Arcade Infinity closing it's doors (for real this time)

For those that are on the West coast and haven't heard yet, Arcade Infinity does indeed have to close it's doors. While it is sad as fuck as those machines were VERY well maintained and the atmosphere there was cool, it can at least live on.

Bemanistyle.com said:

Last night I made a Twitter post stating that I had heard from Ken Tao, owner of AI, that they were being forced to close their doors (again). This time it's permanent. L.A. County denied the application for a business license extension that was requested by the owners of Diamond Plaza. The County wants the Tao brothers to close shop, pay for a new license, and wait for all of the hearings and city council votes in order to stay open (this could take up to 8 months). Ken stated that it wasn't the money that was the problem this time, it's how long AI would have to remained closed while waiting for the final word, which would have likely been "no" anyway. The arcade is closing its doors on February 26th, 2011.

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http://www.bemanistyle.com/index.php/news/arcade-infinity-closing-it-s-doors-for-real-this-time-2031


The cabs and boards and whatnot are being sold off on our marketplace, and will be listed as they are dug up. You can contact Eddie or visit this thread for specifics as they get added (for the love of god, don't bombard him asking about this and this if it is NOT listed yet)

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


edit: The list of the rest of the games, cabs, and boards will be up LATER TONIGHT so check then.

damn, it got listed publicly? There goes my shot at a astro.

It's amazing they stayed open this long. They were the last great gamer-arcade out here. After Camelot closed, it was AI or nothing. It'll be sad to see them go. I mean, I hardly ever went. I've been maybe three to four times in the last five years. Still, it was a nice thought to know they were down the 110 freeway if I felt up for a drive and a night at a real arcade. I may have to make one last pilgrimage before the 26th.

I don't think its amazing, the area is entirely asian culture actually.. It feels like the segregated 50's down there. It was good placement if anything. If you wanna talk about amazing, I'd say its amazing Family Fun Arcade is still around.

I hope denjin doesn't go next, thats a great arcade. Haven't been there in ages since I placed in 3S. =(

Have many memories of AI actually. I used to be a regular in what, 07?
Place always did pretty good. Rent must be so fucking high that nobody can afford it or something.

I got my cab from them...back in '03? Early '04? They gave me a pretty good deal, and I picked up a bunch of MVS carts for $15 each. I didn't think that much of the arcade though. I remember trying KOF '03 there not long after it came out, and the cab they had the game in had sticks that seemed to be a ball on top of a plastic straw. You could actually bend them a little and the whole thing felt flimsy. No idea what the deal with that was.

If you think that sucks, go try playing games at super arcade. I swear the neo candy's at some of these arcades have the parts the original machine's came with.. That mvsu4 they have at AI is guilty of that, and super arcade is a shithole, they never repair shit. Its so pathetic in terms of repair's or new buttons, the neglect has costed them visits in general.

That is sad to hear. My very first cab came from them (A Capcom Impress) many years ago. They drove it from LA to Hayward personally in their Lexus SUV and hand delivered it to me.

I went to Round 1 on Friday in Puente Hills Mall. There was not much action on the fighting games, but we were there primarily for the karaoke. Later in the evening there were a few people on the Super Street Fighter IV: AE machine, but I wasn't in the mood to play.

When I went to AI a few weeks ago there were only about 6 people in the place, however, it was on a Monday. I really did like their huge King of Fighters XIII set up though. What other arcades are there now besides AI, Super Arcade, and Round 1?

LWK said:

If you think that sucks, go try playing games at super arcade. I swear the neo candy's at some of these arcades have the parts the original machine's came with.. That mvsu4 they have at AI is guilty of that, and super arcade is a shithole, they never repair shit. Its so pathetic in terms of repair's or new buttons, the neglect has costed them visits in general.

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Yeah, I miss arcades for the memories, but with all this bullshit, it makes me realize I really don't care too much. Plus, once home ports started getting as good as arcade games, it made it really hard to justify continuing to pump money into games not to own them.

SouthtownKid said:

Yeah, I miss arcades for the memories, but with all this bullshit, it makes me realize I really don't care too much. Plus, once home ports started getting as good as arcade games, it made it really hard to justify continuing to pump money into games not to own them.

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BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

unless you count the DC version of KOF 99.

modern fighting games are fucking boring to me, and nothing new has changed my view. Its not that i'm jaded. I'm open minded generally, I just can't 'feel it' so to speak, and it sucks to be me. I keep waiting for a new game I am excited to try, but fighting games have become like madden to me. We don't need anymore. Honestly.

I can play a2, ffs, kof's, 3s, etc etc etc etc. I don't need the new stuff. I'm enjoying getting stuff from the past for fun.

I think the worst thing about fighting games is how polluted they are. I liked core fundamental structure. A2 had it, ST had it, FFS had it. Shit, many games did. All of those are amazing classic games.

It just got to a point where it got to damn extreme for comfort. I mean yes, marvel 3 is out, but honestly.. I have zero interest in being a serious player in that. My hardcore interest died with 3s. Nobody has been paying attention at how fucking stupid a company capcom has become. They have one title that means something to me now, resident evil and thats it. You know how bad I'd like to see a new BOF or a megaman x title? And those assholes are stealing people's games now. Not cool.

norton9478 said:

BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

unless you count the DC version of KOF 99.

