Dragon's Lair Fans - Arcade Lifestyle
General Chat => Arcade Lifestyle => Topic started by: Superully on January 02, 2017, 01:33:21 PM
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hey guys, here's something i wanted to post for quite a while now. i'm pretty sure everyone has noticed that the postings in this forum have dropped to almost zero and people have migrated somewhere else or simply are less active (myself included). the question is WHY? for me there are multiple reasons, the most important one being the name of the website itself! a few years back andré tried to establish ARCADE LIFESTYLE as the main name / address and drop or at least push back the dragon's lair theme, but this never happened. back then it was ARCADE LIFESTYLE here all over with tons of roadtrips and restorations and honestly i think we missed the perfect chance to establish THE european forum on the web, not just something which people talk about as the dragon's lair guys. i never cared too much für the dragon's lair part of the forum and always thought that a special section dedicated to DL was too much and i think that this (in my opinion) stupid cosplay stuff pushed people away rather that attract visitors!
as i've stated above, there are many more reasons why this forum is in the state it is now, but for now i'm done with my posting and i'm curious to see if and what you guys have to say. can we make this forum great again or should be let it rest in peace?
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All i can say is that i am less active due to personal issues.
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All i can say is that i am less active due to personal issues.
same here. another name would only matter if you want to attract new people. the collectors in europe and in the us know about dlf. it is up to us to bring the life back... but i am not able to help at the moment.
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Short statement from me (with the eyes of a) as newcomer:
There are really many good threads here in this forum and I noticed too that there is not much activity around. To be honest, I spent most of my time on a german arcade site - because german is off course is my native language. But the language is not the big point, it is activity.
I also registrated at klov and ukvac especially for buying stuff and reading through the forum.
So yeah, activity is the main problem in my opinion, no matter if its just a short answer to a thread or buy sell offers.
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For me, the name of the website doesn't matter. When I first came around here in 2009 or so, I think Dragon's Lair Fans was the main or most popular title.
It is content what counts. As stated above, lots of great topics can be found around here. Last couple of months I have posted close to 0 topics or reactions but still visit the website to check if there is anything new.
I think (and hope) the silence around here is just because a couple of people are taking a little break from the arcade hobby at the same time.
Maybe it'll pick up when I properly launch my repro arcade art business :)
Bought a big size printer and laminator last week so I can offer the european arcade community die cut side art, marquees, bezels, control panel overlays etc.
No more expensive overseas shipping and custom charges!
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Im new here but agree there is quite low activity here.
I really like the "atmosphere" though and would love more activity, dont really know how to contribute with content myself...
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Speaking for myself, I have been busy like most of you guys, but the main reason for not posting is that I like to post some pics and that in combination with the ipad i mostly use is just not working anymore. I get this jpeg not supported error. Using the pc to post pics means transfering the pics from phone to pc resizing them getting an error because still the image is too big and so on. So I still spend time on my coin up hobby but when sharing it is cumbersome it just doesn't get done ..... To bad because this forum 'had' a good vibe.
Ps cos play is ok for me as long as i can just stay in jeans and hoody 😄
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I guess that there are a couple of reasons for decreased activity:
1. busy lives: a good number of once-active members appear to be more engaged in real life activities than in our nostalgia hobby. Most of us are in their forties, we're probably all searching for the meaning of life...
2. competition: FaceBook appears to draw activity away from classic web forums like this one, and even KLOV
3. Brexit: all UK guys are now condemned to use UKVAC only ;)
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I registrated on here roughly 18 months after I started collecting, and where on the lookout for dedicated games, like any one else :)
I was very well received, and quickly after, I was after some of the cabinet´s there´s in my gameroom now, thanks to some awesome guys on here I hardly knew, but owe a lot to!
The main players at that time (if I may call them that) was André, Bruno, Eric and Ully, after that Etienne, Bela and Chris became more active, and the stories was
flowing like never before - it was all ways awesome to open DLF, and either reading/replying on threads... but as time flies, every collection receive more and more
games, maybe the games youre after isent to be found in Europe, so you have to go elsewhere to optain them, and suddently, youre out of space, or hit by real life, and
the cutbacks start´s here..
