25-year industry entrepreneur and designer Doc Mack of Galloping Ghost Productions talks about his game production company and working on his arcade fighting game, “Dark Presence”. How the company has mushroomed into creating the biggest arcade in the world (731 games and counting!), a reproductions company, gym and martial arts studio, automotive repair shop, and a pinball arcade. Learn about his desire to work in video games growing up and a chance encounter with a game industry legend spurred him to start the company, plus how the Galloping Ghost arcade opened in 2010 after frustration while researching the arcade market.

Hear about what he wishes he’d known when he started, along with how they’ve helped open 29 arcades. Learn how 80,000 people a year go through the arcade and how their passion for arcade records lead them to purchase the scoring house, Aurcade. Learn how he’s able to get rare games that were never commercially released, some current arcade and indie companies, and the resurgence of pinball.

Learn thoughts on the current state of arcades and how open play has changed things. Hear about outdated laws he had to overcome and ignorant perceptions proven wrong about violence and video games from examples like the Mortal Kombat “Kombat Kon” 25th anniversary event. Hear how arcades can help people with anxiety or struggling with personal challenges, plus bond as families. 

Hear about the challenges for opening an arcade the right way, how location isn’t critical, along with the satisfaction of sharing player excitement for classic games with the original designers. Learn thoughts on mobile and VR games going into arcades, why arcades died off, and what game caused a couple to hitchhike from Oregon. Hear about his passion for shining a spotlight on industry people giving them credit like movies and other forms of media and how to get in touch with him, hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek. (See gamedevadvice.com for all the details.)

Resources:

*Galloping Ghost Productions website

*Galloping Ghost Arcade website

*Galloping Ghost Arcade Facebook

*Galloping Ghost Arcade Twitter

*Dark Presence website

*Aurcade website

*King of Kong Wikipedia

*The Spectre Files: Deathstalker YouTube

*Beavis & Butt-head Polygon

*Raw Thrills website

*Killer Queen website

*Stern Pinball website

*Kombat Kon YouTube

*The Grid YouTube

*Toru Iwatani Wikipedia

*Level Ex website - we’re hiring

*Game Dev Advice Twitter

*Game Dev Advice email

*Game Dev Advice website

*Game Dev Advice Hotline (224) 484-7733*And thanks to Charles Dike Production podcast editing

*Don't forget to subscribe and go to www.gamedevadvice.com for full show notes with links

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