BARCADIA – WTF is going on? (Sept 2023 update)


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Betacord
1 year ago

It’s a joke for a place that small to have several machines malfunctioning, I’ve known arcades with 100 machines where there’d be maybe one with a fault. Any place worth their salt will go through all the machines in service/test mode at the start or end of day, it takes literally 2 minutes per machine. Check the video, audio, buttons and coin slots. Most faults are just basic maintenance and you keep parts on hand to repair on-site. Sticks, buttons, coin mechs, spare speakers, degauss wand etc. 95% of it is could be done by someone with basic DIY skills and the rest you have somebody on call to get down and fix it, or at least hide it in a back room until then.

The machines being old is no excuse, they are not the kind of machines with big maintenance requirements. The only thing I’ve seen in videos where I’d think there was even mild concern is a stand-up Daytona USA as they have a steering wheel with a force feedback thing and the pots need adjusting or replacing now and then. It’s just complete laziness.

P. Ness
P. Ness
1 year ago
Reply to  Betacord

The machines aren’t theirs, so they’re probably forbidden from screwdrivering them.
However, you’d think they’d have a couple of machines in storage to swap in/out as required.

Bert
1 year ago
Reply to  P. Ness

Move an arcade cab, are you serious? that would cause Peter to get a little sweaty.

Bert
1 year ago
Reply to  George

Probably had someone else doing the work, he just made a video to look like he had done it.

Gordon Ramsays left eyebrow
Gordon Ramsays left eyebrow
1 year ago

From reading between the lines, I think it was a joint venture between him and Sam, and for whatever reason, that relationship is now dead, and he is happy for the place to literally burn to the ground first before he puts any more effort or money from his side into it. That would give a more reasonable explaination for his lack of tweets / insta/ facebook / youtube pics or vids on the place. Well, its either that, or he is even more lazy than I thought. It’d also explain the “get it right up you Sam – Im with Octy now” phase he is showing off to the max…..

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Boingalot
1 year ago

Also means backers can kiss goodbye to the 25k that was spent on the place. If it ever was.
Is he back with Octy now?

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Boingalot
1 year ago
Reply to  George

Is Sam the one he had the kids with who appear in the early videos?

Bert
1 year ago
Reply to  George

Which is why we needed full disclosure about the relationship between Sam and Peter. It’s one thing for a married couple who have a strong relationship to start a business and another for someone like Peter to do it.

Boingalot
1 year ago

I see the ferret has put up a video with Octavius. It’s painful to watch and explains nothing.

Bert
1 year ago
Reply to  Boingalot

He was bickering with her when she left the rat out of the cage. Explained a lot to me. She’s just too crazy and unpredictable.

Bert
1 year ago
Reply to  George

I was watching video about the FTX scandal today. Low and behold the main guy is a vegan, just shows what unethical tossers they can be.

Bert
1 year ago
Reply to  Bert

True, it’s just the holier than thou attitude some of these vegans can have. There was a study into people who publicly virtue signalled, the results weren’t positive put it that way.

“Signaling virtuous victimhood as indicators of Dark Triad personalities.”

Bert
1 year ago
Reply to  Bert

“Male feminists” are some of the worst, basically they do it to get in with the girls and then treat them like crap.

Bigsky
1 year ago

On the button as usual George – we all knew where this was going to be fair. But hay ho – what does this weasel NN care – he didn’t waste his own money after all and I’m sure this mutant is pulling a plan together for his next grift. My bet would be money to retrain as a MH counsellor so he can set up a new YT channel where he can use his new found skills on Octavius and live stream their sessions. You could donate to the cause throughout on a £1 by tear basis – and they could no doubt milk the simps like the metaphorical cattle they are! 👍

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P. Ness
P. Ness
1 year ago

Yes… The shareholders. Blaming Companies House. Yet they were able to successfully file this:

“22 Jun 2023 Confirmation statement made on 12 May 2023 with no updates”

No updates?

ruskie
ruskie
1 year ago

I mentioned in one of your Barcadia videos that Peter Leigh was allegedly selling retro hardware he had received from his YouTube audience.