I all ways don't have the amount of time I wish to put in arcade collection/the hobby, so that´s also why I'm not as active here as I use to be.
I did received a couple of games this year, but for some reason, I didn´t write anything on here, but on "The Shed´s" FB page - maybe because it was easier,
but also to show the guys that visit´s here regularly, that new games was added to the collection, and there where something new to play at the next "Open Shed"
I´m still collecting today, and it's still fun, but nothing beat's 2009 to 2013, awesome pickups, great meet-ups, 1st and 2nd EuroCade was AWESOME... :spaceace:
Still lurks here daily, to see if there´s something fun to read :)
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I´m still collecting today, and it's still fun, but nothing beat's 2009 to 2013, awesome pickups, great meet-ups, 1st and 2nd EuroCade was AWESOME... :spaceace:
exactly, those were the best years (of our lives) indeed - just like the summer of '69! and then the containers started ... (which we've already talked about). for it, it somehow ruined the hobby!
as for the name: i DO THINK it is important and other people see us only as the dragon's lair guys, but as i've stated before, a name change should have happened in the heydays of the forum, not anymore. the train has left the station ...
i'm also using facebook now, although i'm barely posting there. still working on my youtube channel which has given me a new boost for the hobby. i was hoping to launch 01/01/17 but now i'm thinking 02/19/17 is an even better day. why? stay tuned 8)
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I came here in 2012, so I'm pretty newschool I guess. What I really liked about this place was the atmosphere among the collectors. A lot of you guys I got to meet IRL as well, so this place still feels like my homebase.
The big posters are very silent for some time now, that's a pity and that makes people move on to more direct communication methods like facebook or instagram. It's a natural thing I think. Other forums are suffering from the same thing.
I don't think anything can be done about this.
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Don't call it dead until it is dead ... that's my 2 cents. This forum and others which have not much traffic still work very well. Don't underestimate the sleepers. They are pretty active and alive!! So just let it be and don't spread a bad mood. Let's go on with this ...
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Don't underestimate the sleepers. They are pretty active and alive!!
that´s very well said ;)
Also want to add that EC16 was a blast, great to see old and new faces again!
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The hobby is very alive indeed also in my life
I really hope Eurocade 2017 is happening because the life meetings I love most
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First of all, let me thank you for writing this topic. :) It takes some guts to be so honest and speak openly about what must have been bothering many of us for some time. I myself have said this many times recently: "DLF is a very nice and friendly forum, but it's been quite dead for some time.."
In my opinion the biggest strength of this forum has always been the gameroom stories, the roadtrip threads, the restoration threads and the friendly atmosphere. I can honestly say that I didn't contribute much, I never posted any of my restorations and few or none of my road trips. :oops:
I believe that many people visit on a regular basis and up until now we have relied on you old timers to post your stories. I feel that there has always been a small core of very active people who has kept DLF alive and interesting. Now that many of you write less often the forum appears inactive. And that brings DLF into a negative spiral, because who wants to post in a dead forum? :)
I am sure that most (if not all) of us wants DLF to be alive and interesting again, and the fate of the forum lies in our own hands. So I will challenge myself (and indeed all of you) to write some short restoration stories, threads about purchased cabinets and other game room related stuff. It doesn't even have to be news, most of the stuff that I did for the last couple of years I didn't publish anywhere. And I'm sure that many of you can say the same. If each of us try to make an effort to write a few lines about our games and comment in other people's threads then I'm sure that people will find it interesting and the forum activity will increase again.
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From the "eastern side", I'm here every day and read all the bul..hit, you write. ;D ;D ;D
Seriously, my gameroom is full, I dont want a bigger one and also dont want to buy more cabs to keep it in a dark storage. :-*
Whatever happens, I'm still keep my eyes open and everybody can count on me like before. ;)
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and then the containers started ... (which we've already talked about). for it, it somehow ruined the hobby!
