How to Build Your Own Home Arcade
1 of 2 3 pros!
The home arcade of your dreams is closer within reach than you might think.
For children of the 1980s and 1990s, it’s possibly the ultimate dream item: An arcade filled with hundreds of games and an endless supply of quarters, all to themselves. But thanks to modern technology and a few tricks, the arcade of 1980s dreams can be stuffed into a single cabinet and make a centerpiece for your basement or man cave.
Indianapolis resident Brandon Lafferman says he owned every version of game consoles Sega and Nintendo released up until the Playstation came along.
“When I got married, I told my wife there’d be a point where we would have an arcade in my basement!” he says.
He commissioned Indianapolis-based DreamAuthentics to create a custom 4-player arcade unit. “I wanted one that could play every game from the beginning of time until now,” he says. “I chose the 4-player version so I could play with groups of friends, specifically on ‘NBA Jam.’ We’ve had huge tournaments with fighting games in my house.”
The hundreds of games pre-installed on the system present options for anyone. “No matter who walks in, I’ve got their favorite game,” he says.
He’s remodeling his basement next year, and plans to design the new basement around the machine. “It’s going to be a major highlight for everybody that comes over.”
Rick Barretto's book, "Game On!", details the process of building a custom arcade machine. (Photo by Frank Espich)
The secret arcade origin of DreamAuthentics
A combination of tech toy and specialized home theater, a custom arcade cabinet remains a prize possession in many home hangouts. DreamAuthentics CEO Rick Barretto started his company in 1999, and now the business supplies arcade cabinets all over the world.
“Back in 1999, there was nothing available!” Barretto says. “I invented the concept and it’s evolved quite a bit over the years to what you see today.”
Barretto programmed computer games in the 1980s, and as he grew older, began to collect arcade games. But he found a built-in problem with the 1980s cabinets – they were never built for longevity. “These games that are 20, 30 years old don’t last a long time,” he says. “I had to constantly repair them, and I thought, ‘There has to be a better way.’”
There was. He designed his first cabinet around 1999, using PCs and software bundles inside a hand-built cabinet, and has been selling them ever since. He’s continually updated and refined the process, but the basic idea remains the same. He also authored a book, “Game On!”, about the process of building or buying a custom game system.
“I’m not sure people really thought we meant it when we said our arcade game had the ability to play almost any game on the planet,” he says. “But as word got out, the media picked it up, and celebrities started to own our products, people started to see the possibilities and we started having competitors.”
The “man cave” trend that picked up speed in the 2000s certainly helped propel the product. “There’s been tremendous growth in man caves and retro arcades have really come back. It’s a great business that continues to grow and prosper.”
Everything on a DreamAuthentics cabinet can be customized, including controllers, buttons and the table background. (Photo by Frank Espich)
How the custom arcade cabinet works
Barretto uses a combination of game collections and specifically licensed titles to pre-load the system with hundreds of video games from the 1980s, 1990s and 21st century. Although the games themselves hearken back to years gone by, the system relies on top-quality technology. No more cathode ray tubes that can blow out and lose their image after a few years or ancients chips that can blow out; the DreamAuthentics cabinets use flat-screen, high-definition monitors and an internal PC-compatible system that Barretto continually updates.
Barretto offers extensive customization. The base models range from a tabletop edition to a massive 4-player, 60-inch screen behemoth, and customers can choose from a wide variety of options for the joysticks, buttons, flight sticks, and even programmable animated button lights.
“We literally build it from scratch and customize it down to the buttons and joysticks,” he says. “Everything can be customized to their own homes. We can even put pictures of their friends and family on the arcade machine itself.”
He also continually upgrades the equipment for existing users: “The cabinet and shelf is like a fine piece of furniture; it will last forever,” he says. “But the game engine can be rotated out. As PCs get older, we swap out the system and it’s good for another 4 or 5 years.”
Prices range from $995 for the tabletop edition to several thousand dollars for a fully tricked-out mega-sized cabinet and screen. The exact price will vary depending on the custom options.
Custom arcades all over the world
Barretto placed arcade cabinets in a variety of unusual places, including the Playboy Mansion, a cruise ship, Gloria Estefan’s home, and in one case, a log cabin hunting lodge in the woods. DreamAuthentics once constructed a cabinet for a sick child in the hospital at the request of Peyton Manning’s foundation. Most of his work, however, goes to corporate offices or homes, where they become a valued family treasure.
“We have customers now who have had our games for nearly 20 years,” he says. “I get letters all the time from customers whose kids are off to college, and they still come back and play in the arcade.”
Barretto looks forward to where technology might next bring opportunity. “We’re working on a virtual reality station,” he says. “My goal is to have more products like this linked together and doing more with e-sports. We’re also furthering along the educational component, where you can teach the younger kids with games.”