There’s a UK Play TV show called ‘Retro Electro Workshop,’ akin to Bargain Hunt but centered on retro hardware like radios and computers. In Episode 4, titled ‘Commodore 64,’ Mr. Leigh appears in his packed-to-the-brim retro shop. Two bargain hunters walk away with a Commodore 64 and a Speccy for £180.

The question that lingers is how he amassed such a collection of hardware?

Episode can be watched here:

https://uktvplay.co.uk/shows/retro-electro-workshop/series-1/episode-4/6331924803112

NN is about 3 1/2 minutes in

ruskie
ruskie
1 year ago
Reply to  ruskie

An addendum to my previous post: It seems that the Nostalgia Nerd Shop featured in the Retro Electro Workshop episode was staged for the show (Although, I’m uncertain what to believe anymore). This assertion is made by Peter Leigh in his latest YouTube video, titled: I’m Sorry

Check out his latest video which dropped today, where he explains his absence and lack of recent content. He shares his plans and even provides an office cleanup and tour, complete with appearances by Octivius and rats, all aimed at maximizing his audience engagement. Is the absence of new content solely attributable to Barcardia’s inevitable failure?

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P. Ness
P. Ness
1 year ago
Reply to  ruskie

No doubt that he lurks around here given the timing of that video. Hi Peter!

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frot_hat_gaming
1 year ago
Reply to  P. Ness

You want some more?

chithecynic
chithecynic
1 year ago
Reply to  ruskie

Incredible, his “I’m Sorry” video still manages to be filled with shilling for desks and office furniture.

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frot_hat_gaming
1 year ago
Reply to  chithecynic

Looks like he’s wearing a Retro Replay wrist band. Good on him for supporting local businesses.

Boingalot
1 year ago

Read a google review that said it works out to 50p a credit for the games. Shouldn’t they be free as they are there to lure people in? Or am I being thick here?

DangerOtter
DangerOtter
1 year ago
Reply to  George

The only way one of these arcade bars work is with a flat free to play and free play machines.

Bert
1 year ago
Reply to  DangerOtter

Except I’d say no, the way these bars work is with decent food as the margins are high on food. But they have some questionable food. The arcades are a bit of a nostalgia trip which is soon satisfied.

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DangerOtter
DangerOtter
1 year ago
Reply to  Bert

shit food there though

Bert
1 year ago
Reply to  Bert

True. It’s “junk” food as they can’t really compete with the Board game place. But if the door were open and the machines free to play who is going to bother buying a drink and food?

Bert
1 year ago
Reply to  Boingalot

Most places with machines charge an entrance fee. But Barcadia doesn’t so they charge for the machines. I think it is fair enough but keeping vintage machines going isn’t cheap.

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Bert
1 year ago
Reply to  George

Yep, it was specifically the CRT I was on about. When I’ve been to shows it’s often been the CRT that’s thrown a wobbly and taken the machine out of action.

Bert
1 year ago
Reply to  Bert

Personally if I did such a place I’d be using arcade machines which you can’t emulate so easily due to controls. Games with steering wheels, flight sticks, light guns etc..

Bert
1 year ago
Reply to  Bert

Well, if you have like 50-100 cabs to play then even with a few broken there’s plenty of choice. Plus that is the sole focus of most arcades. But Barcadia can’t make its mind up what the focus is, is it games, the food or the booze?

Bert
1 year ago
Reply to  Bert

Well, he’s no Russ Abbott that’s for sure.

The Furthest Man From Home
The Furthest Man From Home
1 year ago

The reports from people who visited firsthand, reporting back of faulty Arcade Machines was far from the publicity the venue needed.

The Hospitality business ideas can be very profitable for entrepreneurs, IF they know what they are doing, have carefully researched the market and venue location.

Sadly, The Nerd isn’t an entrepreneur, is he?

