On December 8th, 1980, the world lost one of the greatest men who ever put the pen to paper and wrote a song. It's hard to believe 30 years has passed since the murder of John Lennon, and the wounds of his passing still feel fresh today. Hearing all the fans singing Beatles and John songs in unison during the first part of the ABC News broadcast covering his death below still brings a tear to the eye. 
On October 5th, Columbia Records will be releasing Metallic Spheres, a unique collaboration between Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour and British ambient superstars The Orb, who are no strangers to the music of Floyd, having done several trance remixes of their most beloved songs (see below).
Story by Ron Hart
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Brad: It's a big challenge. A lot of my machines are 20+ years old, and for the most part they weren't built to last that long. Spare parts can be difficult to find, and sometimes when you find them they can be very expensive. For example games like Asteroids and Tempest use vector monitors, and no one makes or services those anymore and they are pretty hard to get at a reasonable price. If you don't know how to fix the stuff yourself, it's crucial that you find some reliable and talented help. That can be a huge hurdle to overcome these days when it's cheaper to just replace broken equipment then it is to hire people to repair it. |
IRT: Do you get a lot of young people coming into your arcade? Why or why not?
Brad: Yes, but I'd say it's more so older than younger folks. I think the younger folks I get through the door are the more hardcore gamers of their generation, or just general curious types who get a kick out of checking the old stuff out. I feel bad for the kids who experience these games for the first time as some crappy port on some cell phone, or on an emulator using their keyboard instead of a proper joystick. I can see how a first impression with a classic game in that fashion could introduce it as more of a novelty then as something worthwhile.
IRT: What do you think the appeal is of vintage games in the age of the X-Box and such involved games like Call of Duty and whatever else?
Brad: For me a lot of those games involve a huge investment in time to experience them in full. I play some modern games like Grand Theft Auto, and a few others every now and again, but I typically enjoy games that can be played in quick bursts and require little to no learning curve. I don't have the time to invest like I used to.
IRT: What is the hardest-to-find console in your arcade and how did you track it down?
Brad: I have a game called Death Race, which is the first arcade game to ever cause a major controversy over video game violence. It's a two player driving game where you try and run over as many people as you can in a limited amount of time. It's actually very fun. I believe they only made like 500 of them before a witch hunt segment on 60 Minutes jumped all over it. As a result people boycotted the game. I even heard some protesters went so far as to destroy a few of them. Ultimately most of them were pulled from routes and dismantled. There are very few of the complete games known to exist today. Maybe even less than 10. I found it by chance in a warehouse full of old arcade games when I was purchasing a Robotron machine. The guy offered to sweeten the deal by throwing it in for an extra $100.
IRT: What console have you yet to find that you are dying to acquire and why?
Brad: I'd like to get an original Computer Space some time from more of a collector's standpoint. It was the first arcade machine ever manufactured.
IRT: When push comes to shove, your opinion sir: Jungle King vs. Jungle Hunt?
Brad: While I do appreciate the story and controversy behind Jungle King being a Tarzan ripoff, I actually prefer the safari guy with the little hat. I just wish he still did the yell.
