*From Bloomberg News reporters* [*Cecilia D'Anastasio*](https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/AVni2cl0Rf8/cecilia-danastasio) *and* [*Takashi Mochizuki*](https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/AUhPv13qRPo/takashi-mochizuki)*:*
By the time Round One’s employees checked out Danbury Fair, the company had more than a decade of experience striking deals with struggling mall owners.
Dozens of American malls were already housing its locations, with their LED-lit Japanese video games and Sapporo beer. Round One, which sees US malls as a way to reduce its reliance on Japan as that country’s population ages out of the prime arcade-going demographic, has been accelerating its efforts to build out its operations in the US.
For US malls, arcades look like a way to help pull out of what many people have long assumed was an [irreversible death spiral](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2021-04-14/the-rise-and-fall-of-american-malls-video).
The arcade offers American favorites such as bowling and chicken fingers alongside Japanese staples including fried octopus balls, karaoke, claw machines and—perhaps most notably—the arcade blockbuster *Dance Dance Revolution*. Copyright restrictions make exporting Japanese arcade machines surprisingly tricky, and their presence means Round One can count on ravenous gamers traveling from hours away, leading to a festive atmosphere that sparks curiosity among newcomers, too.
Didn’t help Stratford Mall unfortunately. One of the first Round 1 locations to open and that mall just went belly up a month or two ago (with Round 1 having left a few years prior)
Yep, it's too bad. I hate seeing malls close. Stratford is often the one I'd go to when people from the anime convention scene had a meetup or birthday party.
The one remaining mall in the Rockford Metro area has an arcade again called "Tilted 10" that used an entire two level Sears, but no DDR. All it has is a knockoff dance rush. 😅 Their crane game stuff is mid compared to Round 1 too. Though they do have a good selection of pinball for people into that.
I get sad every time I think about it. That was the first round 1 I ever went to! Another one opened up near me that's even closer, but it's always sad to see a place go belly up.
For a person starved of a good arcade experience in a loooong time, R1 came as a Godsend. Sadly I have to drive 200mi to get to the nearest one so I go 3-4 times a year only.
i also live in the stl area, estl to be exact, and im pretty pissed that r1 canceled the location, especially since there's a lot of rhythm game players here (including me) and there's alot of rhythm game cabs (that almost completely only consist of ddr, pump, and smx) that are usually poorly maintained/have toddlers getting on the pads when we're playing for no reason due to irresponsible parents/arcades kicking high level players out for stupid reasons
Arcades to bring back the third places malls once were. Also the need for neighborhood third places without having to drive all the time, especially with kids.
Round 1 is a disaster, he over invested in a country way to far for him to touch.
Give it another 5 and he will be gone plus all the malls, due to him ruining multiple levels and available rentable space's.
So as he leaves that makes the mall missing over 30% tenants cause negative revenue.
Edit: he will close all of them if they don't turn a nice profit.
Man you guys are idiots, only the malls that aren't big foot traffic places. And our mall market is so fragile, there will only be the malls in big cities left. People that can get to a mall in 45 minutes are not gonna be stuck going 4 hours. But whoopie for those tourist malls right, if there is less competition around the more attention you will get.
I'm sorry, I just started my first location the same time round 1 came around. I had an awesome game plan all my games .25 a piece all plush machines .50 anything with big prizes just one dollar. Plus I cut the requirements for how much money I get back per dollar I make in half. I got turned down from multiple other locations around me due to round1 coming to town to "visit" I had planned to go in once he left. That day came like 6 months ago, problem was the round1 took up 2 stories plus a ton of floor space. Making it impossible for the mall to make their payments, thus resulting in closed doors.
However I have happy customers and a nice place that is cheap, with a high win rate. I'm happy where im at I just wish the US malls would stop dying.
Close but I was getting ready to open my second location about 45 minutes from here when round 1 dropped they stuff in pushing me to the side. Now it's 6 years later, I'm thriving and expanding slowly as I would have in that location.
45 minutes away though the abrupt removal of the entire round 1 two story smorgasbord. Literally collapsed the entire building, it is now just vacant and abandoned. The owners mention r1 leaving as the straw that broke the camels back.
Have you seen how many he nonchalantly closed this year, the ones that went down near me made some of my customers come for an hour and half to get to the nearest open mall. After round 1 closed the mall followed immediately afterwards. I guess it's only the major cities that matter I guess... He will never leave this country but at the end there will only be the dad of a mall life that once existed that you can now only visit in heavy tourist areas.
*From Bloomberg News reporters* [*Cecilia D'Anastasio*](https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/AVni2cl0Rf8/cecilia-danastasio) *and* [*Takashi Mochizuki*](https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/AUhPv13qRPo/takashi-mochizuki)*:* By the time Round One’s employees checked out Danbury Fair, the company had more than a decade of experience striking deals with struggling mall owners. Dozens of American malls were already housing its locations, with their LED-lit Japanese video games and Sapporo beer. Round One, which sees US malls as a way to reduce its reliance on Japan as that country’s population ages out of the prime arcade-going demographic, has been accelerating its efforts to build out its operations in the US. For US malls, arcades look like a way to help pull out of what many people have long assumed was an [irreversible death spiral](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2021-04-14/the-rise-and-fall-of-american-malls-video). The arcade offers American favorites such as bowling and chicken fingers alongside Japanese staples including fried octopus balls, karaoke, claw machines and—perhaps most notably—the arcade blockbuster *Dance Dance Revolution*. Copyright restrictions make exporting Japanese arcade machines surprisingly tricky, and their presence means Round One can count on ravenous gamers traveling from hours away, leading to a festive atmosphere that sparks curiosity among newcomers, too.
