TGA to close forever, plans on liquidating all their games by May 2009
Posted by Paul - Mon 02/09 2009 - 11:37 AM - 2650 Views
The legend of ZAKU 0079 writes: It is said that all good things come to an end, and Tokyo Game Action is no exception. It's owner, Andy, was tasked with breaking the devastating news this morning, stating that due to the catastrophic effects of last December's flooding on the place, preventing them from becoming fully operational in order to repay their $500,000 debt to their creditors, he has no other alternative but to auction off all of TGA's assets. However, Andy is staying positive throughout this whole ordeal, saying that "TGA doesn't have to end. It is my hope that the community will come down, participate bring home a piece of TGA and keep it going."
As to what impact this will have on the New England Bemani community has yet to be seen, however, this news is bound to send shockwaves throughout the entire Bemani community.
Rating: 9 Positive | 12 Negative
Comments
Posted by Flashfire - Mon 02/09 2009 - 11:46 AM [ quote ]
hmm, i never ended up going. still, sucks that they moved to avoid flooding and got flooded AGAIN. best of luck
I am amazed that it managed to stay open for as long as it did, given that it was an esoteric import music game arcade in the middle of nowhere, but it was a great place while it lasted.
I really hope you're able to get things back into order, Andy, that's a hell of a pile of debt to have to try to get out from under. :(
I feel very sorry for Andy and all the people that worked with him.
If Andy does not make the 500 grand by auctions, I would like donate to a donation drive, if anyone close to Andy would organize this.
You want someone to tell you how the New England bemani community is impacted? I'm from Nashua, NH and I'll tell you:
This is the fourth arcade location within the last 6 months that has closed down. We had a place called Good Times, nearby Boston, which was epic in the old days, having a wide variety of music games, but really started sucking towards its demise, but nonetheless it was a location. Then we had a bowling alley in NH get rid of it's DDR Extreme which was in mint condition. This was the best kept Extreme in NH until it disappeared. Then the infamous MIT machine disappeared soon after, and that was the only machine all DDR players throughout Boston went to, unless you either played ITG more or you just sucked it up and went to a horribly kept SuperNOVA at another bowling alley in South Boston. It was a great hangout place and all, and just like that it goes.
So if that wasn't enough in losing locations, now we lose TGA. I see no reason to give an introduction to this place. This location was so greatly kept the term "arcade" is just considered an insult. Arcades in general aren't well kept and this place was so well maintained overall that I'm just referring to this arcade as heaven. For the United States as a whole, they see this arcade as amazing for having all these games. For the New England community, it was a second home for a lot of us. We would drive mass distances on a weekly basis to play the games almost no arcade around here could even get legally. So many tournaments for so many great games, and this was the place that was keeping the community together, or at least keeping hope that the community would thrive and live on. Now that this location is gone, I have no doubt in my mind our community here will continue to die out. Every other arcade that doesn't have an ITG dedicab doesn't get many plays on there other machines at all now. And the small handful of players left will just have to....I don't even know now.
But that's scraping the surface on how I personally feel. This is surely devastating and I'll be at that auction in May, I swear on it.
Let's not forget there's always 8 on the Break. That arcade is pretty decent, and even though TGA will be missed, there's always a brighter side to things. My prayers go to Andy, that he makes it through this whole ordeal in one piece.
I'm hoping some other big arcades in other cities pick up the BEMANI games. It would be nice if they continued on at places people would actually play them in. This is an arcade that will be missed.
I'm guessing you don't have much knowledge of the entrepreneurial business world.
Most starting businesses start out in debt, unless there's a financier to pay for all of the startup expenses out of pocket. The entire idea is to make your business profitable so that you can pay back the original investment (creditors/investors, etc) and eventually turn a profit once the original investment has been returned.
Given that Andy's not a millionaire and given that TGA had a large number of expensive (and frequently-upgraded) import music game cabinets, it's not exactly difficult to see how much money that can take to keep running. Add the flood problems and the economic downturn and it only gets worse.
The journey ain't over here. TGA might die, but a place like that is more than the simple sum of its parts. We might sound stupid to others, speaking in a sentimental manner about a simple little entertainment venue in the middle of nowhere... but let's face it, TGA was one of the last bastions of arcade culture left in the United States. I've lived in Western Massachusetts all my life, and I've watched as almost every other arcade in the area has fallen into disrepair and, ultimately, into nothing.
But in times like these, we can't lose hope as a society of players. I firmly believe that this is a blow we will recover from in time. I am not happy about it, as I have fond memories of that place... but as a person, I cannot fixate upon things I cannot change. Tomorrow, though, is another day, and we're a resilient bunch. Look into our history and you will see that.