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Why would I count that? '99 is a shit game anyway.

Didn't they just get $25,000 from Stride gum or was it another arcade?

SouthtownKid said:

Why would I count that? '99 is a shit game anyway.

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Its not shit, but its easily the worst KOF.

Son of a bitch! I work not too far from there and had no idea it existed. >_<
Did they have old school games or were they mostly stuff like DDR and fighting games?

Castor Troy said:

or were they mostly stuff like DDR and fighting games?

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this.

It was a pretty small place, too. Basically 2 aisles, maybe 25-35 feet deep?

Xian Xi said:

Didn't they just get $25,000 from Stride gum or was it another arcade?

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They lost, but the problem was the town zoning board doesn't want an arcade there anymore and they would have too hard of a time moving to another location.

Fuck town zoning boards/councils etc.. driving out small businesses in this economy should be grounds for imprisonment. Especially something as non threatening as an arcade. Reminds me of a recent story of a dude up in NY who opened up a retro arcade, but was forced to close when the old shits who run the town brought up some archaic law about some 70 year old pinball machine being a gambling device.

By the time anything could be done, he had to close due to loss of funds.

SamuraiShodownSensei said:

Fuck town zoning boards/councils etc.. driving out small businesses in this economy should be grounds for imprisonment. Especially something as non threatening as an arcade. Reminds me of a recent story of a dude up in NY who opened up a retro arcade, but was forced to close when the old shits who run the town brought up some archaic law about some 70 year old pinball machine being a gambling device.

By the time anything could be done, he had to close due to loss of funds.

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Yup, it's a shame because I wanted to visit there for an episode of Arcade Hunters. He had A LOT of really rare games from the 40's to the 70's. They pretty much closed him down in the summer time, prime time for people to go out and he couldn't keep the place going.

ArcadeHeroes.com has a lot of good stories on their site about family run places getting bullied out. There well worth checking out.

The whole strip mall AI was located in was pretty shitty to begin with. I'm not sure why a zoning board would single the arcade out. If they're going to do that, just go ahead and get rid of that entire mall.

btw, america is SHIT. Country full of media liars. Economy getting better? What is this, a goebbels speech?

American is a disaster economically. This is one of the longest time's I've been without a renter at the banning house.
This country needs less stupid regulation so we can start making money. The first thing is new domain laws that protect big corporate bullshit less.... How can AI make it, if I can't get a renter at a house with good rates for months and months? There's a serious problem here.

AI represents the end of a era, and my final chance at instant high level gameplay with no frills. Its over and dead because of stupid ass LA county and its moronic policy regulation restriction garbage that forces people to do worthless song and dance.

Honestly, fuck this shit. Seriously. Fuck environmentalism, fuck gambling laws. Why is it fucking illegal to sports bet? Legalize that and weed, everyone does it, why attach legal guilt to something that'd be more safe and less dangerous if it was just legalized. Sick of all the work it takes. I almost wish I was KING USA, and just fixed all this while taking a big shit on the toilet. I swear to god, if a common guy with good understanding of detailed frustration got control, things could be better.

Theres to many licenses, to many laws, to many regulations, to many taxes.
You can take my rights, but when you take my arcades, we gots beef.

LWK said:

btw, america is SHIT.

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lol okay

and another thing, fuck super arcade. that place was legend back in 2000 when I use to play with the fob's and other fiends in the KOF days, then this other asshole took over, he managed to bring a pillow to work and sleeps on the job in the most dirt fashion I've ever seen, machines went unfixed, I couldn't even get tokens once, cause his dumb ass wouldn't wake up.

they ran all the new kof's on this big ass sauroid, it was a killer set up. You go there now, they got a mix of bad buttons. It sad.

I wish I owned a lot or something and just made it a free to go arcade, it really sucks a huge cock that people wont experience the amazing times I did anymore in those days. theres no feeling like it.

Yeah, the USA does suck lately. I'm not kidding. Freedom is great and all, but what does it matter when you have literally have to pay just to scratch your ass at every step. Money is a about as valuable as a glass of mosquito ridden water now. Seems everywhere I go, I spent 10 dollars constantly. Everything cost's a minimum of ten bucks.
Arcades are a truly special thing, because there is no class structure, its all about the work you put in, respect is earned through hard work, never given, and you had to work your way up by dedicating. This scene is truly special, and any time part of it disappears, we all die inside a little.

I'll always remember playing all the goons at AI,
3S with goo, pyro, ken I, wicked, exiled, tony, ryocho, the chinese kof players, they were so excited to play a big goofy white guy who wasn't a moron..

Shoutouts to a part of history forever locked in our minds.

my second favorite arcade, denjin arcade might be closing to, was just talking to jordann. not looking good. =(

I was saying the same thing in 2000. Why I remember playing Pac-Man for hours and being cheered on as I played. Then it all died and somewhere along the way fighting games started popping up like a plague. lol!