Converting a Garage into an Arcade?

The ever curious AtariDatacenter asks: "I'm finally going to get my wish, and upgrade my two car garage to an 80's style arcade room. I've found some good ideas in the RGVAC newsgroup. But for those who aren't hardcore into collecting, what are major aspects of an arcade gameroom that you'd put into your own home? Would this make a home more or less marketable?"

Comments

memories...

[Matt_Bennett]

If you're going for complete realism, you need to have at least 15% of your cabinets broken at any time, a surly manager and a handful of early teens that hog the cool games, and can kick your ass in all of them.

On a more functional note- spend some time on lighting- you want to use diffuse, indirect light that won't cast a glare. Most arcades I remember were painted some very dark color inside, and kept pretty dim. Put some padding and carpet down on the floor, a smooth concrete floor (typical of garages) can be really ugly acoustically, especially if you just want to hear the game you're playing. Also, it can be really painful if you are planning on spending a lot of time in front of that game going for the new world record. Acoustic tile on the ceiling would also be good. For the sake of your neighbors, consider some decent soundproofing in the walls.

Negative resale value.

[Chelloveck]

Lots of machines, both video and pin. If you're planning on throwing parties you don't want your friends waiting in line. Get some competitive machines, too. It's a blast playing Crusin' USA/World/Exotica on a four-seat linked system when you don't have to worry about feeding it your life's savings in quarters.

Where do you live? If it's a cooler climate, is the garage insulated and heated for the winter? If it's a warmer climate, is the garage cooled in the summer? In any case, a few ceiling fans would go a long way.

As for resale value... This will definitely decrease it. Think -- You'll probably want to take the games with you when you move. Even if you don't, there really aren't that many people out there who want a full-blown arcade in their garage. Even as a geek and gamer, I'd rather have a place to keep my car than a garage full of games. Plan on converting the arcade back to a usable garage before you sell.