And from where I'm sitting, the future is looking mighty bright. TGA has certainly fallen into the worst of times... but what of those machines? Where will they go? Maybe someone else will start something up. Maybe other arcades will buffer their stock and expand our reach as a community. I mean, I think back at times like these to when I first started playing these games. I remember playing PIU at Kahunaville in Holyoke when I was a sophomore in high school. One machine literally changed the course of my life as a gamer, and, arguably, as a person.
Who knows what tomorrow will hold? Perhaps good news will come our way.
Thanks, and the best of luck, TGA. The dream is not dead. The dream is not forgotten.
Posted by Piano Man - Mon 02/09 2009 - 02:26 PM [ quote ]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flashfire
Quote:
Originally Posted by DJjeff
Let's not forget there's always 8 on the Break.
yeah seriously, the East Coast isnt dead, in fact 8otB ....
Oh yeah, bootleg and broken or poorly maintained machines for all. How dare you sully TGA's name by comparing 8otB as an alternative.
The best thing we can do right now for Andy and Chie is to promote and make sure the auction is as much of a success as possible.
Yeah, this is pretty horrible news. I'm also all for seeing a donation fund. I'll never forget when, on one of my trips up there, we were out of money for tolls back to Connecticut and Andy offered to loan us $20 to cover it. Beyond the arcade itself, Andy has always been one of the best people in the community, and while losing the location is a pretty hard blow, I'm definitely more concerned that he and Chie will be ok coming out of it.
Posted by Piano Man - Mon 02/09 2009 - 02:52 PM [ quote ]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brazoliange
Beyond the arcade itself, Andy has always been one of the best people in the community, and while losing the location is a pretty hard blow, I'm definitely more concerned that he and Chie will be ok coming out of it.
We can make sure that they'll be ok by making sure that the auction goes smoothly and successfully. Thank you for your concern about Andy and Chie.
Posted by The MOLE - Mon 02/09 2009 - 02:53 PM [ quote ]
Iv seen andy overcome allot in the past 4 or so. I was around for the good ole' days back in slumville woonsocket, RI. When all he had was IIDX Red, Extreme, 2 Drummania 8th and 5th, Guitarfreaks. And a POPn AC setup in the back room with a Couch and a 3rd strike machine. Yea those were the days. The community was tightly knit, Jose, Clay, Rob Brown Myself Anthony Dr.J man i miss those times gettin KFC and watching aqua teen on the couch mid afternoon when it was raining outside and we were all bored. I know others have been around earlier then me when the coffee shop was around, but id like to think im privileged to have expierienced TGA for the legth of time i did. And even tho me and andy had our differences over the years. He's always still managed to reach out to me and the community and for that i respect and admire him. I had a feeling this was coming but i had hoped it was just my pessimistic attitude. I know he has something up his sleeve and once hes free of this hardship, he will start the next chapter in his life. I just hope it involves the New England Community. TGA has been a big part in my life, perhaps not so much as of late but man did i have some of my funnest times there. and it honestly inspired me. Andy did it big man, he did it great, and no one will ever take that away from him. Any of you richboys and girls out there. Its time to get your checkbooks ready, be the one to save a bemani icon. Donations should be set up because it was to my knoledge that a good portion of games were damaged in the flood. And im hoping mr. maguires insurance policies are helping him chip away at that debt. It is a sad day.
Once TGA closes, there will be no good arcades in New England. TGA got me into Bemani. On a slow day, Andy talked with me for about 30 min about what it's like to own an arcade. This is terrible news. My thoughts are with you and your family Andy.
Iv seen andy overcome allot in the past 4 or so. I was around for the good ole' days back in slumville woonsocket, RI. When all he had was IIDX Red, Extreme, 2 Drummania 8th and 5th, Guitarfreaks. And a POPn AC setup in the back room with a Couch and a 3rd strike machine. Yea those were the days. The community was tightly knit, Jose, Clay, Rob Brown Myself Anthony Dr.J man i miss those times gettin KFC and watching aqua teen on the couch mid afternoon when it was raining outside and we were all bored.
Oh god the good ol days, when TGA was a daily thing. But you make a very good point. Andy has been through tough shit before, many times.
He doesn't deserve any of it, but I know he can pull through and I definitely know a tight group of a lot of people that will help him to make sure he does!
Quote: Oh yeah, bootleg and broken or poorly maintained machines for all.