I've wondered about this; how do you see this?
I would think: more games available = more people have access to them = a broader base for collecting?
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In my opinion the biggest strength of this forum has always been the gameroom stories, the roadtrip threads, the restoration threads and the friendly atmosphere.
I believe that many people visit on a regular basis and up until now we have relied on you old timers to post your stories. I feel that there has always been a small core of very active people who has kept DLF alive and interesting. Now that many of you write less often the forum appears inactive. And that brings DLF into a negative spiral, because who wants to post in a dead forum? :)
I am sure that most (if not all) of us wants DLF to be alive and interesting again, and the fate of the forum lies in our own hands. So I will challenge myself (and indeed all of you) to write some short restoration stories, threads about purchased cabinets and other game room related stuff. It doesn't even have to be news, most of the stuff that I did for the last couple of years I didn't publish anywhere. And I'm sure that many of you can say the same. If each of us try to make an effort to write a few lines about our games and comment in other people's threads then I'm sure that people will find it interesting and the forum activity will increase again.
Amen
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I would think: more games available = more people have access to them = a broader base for collecting?
exactely. the containers gave me the chance to get into it. searching for abandoned places or hunting down closed operators is something that can only be done by very few people. the us has a huge supply of games... and the arcade scene is amazing over there. the more machines the better. and the name of the board would only matter if this place was called "Dildo Darkroom Boys". That would definately be a thing to worry about... allthough it would bring a few more new members, too.
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I've wondered about this; how do you see this?
see here (https://www.dragonslairfans.com/smfor/index.php?topic=5601.0)!!!
don't get me wrong, guys, i still love this forum and would love nothing else to have it back like it was a few years ago, but you guys made some good points as well. so i guess it's up to us to make it great again. thx for your comments, see how easy it is "to bring the forum back alive" :P
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Hi guys, just wanted to add a bit of perspective from someone who's "been there". To be exact, in case you don't know I'm an Admin on UKVAC and we too went through a quiet period for many years. For various reasons a hard core of us VACcers decided to try and resurrect the UKVAC forum, it had a wealth of historical info that we felt was worth preserving and we wanted a what we felt was a less moderated place to hang out again. Initially there were very few of us using it, but slowly but surely we built it back up again. We started on the premise that we only posted when we had something "useful" to say, the idea was to try and keep the signal to noise ratio high, even if that meant only a few decent posts a day. At the end of the day if you have 10 of you posting useful/interesting stuff it will be enough to draw other people in in my opinion.
The forum name is largely irrelevant in my opinion. Nobody refers to this place as "Dragons Lair Fans", it's just DLF which just means "The European Forum" to me and I suspect many others anyway. Also, not many people type in a URL these days, it's just a favourites click or similar.
On containers I can see the point that road trips become somewhat pointless to an extent. For me the hunt wasn't really part of the appeal. The repair part was what did it for me, taking a broken piece of "junk" and bringing it back to life as a game I wanted to play was the thrill for me. The fact that we can now access the US market with ease is I think a bonus not a hinderance. Whilst saying that, I did always enjoy reading the crazy road trips that were undertaken on here :)
I really think you guys should persevere, DLF is a unique and fun place and it's eclectic mix of members is definitely a showcase for Europe and European diversity at it's absolute best. It has a vibe that's all it's own, there's very little back biting or other nonsense and there's always a calm and fun attitude amongst most of the posts I see. A diversity of forums is a good thing, no one forum can get too "big for it's boot's" when there are other alternatives just a click away. I really hope DLF continues as it is for many years to come.
Cheers,
DanP
P.S @Thwocker - the Brexit comment actually made me LOL :)
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I can't add much that haven't been said here before, but I am also interested in keeping the forum alive. I like the people and the atmosphere here, and I've made some good real life friends through this forum as well. Since the name is mentioned, I've never felt at home with the DLF - because I'm not really a fan *ducks*. But that is of minor importance really. In my opinion FB groups - that Arcade Collectors Europe group with that guy raving on about his "legendary raids" is the best example - has so much uninteresting randomness that I've turned off all notifications and consequently miss out on the quality posts. Forums like this are much more organised. So, yes, let's try to keep it alive! :)
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Same opinion here. I already noted the forum activity was slowing down since few months (it was even more obvious with the container activity).
