosh, now I feel old... But I've done my part and donated 30,500 points...
 

Vitor Goncalves

New member
Mar 22, 2010
1,157
0
0
Jaredin said:
would love to see arcades in the UK...proper ones not just seaside resort ones..
The one in trocadero is quite big and nice, actually so big the first time I went there almost lost myself.
 

Trivun

Stabat mater dolorosa
Dec 13, 2008
9,831
0
0
Jaredin said:
would love to see arcades in the UK...proper ones not just seaside resort ones..
There's one in Bradford if you're anywhere up North. The National Media Museum has an old-fashioned arcade on the ground floor, inside the entrance, with games from Pacman and Space Invaders through to the original Sonic and Mario Kart demo levels. 10p per play for most of them, but well worth it. And the museum has free entry too, plus an IMAX cinema :D.

But aside from that I agree with what you say. The last time I got to play any decent arcade games outside Bradford was House Of The Dead III, in an epic half-an-hour joint battle with a bunch of other people jumping in to help at a Pontins resort in north Wales. I've never been able to find any proper UK arcades aside from those few... :(
 

Therumancer

Citation Needed
Nov 28, 2007
9,909
0
0
As cruel as this might sound I think the Arcades need to save themselves.

To be brutally honest the casinos where I worked both had arcades for the kids to blow time in while the adults gambled. The problem of course being that they wanted 75 cents to a buck to play most of the machines which stuck me as being pretty ridiculous (and I put this in scale of when I was working).

Then on top of this there is a general lack of guts, I mean right now pretty much every video game out there is non-violent in the arcades. Whether it's at the Casino (where they had a lot of machines), stuck in the corner of a Wal*Mart, or at a theater, by and large you see an endless stream of driving games and the like. Some of which struck me as being pretty bloody retarded. Oh sure, the violent/action games were there, but were a tiny minority overall.

So basically if people are ignoring overpriced, unfun games, there should be a message here. Truthfully I think they could get things back to the old "quarter popping" days if they were to stop listening to non-violent hippy liberals, and also understand that a buck for a credit on an arcade machine that is likely to last 30 seconds if that (depending on the game) is pretty ridiculous.
 

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
45,698
1
0
Commander Breetai said:
'a handful of quarters?' My goodness, you're naive
I'm what? Are you serious?

You wanna think real careful 'fore you answer that.

[/clinteastwood]
 

Mrsoupcup

New member
Jan 13, 2009
3,487
0
0
Save Flipper Mccoys!!! (Thats the arcade I go to when I go down to VA beach in the states)
 

ExtremeKiwi

New member
Nov 10, 2009
4
0
0
Commander Breetai said:
Andy Chalk said:
Commander Breetai said:
'a handful of quarters?' My goodness, you're naive
I'm what? Are you serious?

You wanna think real careful 'fore you answer that.

[/clinteastwood]
Well, that's an ironic reply, seeing how if you want to play in an arcade nowadays, it'll cost you a fistful of dollars...
I would recommend you stop before something happens. And go to a real arcade, I think you'll know why a fistful of dollars is worth the experience. If not, fine, bash it as much as you want.
 

TheRocketeer

Intolerable Bore
Dec 24, 2009
670
0
21
The arcade in my mall was made into a Chinese restaurant. I am bitter about it.

Support your local arcades!
 

MellowFellow

New member
Feb 14, 2010
970
0
0
Go Portland, Oregon wooo! I think I will try to help out now. Just for the reason that one of them is in my hometown.
 

sephiroth1991

New member
Dec 3, 2009
2,319
0
0
Havn't seen a Arcade for years, i remember me and my friend spent like 5 punds to beat the Simpson game.
 

gadgetguy56

New member
Apr 24, 2010
3
0
0
The Save the Arcades campaign was initiated to bring attention to arcades in general disappearing, not that the participants are necessarily having financial problems. In fact, one of last year's arcades opened up a second location after the campaign without the money from Stride. At least Cowbots 2010 is based upon a real, classic arcade game, unlike Zapataur. Too bad flash player games are so easy to cheat, especially this one. Stride and their advertising company know this, too. Want to save an arcade? Go to a real arcade and play! You can find many locations at http://www.aurcade.com. The name of the campaign should be "Save AN Arcade, that doesn?t really need saving." Interesting how there are only three arcades, compared to four last time. At least one is a bar, and while I have nothing against bars or bars with video games, this does not seem like the ?classic? arcade that Stride is hyping. There are plenty more true arcades around that could use the publicity and money. Also, why only one winner instead of tiered awards? Seems like anyone wanting to help would do so for as many arcades as they could. Don?t just save the arcades, celebrate the arcades and be social in person.
 

gadgetguy56

New member
Apr 24, 2010
3
0
0
I suppose you would say the same about movie theaters because you can watch movies at home. Home game consoles are fine, but there is nothing like the experience of a real arcade.