Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Coin-operated games and arcades.
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SuperGoataku
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by SuperGoataku »

I'm back home this weekend, so am popping in for a visit on Saturday at long last. The place looks great, really excited to play some games, with tasty treats and caffeine pumping through my veins.
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by Bekimo »

Really nice place! ^^

How did you set the sound on these cabs? shmups tend to be really noisy for a relaxing (tastyyyy) coffe. I wish you huge amounts of good luck, such a good taste (coffe+candy cabs) cannot be ignored by the crowd! : )___
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by JackieHarris »

Bekimo wrote:How did you set the sound on these cabs? shmups tend to be really noisy for a relaxing (tastyyyy) coffe. I wish you huge amounts of good luck, such a good taste (coffe+candy cabs) cannot be ignored by the crowd! : )___
Thanks! :)

Not too quiet, not too loud (hopefully). Enough to be satisfactory to player but not overpowering to other customers? That's the idea anyway. Can crank it up a bit more for evening events.
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by IDCHAPPY »

I promise to get there soon mate :oops:
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by mappy24 »

Visited here a few months ago while in Edinburgh on business ;)

Top place, the only downside we could find was the parking (or lack of it!). I guess we'd have been better parking at Fountain Park?
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by Dache »

That's such a shame, I never got the chance to go up there in the end. :( Did everything right by my estimation as well.
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by Rocco »

:(

Looked a nice play to visit
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by Pete »

Such a shame I went to Edinburgh a few years back but never knew about this :(
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by bloodhokuto »

This sucks, seems a really cool place, really wish i had visited.

Goes to show how difficult it is to run a 'retro arcade', even if you make it an extension of a cafe or something.

:(
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by nem »

As someone who's been running an arcade for over 4 years, you can't run a candy cab arcade. People won't come to play them. Those guys that are interested in games like that play them at home either on their own cabs or by emulation. That includes fighting game players and shmup fans. It's the sad truth.

The absolute sure fire winner is whatever flash looking, lowest common denominator targeted games Raw Thrills makes. Aliens Armageddon, Big Buck HD Wild, Cruis'n Blast (I kid you not, a racing game that has a boost button but no brake pedal), Halo Fireteam Raven, Jurassic Park Arcade. If I had any of those it would be my most played game I can assure you. The only game I have from Raw Thrills is Guitar Hero. It's always being played. People come up to me and say it's their favorite game. I have to muster up a smile with all my will.

Anyway, I doubled down on Japanese rhythm games and sitdown racing games. I still need to up my lightgun game count, but those are **** expensive. There aren't a whole ton of rhythm game players (I have maybe ten), but they are super loyal, they will come in month in month out. They are the guys you will know by name and that you get to know personally. If it's just random guys coming in all the time I would lose interest in running the arcade very quickly. Anyway, that's the only "hardcore" crowd of players I get. Looking at pictures of other small arcades, I bet it's the same for everybody else too.

Would love to hear your thoughts, @waiwainl.
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by garrz32 »

:( aww that's a shame. I did manage go in past when i was down. Nice place.
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by StarCreator »

nem wrote: January 20th, 2020, 9:41 am Anyway, I doubled down on Japanese rhythm games and sitdown racing games. I still need to up my lightgun game count, but those are **** expensive. There aren't a whole ton of rhythm game players (I have maybe ten), but they are super loyal, they will come in month in month out. They are the guys you will know by name and that you get to know personally. If it's just random guys coming in all the time I would lose interest in running the arcade very quickly. Anyway, that's the only "hardcore" crowd of players I get. Looking at pictures of other small arcades, I bet it's the same for everybody else too.
Pretty much the same here, except Round1 opened half an hour away and I got totally abandoned just like I expected.
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by g60hot »

Oh man that’s gutting!
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by pubjoe »

Very sad to hear this.
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by g60hot »

nem wrote: January 20th, 2020, 9:41 am As someone who's been running an arcade for over 4 years, you can't run a candy cab arcade. People won't come to play them. Those guys that are interested in games like that play them at home either on their own cabs or by emulation. That includes fighting game players and shmup fans. It's the sad truth.