NOTHING AT THE BREAK IS BOOTLEG, BROKEN OR POORLY MAINTAINED! How dare you even think such things! The IIDX and Pop'n machines are from italy, and they are indeed legit and running great. The ITG2 machine is in near-perfect condition. That machine has been there since it was first introduced by RoxoR, and it still runs great despite how old it is. The pump machine there is also running perfect and is well maintained. Chris does everything he can to make sure that everything is well maintained and running smooth. So how dare you even imply that the break isn't a nice arcade to go to. Bootleg, broken, poorly maintained. You have some nerve!
uhhh, Italy makes bootleg kits. The ITG2 machine was an upgrade for a long time before they got the dedicab. Pro does have some problems with the pads and bars. Still Chris does what he can to fix games that people actually bother to play. Pop'n, ITG, DDR always works great and from what I hear is that Chris will be getting upgrades when he can afford to. Also Chris has been fixing a lot of games lately and is doing his best to make sure everything is in good working order. In fact last time I was there the only problem I ran into was IIDX screen lagging which Chris will be fixing when he gets the upgrade.
Piano Man the break really isn't bad at all, and will only be getting better in the months to come with technika and the work Chris has been putting into the place. Still comparing any arcade in America to TGA would be an insult because of the love that went into the arcade, unfortunately that had led to this, my thanks go to Andy for attempting such a feat as this.
this thread is not about which arcade is better, this is the mourning of something wonderful that has died .
it would be pretty awesome if you guy could have a bit more respect for that .
Posted by Piano Man - Mon 02/09 2009 - 05:55 PM [ quote ]
Quote:
Originally Posted by LISSA .
this thread is not about which arcade is better, this is the mourning of something wonderful that has died .
it would be pretty awesome if you guy could have a bit more respect for that .
Devilzukin said my point well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by devilzukin
Comparing any arcade in America to TGA would be an insult because of the love that went into the arcade,
Which is why I'm upset some people are trying to compare TGA to a lesser arcade as being equal. Way to tarnish the name.
Mind telling me what exactly is wrong with it then? Worked perfectly fine when I played on it tonight, or is there something you know that I don't here? Feel free to PM me and i'll do what I can.
We all know that nothing will ever compare to TGA, so the 8otB advertising & bashing isn't needed in here, thanks.
Posted by DJjeff - Tue 02/10 2009 - 12:26 AM [ quote ]
2009: the year that fate hated Bemani & their fans.
maybe because konami is involved with the gh arcade release.
Maybe it's because of that new DDR X announcer.
I fear it's due to the COMBO WOMBO
Posted by Mystic - Tue 02/10 2009 - 01:23 AM [ quote ]
i'm left wondering if it would have done better in another location
this is too sad, though.
gl andy
Posted by -Chef- - Tue 02/10 2009 - 03:43 AM [ quote ]
Quote:
Originally Posted by DJjeff
Quote: Oh yeah, bootleg and broken or poorly maintained machines for all.
NOTHING AT THE BREAK IS BOOTLEG, BROKEN OR POORLY MAINTAINED! How dare you even think such things! The IIDX and Pop'n machines are from italy, and they are indeed legit and running great. The ITG2 machine is in near-perfect condition. That machine has been there since it was first introduced by RoxoR, and it still runs great despite how old it is. The pump machine there is also running perfect and is well maintained. Chris does everything he can to make sure that everything is well maintained and running smooth. So how dare you even imply that the break isn't a nice arcade to go to. Bootleg, broken, poorly maintained. You have some nerve!
um...
take a look around
the place has always been in shambles..
its gotten worse the times i snuck in to play wangan
and seriously not to offend you,
but if you really think nothing at that arcade is bootleg
then you must be a god at songs WITHOUT autoscratch
the break will never, EVER replace TGA so don't dare compare that dump to a place that the owner put his HEART into it and loves his customers
Andy I'm gonna miss the place.
also when i went there the IIDX machine's timing was off but not that hard to get used to..
but now I heard its horrible from my friend royce saying he dropped a whole 2 letter grades based on the timing.
GL befoe dj max gets herpes on it
Posted by MechaGai - Tue 02/10 2009 - 09:13 AM [ quote ]
Too much hate in the comments, methinks.
Sad to see this place go, but I will always regard that place as a sort mini-Mecca of Bemani outside of Japan. I've only heard of good things about that place. The fact that it has fallen on hard times on more than one occasion, including TWO floodings, is nothing short of Biblical, but it also shows that Andy has such divine patience with the whole situation. It's sad to see that his only option is to sell the place and its games to get rid of that debt, but it seems like the only thing to recover that debt.
