Digger: What is your
background Liz?
Liz: I am a qualified
Accountant with 15 years experience in several small and
medium sized businesses. I decided to come on board with my
husband Lloyd's business in June 2011 to help growth and
improve the Financial Reporting.
Digger:
Can you
please tell us how Ultimate Arcade Cabinets started and how
the company has evolved into what it is today?
Liz: Lloyd's love of
arcade machines began in 1984 when his father bought him a
Space Invaders machine for the home. In 2001, he decided to
try to build his own version of the classic 1980’s cocktail
cabinet with a modern twist and the business developed from
there. It has grown gradually over the last 10 years, we now
have a premises in Bedwas, Caerphilly with a small team.
Digger:
Please tell us more about the games, cabinets and products on
offer.
Liz: We offer a range
of cabinets, from our smallest Micro 60 Arcade to our Ultimate
Upright machine. Our options can suit any budget, space and
design and can be tailor-made to suit a particular game.
Our 60 options, Micro,
Cocktail and Upright contain a jamma board with 60 classic
games such as Space Invaders, Pacman, Donkey Kong etc and
provide hours of addictive fun.
Our Classic 224.
Ultimate 750 tables and our Ultimate Upright have a hard drive
system inside so you can load your own emulators and games,
they will literally hold thousands. We can then add different
controllers which suit certain games and enable you to re-live
the feeling of playing the original arcade games in the
amusement arcades. We can add spinner controllers (for games
such as Arkanoid), trackerballs (for games such as Missile
Command), steering wheels (for games such as Outrun) and light
guns (for games such as Operation Wolf).
Digger:
And what
about your custom finishing options?
Liz: We can offer
several customisations such as different graphics underneath
the glass, different colour buttons and trim, illuminated
chrome buttons and custom finishes such as carbon fibre and
wood finishes. We can also build complete bespoke cabinets
based on a particular theme, such as the Tron and Battlezone
machines we have recently built.
Digger:
Why is
retro and nostalgia such a big thing in so many people's
lives?
Liz: I think people
like retro items because they remind them of days gone by and
happy times.
Digger:
And why
are these retro arcade games particularly so enduring, not
only with those who remember them first time around but also
with the newer generations?
Liz: The original
arcade games like Space Invaders and Donkey Kong had simple
graphics but were highly addictive and easy to pick up. People
remember the hours and hours of playing them as children and
long for those happy, carefree times again! Also, these games
were completely harmless unlike some of the gory, aggressive
games you can buy today and parents can feel safe in letting
their children play them. Plus, there's nothing like the feel
of playing these games with a proper joystick and not just
pressing one or two buttons like today. The gameplay of arcade
machines is still much superior to that of modern game
consoles.
Digger:
What advice would you give to somebody looking at
buying an arcade games unit from you?
Liz: If someone is
thinking of buying an arcade machine then give us a ring or
e-mail and we can discuss the best options for you. If someone
is looking for a completely one-off machine that will wow
their friends, we can design something to meet your wishes.
Digger:
What would you say are your strengths at Ultimate Arcade
Cabinets and your USP’s?
Liz: We are extremely
enthusiastic and knowledgeable about retro games and arcade
machines here at Ultimate Arcade Cabinets. There are not many
questions we can't answer! We enjoy our work and love to be
able to bring hours of fun into people's lives with our
highest quality arcade machines. All of our cabinets are built
to order and contain the highest quality components, all of
which are CE approved. We also provide our unique
customisation service and can pretty much build whatever you
want!
Digger:
Where are your customers coming from and what customer
feedback/comments do you get?
Liz: Our customers
vary from people buying it as gifts for husbands or children,
to people kitting out a games room and pubs and clubs. We have
sold to a diverse range of customers such as a medical
institution providing help to children with special needs. We
have also sold to a few famous names such as Joe Calzaghe, Ant
and Dec and Deborah Meaden from Dragon's Den. Our feedback is
always tremendous with our customers having hours of fun with
friends and family. We have heard from some of our very first
customers who are still enjoying our machines over 10 years
later.
Digger:
And what are the best and most enjoyable aspects of running
Ultimate Arcade Cabinets for you Liz?
Liz: I enjoy
interacting with customers and especially when our products
are surprise gifts for our customer's family members. It's
great to know we are bringing so much joy into people's homes.
We are particularly busy at Christmas, and it's great to think
that we help to make our customer's Christmases extra special
with our cabinets. We love producing and designing new
products and it's great to see new bespoke, unique
machines being created, particular when our customers are as
enthusiastic as us about retro games and cabinets!
Digger:
What are
your plans for Ultimate Arcade Cabinets in the future?
Liz: Our aim is to
continue to produce Arcade Cabinets to the highest quality and
specification and continue our excellent customer service to
ensure that our customers enjoy our machines for years to
come. We are always developing new products to provide our
customers with the best looking, most entertaining arcade
cabinets to re-live those magic moments of the original arcade
games.
