Author Topic: The future of this forum  (Read 21655 times)

Superully

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The future of this forum
« on: January 02, 2017, 01:33:21 PM »
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?

all i need is ... PONG - and a select few others: TOUCH ME, DRAGON'S LAIR, JOUST, ROBOTRON, MR DO, SAN FRANCISCO RUSH THE ROCK!!!

Etienne MacGyver

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Re: The future of this forum
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2017, 02:39:11 PM »
All i can say is that i am less active due to personal issues.

Tyrem

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Re: The future of this forum
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2017, 03:17:41 PM »
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.
Looking for Dragons Lair 1 or 2, Space Ace, Double Dragon, Robotron and yeah... a Shinobi would be cool, too!

Andreas_AUT

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Re: The future of this forum
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2017, 03:59:30 PM »
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.

joeks

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Re: The future of this forum
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2017, 04:44:41 PM »
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!
 
Makes Arcade Artwork Reproductions at www.arcadeartrepro.com

Pinge

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Re: The future of this forum
« Reply #5 on: January 02, 2017, 05:31:10 PM »
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...
- Always looking for Playchoice & Mega-Tech -

Laszo

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Re: The future of this forum
« Reply #6 on: January 02, 2017, 05:46:42 PM »
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 😄

Thwocker

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Re: The future of this forum
« Reply #7 on: January 02, 2017, 06:03:26 PM »

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  ;)
Wanted: everything Universal , Stern and Gottlieb. Currently looking for Computer R3, Curve Ball, Goal to Go, Jungler, Fast Draw, Limbo, No Man's Land and Speed Coin.

Muerto

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Re: The future of this forum
« Reply #8 on: January 02, 2017, 07:26:20 PM »
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 :)
« Last Edit: January 02, 2017, 09:55:35 PM by Muerto »

Superully

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Re: The future of this forum
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2017, 08:02:13 PM »
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)
all i need is ... PONG - and a select few others: TOUCH ME, DRAGON'S LAIR, JOUST, ROBOTRON, MR DO, SAN FRANCISCO RUSH THE ROCK!!!

anunaki

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Re: The future of this forum
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2017, 08:21:37 PM »
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.

PunkRockCaveman

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Re: The future of this forum
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2017, 09:40:34 PM »
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 ...

Muerto

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Re: The future of this forum
« Reply #12 on: January 02, 2017, 09:52:41 PM »
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!

anunaki

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Re: The future of this forum
« Reply #13 on: January 02, 2017, 10:07:44 PM »
The hobby is very alive indeed also in my life

I really hope Eurocade 2017 is happening because the life meetings I love most

slowcade

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Re: The future of this forum
« Reply #14 on: January 02, 2017, 10:28:13 PM »
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.