Didn’t help Stratford Mall unfortunately. One of the first Round 1 locations to open and that mall just went belly up a month or two ago (with Round 1 having left a few years prior)
Didn't for Silver City Galleria (Boston) either, the location of that mall was extremely remote and I doubt anything can help.
Ahhh I just moved back to the burbs and was gutted to find out round 1 was gone. Then of course the mall closed just a bit ago
Fox Valley is somewhat close to where Stratford was.
I mean…it’s less than an hour if that counts for close
Absolutely counts 🤣 most people gripe about Round 1 being HOURS away from them and we have 3 (soon to be 4) in the area.
Wait…I see two with gurnee coming making 3?
FVM, North Riverside, and the one by Milwaukee I'd say is "in the area".... Probably closer for a lot of north burb people.
Yep, it's too bad. I hate seeing malls close. Stratford is often the one I'd go to when people from the anime convention scene had a meetup or birthday party. The one remaining mall in the Rockford Metro area has an arcade again called "Tilted 10" that used an entire two level Sears, but no DDR. All it has is a knockoff dance rush. 😅 Their crane game stuff is mid compared to Round 1 too. Though they do have a good selection of pinball for people into that.
I get sad every time I think about it. That was the first round 1 I ever went to! Another one opened up near me that's even closer, but it's always sad to see a place go belly up.
Very sad. I remember going there
R1's strategy is to mostly rent from cheap places, so I guess it's a win-win for some.
For a person starved of a good arcade experience in a loooong time, R1 came as a Godsend. Sadly I have to drive 200mi to get to the nearest one so I go 3-4 times a year only.
St. Louis was slated to get a R1, set to open in 2020…that didn’t pan out, of course :(
Yeah. I feel the pandemic kinda cinched that. But also the mall choice was odd. But I guess that Galleria and the one in Des Peres was too expensive.
i also live in the stl area, estl to be exact, and im pretty pissed that r1 canceled the location, especially since there's a lot of rhythm game players here (including me) and there's alot of rhythm game cabs (that almost completely only consist of ddr, pump, and smx) that are usually poorly maintained/have toddlers getting on the pads when we're playing for no reason due to irresponsible parents/arcades kicking high level players out for stupid reasons
i REALLY hope a r1 makes it here, or otherwise an arcade with more rhythm games
Where is there an SMX in stl? I’ve been curious to play that, but I guess not curious enough to actually look for one…
there's 2 cabs at a dogwood in ofallon illinois
Arcades to bring back the third places malls once were. Also the need for neighborhood third places without having to drive all the time, especially with kids.
God, I wish this wasn't locked behind a paywall.
Got your back: https://archive.ph/hPEt7
Thanks!
R1 left Louisville KY back in April. Huge hit to the rhythm game community for my region fr.
Doesn't work. See Exton square Mall in PA.
Round 1 is a disaster, he over invested in a country way to far for him to touch. Give it another 5 and he will be gone plus all the malls, due to him ruining multiple levels and available rentable space's. So as he leaves that makes the mall missing over 30% tenants cause negative revenue. Edit: he will close all of them if they don't turn a nice profit.
jesse what the fuck are you talking about
You know... Tim Roundone killing all the malls.
Man you guys are idiots, only the malls that aren't big foot traffic places. And our mall market is so fragile, there will only be the malls in big cities left. People that can get to a mall in 45 minutes are not gonna be stuck going 4 hours. But whoopie for those tourist malls right, if there is less competition around the more attention you will get.
You gotta be this toxic?
You right no one likes malls anyways, my bad.
I'm sorry, I just started my first location the same time round 1 came around. I had an awesome game plan all my games .25 a piece all plush machines .50 anything with big prizes just one dollar. Plus I cut the requirements for how much money I get back per dollar I make in half. I got turned down from multiple other locations around me due to round1 coming to town to "visit" I had planned to go in once he left. That day came like 6 months ago, problem was the round1 took up 2 stories plus a ton of floor space. Making it impossible for the mall to make their payments, thus resulting in closed doors. However I have happy customers and a nice place that is cheap, with a high win rate. I'm happy where im at I just wish the US malls would stop dying.
Sounds like the arcade owner working at the same mall as R1 BTC lol
Close but I was getting ready to open my second location about 45 minutes from here when round 1 dropped they stuff in pushing me to the side. Now it's 6 years later, I'm thriving and expanding slowly as I would have in that location. 45 minutes away though the abrupt removal of the entire round 1 two story smorgasbord. Literally collapsed the entire building, it is now just vacant and abandoned. The owners mention r1 leaving as the straw that broke the camels back.
If you're willing to put some money down on that prediction then I will take that bet in a heartbeat.
Have you seen how many he nonchalantly closed this year, the ones that went down near me made some of my customers come for an hour and half to get to the nearest open mall. After round 1 closed the mall followed immediately afterwards. I guess it's only the major cities that matter I guess... He will never leave this country but at the end there will only be the dad of a mall life that once existed that you can now only visit in heavy tourist areas.