Arcade Design: Dave & Buster's in Phoenix

Dave & Busters is what happens when you try to adultify the arcade experience. This is actually a good idea since many of the people who grew up with arcades are now adults. The arcade design is slightly maze like, which builds the feeling of there being more. The games tend to be big, new, and light up.

The D&B chain is common throughout the US. In fact there was one in Honolulu that I visited. I couldn’t take pictures of anything but myself while there.

This is all I got. Up these stairs is an arcade... Yay.

The place in Phoenix was a little more open to cameras, so I was able take a lot more. The first thing I noticed was how it seemed to be a restaurant and arcade. It was designed for the older arcade enthusiast. The entire place around it was a walk way with stores at every side.

Shopping areas like this are starting to show up more and more.

This curved design made it always feel like there was more to see. Around every corner was some giant design that made you pause and enjoy it.

The umbrellas changed color as well.

The curves also made the buildings seem longer than they really were. It was only a few blocks long, but felt much much larger. People were moving around, and the free flow of movement made the desire to stay and see what else was there was strong.

Inside the Dave & Busters was a restaurant that kept a stylish neon metal feel to everything. The benches had a slight 1950’s feel near the arcade, and then moved into a more standard restaurant later.

Like the 1950's, but not. 

The arcade itself was designed so that you never saw the end. You could see the end of one hallway, but not others. Even on the edge of the designed, the curves, and walls made it feel longer.

I am facing the far left wall from center right here. 

The areas were sectioned off sort of like how a cell is made up. The games all had a theme to them that fit next to each other. So the gun games were next to the other gun games. The thick outer wall was giant games.

Some of these prizes are as big as my date.

Then we have places like mitochondria, and other places. So the ticket games are in one spot, and the racing games are in another.

Why cards? Because then you don't realize how much money your spending.

The arcade uses cards instead of coins, so there are card machines in a specific corner.

Just swipe your card, and then your credit card to add more coins. I like to think this is the Endoplasmic Reticulum that accepts smooth cards, and rough cash.

The neon grunge feeling is kept up throughout the place. For example, all the pipes above us were painted bright orange.

This is near the entrance.

The entire design of the building is actually well organized in a way for you to get somewhat lost. It is the same in Casinoes where you never really know what time it is, or where you are exactly at any point. The games are clustered together by type, and sort of feel like the inside of a cell. The reason why for all of this is because the modern arcade goer is now older, and each step is made to match that feeling of adultified kid thing. There won’t be a dancing singing mouse, but there will be a stylish cool feel to everything.

Well thats what I got for this tour. I would draw up a map, but I don’t think its allowed. Make sure to check out more pictures from the facebook page, and feel free to drop a comment.