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The last few years haven't exactly been great for arcade operators, with more and more locations having to close their doors due to a combination of factors, including high costs and decreasing footfall.
But amid this bad news, there are also some notable exceptions, with new businesses occasionally opening their doors in hopes of bucking this downward trend and giving people a way to access some of their favourite games from their youth on their original hardware.
The latest of these is Arcade Time Machine, which is set to open in the UK next month, and has been described as a "family-friendly leisure gaming arcade" (thanks, BBC!)
Located on the High Street in Stockton, UK, on the site of a former solicitor's office, Arcade Time Machine will reportedly offer "a range of retro and modern gaming experiences, including arcade machines, gaming consoles, and PC gaming stations" across two floors. It was recently approved by Stockton Council, which said it will offer "diversification" to the town centre while also being able to "sit comfortably" in its location, and is the brainchild of Jonathan Gouder.
According to Gouder, Arcade Time Machine "is the result of a lifelong dream," with his love of gaming originally starting "in the arcades of Redcar", where he was mesmerised by "the sights, sounds, flashing lights, and excitement all around me."
Arcades continued to be a big part of his life during his teenage years, with he and his friends regularly "trying to beat the latest games, feeding in 10 pence pieces, competing for high scores, and planning trips just to play new machines." But now, after "dreaming about it for 43 years," he is finally realising his dream of opening his own arcade space to the public.
"Ever since I was around nine years old, I dreamed of having my own arcade," Gouder writes on the arcade's website. "Back then, I used to imagine my family winning the football pools or Spot the Ball — and all I wanted to do was buy a huge house and fill it wall to wall with arcade machines."
"...Today, gaming has come full circle. Modern technology has brought new life to the arcade experience with incredible remakes, modern arcade games, racing simulators, light gun games, and updated versions of the classics we all grew up loving. At Arcade Time Machine, you’ll find a mix of retro legends and modern arcade experiences — all designed to capture the magic that made arcades special in the first place.
"That’s what Arcade Time Machine is really about. It’s about walking into a place that feels exciting the moment you enter. It’s about families and friends standing shoulder to shoulder, laughing, competing, discovering new games, and creating memories together — just like I did growing up."
Perhaps controversially, in order to realise this vision, Gouder has stated generative AI has played a big role in the arcade's opening.
In a blog on the Arcade Time Machine website, for instance, he claimed AI "has played a major role in bringing the business to life," crediting AI for helping him "across almost every part of the business", from "Arcade and server setup" to "Marketing and promotional artwork", "Technical troubleshooting and automation", and "Business operations and workflow ideas."
Generative AI has obviously been a hot-button issue in gaming over the last few years, with more and more companies coming under fire for using the technology due to claims about its environmental impact, its impact on job losses, and its frequent training on stolen artwork and data. It remains to be seen whether customers in Stockton will care about any of this, but I know personally, it makes me think twice about paying a visit, especially considering I'm lucky enough to still have alternatives that don't rely so heavily on such a controversial piece of tech.