ACAM is saddened to report the passing of our friend & “Father of Videogames” Ralph Baer. Born in 1922, Ralph was 92 years old at the time of his passing on December 6th, 2014.

To honor our friend, ACAM has posted two articles on his life, inventions & legacy. Ralph Baer’s creations shaped many aspects of our lives. From video games, to handheld electronic games to toys to educational applications, Ralph created futuristic devices to educate and entertain. All of us at ACAM enjoyed our experiences with him going back to 2002.

The articles can be accessed via the rotating banner at:http://www.classicarcademuseum.org

Retro Gamer Magazine issue #127 is on store shelves in the U.S. right now. The issue features a huge article called "When Arcades Ruled the World." The American Classic Arcade Museum & Funspot received a two-page spread as part of that feature covering the history of the facility and their work preserving videogame history. The magazine crowned the facility as the "Best Arcade in the World." ACAM/Funspot is also the "Largest Arcade in the World" as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Retrogamer can be purchased in Barnes & Noble bookstores and Microcenter. Electronic versions can be found in the iTunes and Android marketplaces.

Even though it is filled with blood and guts, the gruesome content of Splatterhouse isn't scaring away competitors of this score war.

Score runs on the Namco arcade title were mostly stagnant until scoring enthusiasts at Galloping Ghost Arcade took to the game. With back-and-forth battles on the Aurcade.com high score table, much like Rick with a melee weapon in the game, current top scores have players swinging for the fences.

As of May 8, gamer Caitlin Oliver stands tall on the record with a score of 611,300 set April 17. She captured the record, besting a score set by Anthony Paparo March 15. The recent flip is only one instance in approximately the past year where the record has traded hands between the two.

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Weirs Beach, NH – The Funspot Family Entertainment Center and The American Classic Arcade Museum (ACAM) are pleased to announce the 16th Annual International Classic Video Game Tournament will take place Thursday May 29th through Sunday, June 1st 2014 at the Funspot Family Entertainment Center on Route 3 in Weirs Beach, NH.

Tournament hours are Thursday Noon-10pm, Friday and Saturday 10am-11pm and Sunday 10am-5pm. Admission to compete in the tournament is $60 and includes 250 game tokens. This year's tournament is sponsored in part by Mix 94.1FM, The Planet 100.1, New Country 106.9 & Gamer Soda.

The first 100 registrants will receive a commemorative T-shirt and goodie bag. Registration is at the door only. The tournament features competitive play on 15 classic game titles and 5 games in the annual Manufacturer’s Challenge. This event brings the best competitive arcade gamers from around the world. To keep the playing field as competitive as possible, the tournament games will not be announced until the first day of the event.

Prizes will be awarded for first through third place in the Tournament and the Manufacturer’s Challenge, and for the top score set on each of the 15 main tournament games and the 5 manufacturer’s tournament games. The monetary prize awards will also include a commemorative trophy as well.

For more details, visit: http://www.classicarcademuseum.org/tournament.htm

The American Classic Arcade Museum (ACAM) is proud to announce our return to PAX-East in Boston, MA April 11th through the 13th, 2014. PAX-East is one of the largest gaming shows in North America.

Aside from our usual arcade exhibit consisting of almost 50 classic coin-op games, ACAM will be conducting the following panel sessions:

ACAM – How Arcade Games Influenced Home Console Gaming
Saturday, April 12th, 2014
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center -- Arachnid Theatre @ at 2:00pm

The American Classic Arcade Museum (ACAM) takes a look at how classic arcade games influenced video gaming at home. From Asteroids to Zaxxon, the arcade hits eventually made their way to home consoles and computers. What were the obstacles of translating arcade classics for home consoles? How did those games affect the arcades? Guests include the developers of multiple Atari 5200/7800 console games and the co-creator of the Atari 7800 home console.

Moderator:
Mike Stulir: Vice President, The American Classic Arcade Museum

Panelists:
Steve Golson: Co-creator of the Atari 7800 console
Jonathan Hurd: Creator of Atari’s “Food Fight” arcade game
Carlos Smith: Programmer of Atari 5200/7800 games
Marshall Peck: Graphic Artist for Atari 5200/7800 games
Gary Vincent: President, The American Classic Arcade Museum


ACAM – Preserving Laserdisc Arcade Games
Sunday, April 13th, 2014
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center -- Arachnid Theatre @ at 12:30pm

One of the most popular exhibits in the ACAM arcade at PAX-East is the laserdisc games. Titles like Space Ace, Dragon’s Lair, Us vs. Them and Cliffhanger are constantly mobbed by attendees. What exactly goes into keeping this unique classic arcade game technology running? How does ACAM preserve the gameplay of these unique games? Join ACAM staff and Warren Ondras from the "Daphne" emulation & "Dexter" hardware replacement projects for a discussion of laserdisc preservation technology and a demonstration of the unique technical challenges faced when restoring games of this type.

Moderator:
Mike Stulir: Vice President, The American Classic Arcade Museum

Panelists:
Warren Ondras: Daphne/Dexter Development Team
Gary Vincent: President, The American Classic Arcade Museum


More info on The American Classic Arcade Museum can be found at http://www.classicarcademuseum.org