For me reason is simple, as you said, most of you are in his 40s or 50s with collections almost complete or looking in new directions.
This is visible, less project, less cheap midway cabs... More higher end cabs. I see the result of a mature market.
I don't think the forum's name is a big deal, because most important european collectors know about DLF. Changing it would bring the new generation, the one looking for japanese cabs only. But is it really what we like here ? DLF is the bastion of old dedicated cabs.
But if we have less post, the quality remains. No sterile debates, no shitty topics, no request for valuation only...
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Changing it would bring the new generation, the one looking for japanese cabs only.
That hurt... :-[ ;) :D
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I guess I'm one of those who has been very silent within the last months.
I have seen this in other forums, it's always going up and down. Except KLOV-forums, due to the huge number of users it's always very busy over there....sometimes too busy to read all postings.
I think what Ully means (container deal ruined the hobby) is, that it was getting affordable very easy for european collectors to get the cabs they wanted from the US. Collectors could fill up their gamerooms within months instead of waiting for the wanted cabs maybe for years. After that there were no or few projects left to write about. Our gameroom is now full as well and there's not much to write about but hey, if Lloyd would ever consider selling a Midway Boot Hill to me (like he always promised when I sent an email with my wish) I would not hesitate to buy it and make room for it in our gameroom by selling one of my cabs. So Ully might be true but no one is to blame for that. Not the collectors who filled the containers and their gamerooms, and surely not the people who were/are organizing the deals and the shipping and caring for all the customs related stuff.
I'm sure there will be more busy times in the future with number of postings growing :)
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hi i have been reading the replys,i agree it has been a bit silent.
maybe everybody schould commit themselves to put one thread a week on dlf :)
gr robert
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DLF is the bastion of old dedicated cabs.
I am relatively new in the hobby but this is exactly why I registered on DLF!!!
This is the only European mainland arcade forum of interest for me (besides some exceptional posts on PCB restoration by f4brice on Gamoover).
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It is probably a physiological decline.
After years of fantastic thread products, the forum's leaders are quiescent now.
This for several reasons... one was exposed by Bela: saturation!
Unfortunately, we can not all be like Bruno: we will arrive, sooner or later, to no longer accommodate Cab in our space ... not everyone can move house or enlarge it only for the hobby.
Then, there are other variables reasons, as mentioned by Etienne and others: personal situations, family problems, works busy, lack of time (also to document on the forum).
The most important capital of DLF is the repertoire of the old topic, from which get inspiration for their work.
..since few time, I started to read "Arcade Lifstile" from last page. Always I find news and good ideas for my Cab work, without having to create new writings.
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Well I guess I should say a word or two about it here.
I have to say that after Eurocade 2015 I think I still did some work on my Asteroids. It was on the Hantarex monitor and it was actually pretty damn fine as it was, but I still wanted to have all pots replaced with fresh ones "just so we don't have any jitter".
I replaced them, put the monitor back in and....dead. No picture. And I swear that at that very moment something snapped in my head.
I was TOTALLY irritated by it and I left the machine there at the spot, shut the door and that was about it.....I hardly touched a machine after that.
I was just burnt up. Done with the constant fixing.
Apart from that....there were two big reasons. One is not fit for public forums. Some of my best friends in the hobby know or at least have an idea...
The other was that I switched jobs at about the same time. Although my new job is fun and really a better place to work and better colleagues than with my former job (where I worked 10 years), the kind of work is very very different. I switched from "doing what I was told the day before, carry out the work, drive home and be done" (which gave me a 100% "free" mind the rest of the evening) to having to manage every, and I mean every aspect in my work myself. From making offers, planning, doing inspections, writing reports up to chasing customers for money if they don't pay.....and that switch was tough. Added to that was the fact that my boss saw I was doing really well with the actual inspections so he gave me a few really big customers to handle like one of the largest banks in Holland.