The absolute sure fire winner is whatever flash looking, lowest common denominator targeted games Raw Thrills makes. Aliens Armageddon, Big Buck HD Wild, Cruis'n Blast (I kid you not, a racing game that has a boost button but no brake pedal), Halo Fireteam Raven, Jurassic Park Arcade. If I had any of those it would be my most played game I can assure you. The only game I have from Raw Thrills is Guitar Hero. It's always being played. People come up to me and say it's their favorite game. I have to muster up a smile with all my will.

Anyway, I doubled down on Japanese rhythm games and sitdown racing games. I still need to up my lightgun game count, but those are **** expensive. There aren't a whole ton of rhythm game players (I have maybe ten), but they are super loyal, they will come in month in month out. They are the guys you will know by name and that you get to know personally. If it's just random guys coming in all the time I would lose interest in running the arcade very quickly. Anyway, that's the only "hardcore" crowd of players I get. Looking at pictures of other small arcades, I bet it's the same for everybody else too.

Would love to hear your thoughts, @waiwainl.
Where’s your arcade nem, would be great to see some pics 👍
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by FcoBenitez »

g60hot wrote: January 21st, 2020, 8:46 am
nem wrote: January 20th, 2020, 9:41 am As someone who's been running an arcade for over 4 years, you can't run a candy cab arcade. People won't come to play them. Those guys that are interested in games like that play them at home either on their own cabs or by emulation. That includes fighting game players and shmup fans. It's the sad truth.

The absolute sure fire winner is whatever flash looking, lowest common denominator targeted games Raw Thrills makes. Aliens Armageddon, Big Buck HD Wild, Cruis'n Blast (I kid you not, a racing game that has a boost button but no brake pedal), Halo Fireteam Raven, Jurassic Park Arcade. If I had any of those it would be my most played game I can assure you. The only game I have from Raw Thrills is Guitar Hero. It's always being played. People come up to me and say it's their favorite game. I have to muster up a smile with all my will.

Anyway, I doubled down on Japanese rhythm games and sitdown racing games. I still need to up my lightgun game count, but those are **** expensive. There aren't a whole ton of rhythm game players (I have maybe ten), but they are super loyal, they will come in month in month out. They are the guys you will know by name and that you get to know personally. If it's just random guys coming in all the time I would lose interest in running the arcade very quickly. Anyway, that's the only "hardcore" crowd of players I get. Looking at pictures of other small arcades, I bet it's the same for everybody else too.

Would love to hear your thoughts, @waiwainl.
Where’s your arcade nem, would be great to see some pics 👍
x2 :thumbup: :thumbupright:
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by nem »

There's some pics on this forum. Anyway, apologies, didn't mean to make this about me or the state of arcades.

Huge fan of what Michael did with Konbo. You could absolutely see how much heart and effort he put in to the thing. Crazy line up games every week and constant updates on social media. Must be absolutely gutting to close up shop.

I hope everyone who's local makes the effort to go and spend some credits on some cracking games and Konbo gets a proper send off.

o7
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Re: Konbo arcade cafe, Edinburgh

Post by Dache »

I was particularly upset to hear about Konbo closing because months before its announcement, my partner and I semi-joked about the idea of me quitting my job and opening a coffee shop with candy cabs. My other big hobby aside from games is coffee and I've often said that if I was going to work in any other industry, it'd be that, but I couldn't ever handle the hours or the social side required to operate a cafe, so it's a nice dream and nothing more.

When Konbo was announced, it was like someone had been listening to us in our living room or something! The only problem was that it wasn't local, otherwise I would've been a regular visitor :cry: But seeing it close sucks also because it's a blow to the viability of that old dream as well. :( I'd like to know what happened if it's possible to discuss publicly, I can't imagine Edinburgh is the cheapest rent-wise for starters...
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