Tyler Bushnell has spent his entire life surrounded by games. Such can often be the case when your father, Nolan Bushnell, is the founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese.
And just like the aphorism of apples not falling far from trees, Tyler is planning to pioneer on the past promise of classic arcades with Polycade, the plug-and-play, super-sleek arcade cabinet of the 21st century capable of playing thousands of both old and new games.
The initial idea was such a hit that it raised $125,276 for its original Kickstarter campaign goal of $20,000.
Polycade is compatible with Steam, providing owners with a seemingly endless galaxy of their favorite games, past or present. Polycade is pre-configured with open source emulator software for systems such as Arcades (MAME), NES, SNES, Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, Turbografx-16 and Atari 2600.
Equipped with a 27-inch 1080p monitor, two-player controls using Sanwa joysticks and buttons, and a trackball that doubles as a mouse for navigation for desktop applications, Polycade weighs 80 pounds and protrudes off the wall by 17 inches. It is 48 inches tall and 30 inches wide.
Taking up only one third of the space of a traditional machine, each unit is complemented with two full-range speakers that are powered by an amplifier. The speakers serve well for those who want to enable Apple’s Airplay and have Polycade double as a jukebox.
Tyler Bushnell, the mastermind behind Polycade, joined [a]listdaily to dive into the promise of his creation.
What sparked the idea for Polycade?
When I was growing up we had a small arcade in the house. Most of the games were in some state of disrepair, or broken, but a few that we spent a lot of time on were Pengo, Donkey Kong Jr., and Super Breakout. If you’ve ever moved an arcade machine, you know that it’s a truly hateful experience. They don’t fit easily through doors, are difficult to get around corners and are extremely heavy. As our family moved from house-to-house, the machines either didn’t make the cut for space or simply broke down with no one willing to fix them. So we got rid of them. I never stopped missing these machines—except for moving them—and dreamed of an all-in-one machine that would also make sense in an apartment. So I set out drafting designs for my own arcade machine.
How many titles come equipped with Polycade?
Our primary version of the Polycade runs on Steam and is shipped with 15 awesome games installed in addition to a $100 gift card for Steam. We’ve found that it’s better to allow customers to choose their own games from the Steam app store, so a list of recommended games along with the $100 gift card works great.
How are you leveraging the power of the Steam app store?
Steam is a great universe for gaming. It has a built-in app store—sort of like iTunes, but for video games—that allows users to purchase games that they want and then browse their personal library. Additionally, Steam features not only modern hits like Street Fighter V and Mortal Kombat X, but also numerous retro titles such as Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, Centipede, Missile Command, Tempest and other classic titles. The Steam Link is an awesome tool when paired with a Polycade. At home, I use my Polycade for arcade-style games, and then for long-form, sit-down games, I use the Steam Link with my TV to stream games from my Polycade. It’s a ridiculously awesome setup.
How can brands utilize Polycade with experiential marketing activations?
Polycade machines are ideal for in-person activations. They can be skinned with a vinyl wrap to add any graphics. They’re easy to move around and they provide a great interactive experience for people of all ages and genders.
What are the social elements to Polycade?
Arcade machines are social by nature. The barrier to entry is extremely low, the controls are intuitive and the focus is either high scores or versus play. This translates to a wider range of players, as well as natural shoulder-rubbing competition over high scores or versus. I can’t stress the importance of ‘barrier to entry’ enough. Imagine you’re at a party, and there’s a console-and-couch setup in the corner as well as an arcade machine. You’re probably going to avoid sinking into the couch and getting lost in a never-ending game, but you won’t think twice about taking a couple turns on the arcade.
What did you learn most through Polycade’s Kickstarter campaign?
When I launched the campaign, I wasn’t sure of the demand for this type of product. The greatest takeaway from the campaign was validation.
What would you advise to those who take the crowdfunding path to a project?
Whatever you think your ship date will be—add an additional six months.
What kind of an influence has your father Nolan had on your life and creative career?
My dad has always encouraged us to build, hack and iterate on various projects. He also pushed us to sell things. At ages 8 and 10, my brother Brent and I were harvesting mistletoe in the woods behind our house, wrapping a red bow around little bunches, and hawking them at the local grocery store. I feel like I had a reasonable grasp on the differences between good and bad business models from a pretty early age. It’s been really useful bouncing business ideas off him for the past 30 years.
Follow Manouk Akopyan on Twitter @Manouk_Akopyan