He’s no more a hospitality entrepreneur, than he is a video game book writer.

Anyone thinking the very people who are looking for light, ‘entertainment’ content, will be the very same people, you can generate sales of poorly conceived books from or entice into a themed bar, absolutely miles and miles from where they are…

Really does deserve the failures unfolding before them.

We all knew Ashens wouldn’t be seen at the venue.

Gordon Ramsays left eyebrow
Gordon Ramsays left eyebrow
1 year ago
Reply to  George

If I had a feee bet, Id say they got the arcade cabs for free on the understanding The Arcade Club got between half and all of the revenue from them – a win win for both sides. Barcadia get a supply of cabs for free, and the Arcade Club get a revenue stream from excess unused stock. That would explain the zero interest in maintaining the machines – as long as they look good to passers by, everything is okay…..

Bert
1 year ago

Vegan food is a niche and a bit of a virtue signal bandwagon that seems have started to fade out. A friend of mine was trying to be vegan, but he had a cholesterol test and he found while he was low in the bad cholesterol he’s also low in the good stuff. So he’s having more eggs and stuff now. I mentioned I stopped having margarine ages ago and have butter now and he didn’t seem to see the problem with that.

I think there’s also a bit of a rebellion going on against people trying to get us to eat bugs.

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chithecynic
chithecynic
1 year ago

I’m glad you addressed those Google reviews, I did think there was something not quite right about them. You’ve got to ask yourself – like him or not – with the profile NN has, why isn’t Barcadia being blasted from every single social media account he’s got? Why aren’t we seeing endless photos, videos and feel-good posts about the runaway success it’s been? Let’s face it, ever since he opened his “cave”, old Neil hasn’t stopped banging on about it and fair play, I’ve not been, but it does look like he’s made a good go of it and he’s got a steady stream of people coming to visit. Barcadia? Haven’t heard a peep since it opened. One crappy Instagram video of what looked like a few people looking bored in the venue on what I presume was its launch night and… that’s it. How has someone with such a massive YT subscriber base not posted a single video about Barcadia since it opened? Or any of his fellow travellers? Almost like he’s… ashamed of it? Nah, that can’t be it, surely…

chithecynic
chithecynic
1 year ago
Reply to  George

Yes, that’s exactly right. You’ve now reminded me of that video of him fannying about with a bit of flooring for bloody ages doing a task that should have taken a half-competent person about 3 seconds. He’s gone into the hospitality business – one of the toughest ones going, with incredibly tight margins, at a time when it’s experiencing an all-time market low – and expected to be raking it in with minimal effort (like his YT channel). Rude awakening, I suspect… though, as you say, he probably hasn’t got the self-awareness to realise that HE’S the problem.

ccad
ccad
1 year ago
Reply to  George

I hadn’t really heard of the Nostalgia Nerd before any of this stuff and watching some of his videos, it’s so apparent the knowledge is baseline and just reading from other places, convinced he’s the authority on whatever it is before shilling for a cryptocurrency or some mobile game. Although he’s not as desperate as Top Hat Gaming Man who has resorted to ‘remaking’ all his previous videos which amounts to little more than slightly updated scripts and editing, raking in a pittance of views compared to the older versions of the same videos.

T. Rollin
1 year ago
Reply to  chithecynic

The last mention of Barcadia I saw on any socials was a couple of weeks back, when Kim Justice was in Norwich on a pub crawl and tweeting all about it. There was tweeting about Retro Replay as well. I won’t spoil it for you, but I think you’ll enjoy it (if you haven’t seen it already).

JamesP
1 year ago

Who would have thought opening a vegan retro gaming themed bar during the worst financial crisis during living memory was a good idea. Every picture we have seen is the place empty, even the “packed” quiz night only had a few punters. They must have gotten a free or next to free rent.

P. Ness
P. Ness
1 year ago
Reply to  JamesP

Maybe Peter got a payday loan from some of his old acquaintances?
Except that wouldn’t be possible. Peter doesn’t have a job so he can never have a payday.