I sincerely hope that you come out of this okay, Andy, but from what I have come to know about you, and especially of all your friends, I am certain that you will be okay.
Posted by Derkomai - Tue 02/10 2009 - 09:25 AM [ quote ]
Quote:
Originally Posted by DJjeff
Exactly my point.
Well, you're kinda the one who brought up the Break in the first place. You only have yourself to blame for Break promotion there.
Regardless, as much as you WANT to believe everything is peachy at the Break, it isn't. So let's move away from the subject and continue to mourn the death of TGA.
Posted by DJjeff - Tue 02/10 2009 - 11:08 AM [ quote ]
Your right. I was just trying to say that the break isn't a bad place. I wasn't comparing it to TGA. TGA was awesome. It was the bemani capital of the east coast, and it will be missed. Sorry if i stirred up any hurt feelings or anything like that. I retract what i said earlier. I was just mad that someone bad-mouthed the break. I get a little carried away. I shouldn't have said anything, and i apologize.
First I want to say thank you to everyone for responding to the post and for all the kind words. It's been a pure honor privilege to be a part of this amazing community. I still am a part of the community, and always will be. In a few months I will be a player again. It will take some getting used to but I will do everything I can to continue to support the scene.
Thank you to anyone who ever honored us with your presence at the store. Thank you to anyone who ever posted on a TGA thread on Bemanisyle.
Thank you to anyone who took the time to read a thread about TGA on Bemanisyle.
And a big shoutout to ED for all his hard work and steady support which allowed TGA to move forward.
As I'm still the president of of TGA (at least for a few more months anyway :( )
I want to apologize for any comments on this thread that may have offended anyone, especially anyone who goes to the break. TGA's official position is that we respect the break and appreciate all the hard work the Cotty family puts into keeping the arcade alive.
Anything said on behalf of TGA is ultimately, whether I have anything to do with it or not, my responsibility so please accept my sincerest apologies.
All TGA family members are a little touchy, some more than others, as this news is hitting everyone very hard. I can assure you Piano Man means no harm, he loves and supports anything Bemani related. Again, as a TGA member, anything he said that offended anyone is my fault, so please forgive him.
To the people who "bickering" defending the break, I say "Thank you."
Thank you for being passionate about a place that you love. Thank you for supporting your local Bemani center. It's that same spirit that kept TGA alive and made it was it was, the spirit of the people.
Although the games were amazing, the members of TGA were MORE amazing. The people were the life and spirit of TGA. And it was my love for those people that drove me to work harder and harder to give them a place where they could fellowship with each other and strengthen their relationships. I always made sure my members were well fed, their games worked 100%, they were warm in the winter and cool in the summer, were safe, and they got home safe.
So please do not let that spirit die. Please support the break, let them know you appreciate their efforts and help spread the word about the Bemani cause. If you live near any arcade or Bemani center, please show your support and visit them.
Thank you everyone for everything, I'm not going away by any means, I'm just going to lay low for a while and prepare for what will be the worse day of my life.
Thank you everyone for the kind words, they truly mean a lot and are more help than you know.
Well said Andy, you are awesome. Thank you again, and I will definitely try to attend that auction in May (I was actually planning to do another trip back in January if you ended up reopening.) But I really hope that you can manage to clear out all of that debt, and will do what I can to help.
Posted by DJ DTHTRP - Wed 02/11 2009 - 08:18 AM [ quote ]
My deepest regards and respect, Andy. I've only heard of the greatness that has been TGA, and had looked forward to finding a point to travel up to visit for the past few years. I only wish I could have been a better part of this community than I am right now as it stands.
Heaven forbid I strike a PA lottery (or the Powerball), then I will DEMAND my family that I be brought up there to the auction to liberate and take home one of the games for in all likelihood more than anyone else would pay, I'm that generous.
I regret that I was never able to visit TGA, but hearing of all the cool stuff your arcade had, especially out in the middle of nowhere, was inspiring.
I hope others follow your lead and keep the scene alive.
I've been having trouble finding something to say, since I have never been to TGA and don't feel like I've earned the right to express my regret. The closest I've been to an ideal arcade is at Memories Games (Lawrence, MO), which had ITG2 r21, IIDX 8th, Pop'n 8th, Para Para 2nd, DMX 2nd, Keyboardmania, and iirc an MvC2 dedicab. They even had a deal where first-time Pop'n players got their first game for free. I've only gotten to go there once, but I felt like a kid in a candy store... I'll never forget the time I got my mom to play DMX and Pop'n with me.
Now that I'm in the Air Force though, I'm nowhere near that place. I may never get to visit it again, but it will always stay with me.
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