Of course that was really nice that he trusted me with it, but on the other hand things went a bit too fast for me to get grip on it. I deliberately slowed down the pace and talked about it. My boss admitted that we (I and 2 other colleagues hired at the same moment) were "thrown in the deep" too early, but he said I managed to keep floating. I said it was only barely. Anyway, I learned how things go, you get a bit more experienced and everything is a bit more steady now.
And of course, that other reason, the personal one, really doesn't help in such a situation. I was battling on two fronts....and history shows that is never a good idea.....
So it was all a sum of a few parts.....I absolutely did nothing in the hobby. I think I powered up my SW once and played it a bit. I loaded up the Q*bert for Eurocade 2016 but it wouldn't fit the car with my son also coming along....so I took it out of the car again and put it in my kitchen. I play it every now and then...
I also did some things with my A8 machines and 2600 consoles....I totally reworked the inside of an Atari Lynx I which was fun to do. Small in size, easy to work on (light !!!) and it actually all worked right away just as I had planned !!!!
Well after a year and 3 months in my new job I could say things have settled down a bit, but I'm also doing a study for work on the side...exams will be in march.....
The personal thing is on-going and I don't know where it will end just yet. We'll see.
About my games: most of them still need loads of work...I think this is also a part. At one point in time it seems like a hobby becomes a burden, a task that MUST be done.....a shit-load of work in front of you of which you think: no way in the world I can ever really finish it all.
I am still damn proud of some of my work. Lunar Lander, Q*bert...especially Q*bert....every time I look at it I think: damn that was one empty cab when I got it....and look at it now !
But even so, there have been times (and still) that I think: it's just a thing. A box with some electronics and a simple game. I used to see something else. A part of history, emotion, a memory. My emotions were tied up with very much other things in this last period in my life though...
Maybe it's the classic mid-life crisis. Could very well be. I started to enjoy going out with friends much more and all that stuff........and actually still do.
Even when I look at the hobby now, the very moments I have enjoyed the most were the Eurocades and all the other fantastic meetings I was able to go to, meeting people, having a beer, talking, having fun...
and of course the road-trips. It was fun to discover rare/special games and go and get them. And of course I loved doing the reports on the restorations.
Maybe it is just a way of "showing off" ? Not sure....that wouldn't be a weird way to look at it....would it ?
O wel.....
Oh and then there's that other hobby....the marching band. Still doing that....I kept on doing that through it all because you really need at least something to put your mind on. I also had to pick up sports so I play tennis now 2 nights a week....
and there's only so much hours in a day ;)
So.....what will happen in the future...? No idea really. I have moments that I think about selling all my games and stuff. Seriously. But on the other hand....what a shame would that be. Every machine has it's story on how I got it....but on the other hand, if they are just standing there.....what is the use ?
Just getting them out for Eurocade each year is not enough justification to keep them.
But I haven't made up my mind yet. It could well be that I return to the hobby when some things have changed/setlled down.
We'll see.
I do think, in all modesty, that my "silence" here might be a part in this forum getting a bit less "lived up" but I can't help it. Sometimes things in life change, and we'll see what the future will bring....
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I dunno, this place is pretty cool. I like everyone here. I need to come more often. I love the different point of view and like that it's small. You might want to change the URL. I certainly don't come here for Dragon's Lair talk. :)
I think you should add a "shoutbox" like I did on the John's Arcade forum.
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Shoutbox should be fine O think. & the name is not the best if you want to attract new members, imo.
I will try to do some updates on my projects
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I guess that there are a couple of reasons for decreased activity:
1. ..... a good number of once-active members appear to be more engaged in real life activities than in our nostalgia hobby. Most of us are in their forties, we're probably all searching for the meaning of life...
CONFIRMED! Although, I'm already in my fifties, just.
This is the best topic since a long time. Yes, I also have been very silent and inactive for quite some time now, and as some other guys, mainly because of personal reasons. My life has been a rollercoaster since a few years and I'm not that fond of rollercoasters. It meant that the hobby went to the background. I even sold quite some games the last few months (on one occasion 6 in one day although the buyer came for only one! By far the most crazy day in my life, he probably had a midlife crisis, LOL But it did hurt, a lot) and I will sell even more this year. My gameboard collection is also no more ...
As I see the hobby now I will keep a small collection of real gems, play them now and them, so I will have time and energy to focus on much more important real-life stuff that is in development.
Of course, DLF (what's in a name), will always be a place where I will keep an eye on, not daily, but surely weekly, and I will keep posting now and then when I think it is interesting. It's still a great place to be, with good vibes! And maybe, someday the Arcade-Lifestyle spark will light up the fire again. :)
Oh, and I will keep loving to visit Arcade Game parties!!
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well spoke, andré and erik, loved your flashbacks and thoughts
As I see the hobby now I will keep a small collection of real gems, play them now and them, so I will have time and energy to focus on much more important real-life stuff that is in development.
almost the same here! i've sold so many games in the last few years, coming down from roughly 80 to around 20 - which still is a lot but something that's hopefully managable. honestly, apart from the fact that those machines look cool, what do you wanna do with 100 games? noone can "keep them alive" indefinitely, noone can restore all of them and - in my humble opinion - a lot of these old games REALLY SUCK! gaming has evolved, the classic games have not and when you wash the nostalgia away there's not a lot left. i enjoy trying and playing stuff at arcade parties that i once had, e.g. battlezone, but when the words GAME OVER appear on the screen, i know that i made a good decision when i sold the game, got some money out of it and have more living space :). don't get me wrong, i still totally LOVE the hobby, can't wait to get my gameroom construction rolling at the end of january, but it's better to have a select few in working condition which are REALLY GOOD than a busload of half-finished games that suck and don't work!
well, of course games like computer space DO SUCK BADLY, but at least they look good. sometimes that's just enough ... :P
acquiring my house in 2015 has brought me a new perspective in life, a perspective where classic arcade games are still playing a huuuge part, but also opening doors to other stuff i had never thought before!
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will you ever sell rally Ully ?
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will you ever sell rally Ully ?
I'm not planning on doIng so. Like computer space it is a piece of art and i have a wonderful spot for it in my house. More on that later ...
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Thank you for this topic.
I could see this thing is happening in most of the arcade forums I know.
I think we are simply getting older; our kids, jobs, real life live us less time to dedicate to our hobby. About me I'm trying to be active as much as possible but I don't want to bore anyone with tons of technical issues of yet another restoration. Ah, I repaired a couple of tempest boards so my favourite cab will work soon :-)
About names or section or whatelse, you decide, I will follow you anyway
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What's interesting is that since this topic was started there seem to be 10x as many new posts now! :D
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Thanks to this topic I started a few more or less interesting threads, I like the vibe here and would be sad if it died off.
And if I dont contribute I cant expect other to.
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Thanks to this topic I started a few more or less interesting threads, I like the vibe here and would be sad if it died off.
MOST interesting i would say - thx man!!!
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I see a lot of traffic moving from forums to FB. But it comes with both serious issues and benefits.
Pro's on FB:
- You can see who's the fans. People don't hide behind some fancy Streetfighter character name all the time. It's easier to meet IRL.
- Very easy to upload photo's and video's
Cons
- The linear character. There is no structure, no tree-like ordering of stuff
- Many groups are flooded with boring poll questions: what is your favourite.... choose x or y. What do you play tonight.
- You either end up visiting all groups as separate thing (I went to that option) or all your group activity gets mixed with the family and other topics. You basically need to unfollow the groups and visit them every few days. Similar to picking your DLF bookmark in the browser.
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I'm a forum guy - since we had another child last year things have been a bit hectic. Hopefully it will all be back to normal in the next 6-12 months :spaceace: