FAQ
FRANKUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1: Who the heck is Frank?
Frank isn’t so much a person as he is an idea. Frank’s Super Game-O-Rama is not the project of a single individual, but the combined efforts of a whole bunch of people in the Philadelphia are arcade and amusement scene. I guess in a weird way, we’re all Frank. To be more specific though, the current project organizers are Matt, Beck, and Erin. We’ve also had a ton of support from the Ball Goblins Pinball Organization (BGPO), The Glenside Machine Shop, Max Power, the Philly Pinball Club, and many others who are all Frank.
2: What the heckin’ heck is Frank’s Super Game-O-Rama?
Right now it’s an idea, but it’s an idea that is rapidly growing into a real brick-and-mortar free-play arcade/museum located in Philadelphia. We’re talking pinball, we’re talking arcade games, we’re talking classic console gaming. Yes Bob, we’ll even have Ringer available year-round!
More importantly, Frank’s is looking to do things a bit differently than your standard free-play location. Frank’s primary focus will be on community. We intend to offer all the great gaming experiences you would expect plus a whole lot more. Will we have tournaments? You betcha! How about leagues? You better believe it! Will we have membership options and special events? Yuuup! Can you have a birthday party at Frank’s? Sure, as long as I’m invited!
I know what you’re asking. You’re asking, “Matt, other places already offer that stuff! That’s not anything different! What’s the deal?!”
Well, dear reader, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Frank’s will also be reaching out to our local communities! Think things like high schools, STEM programs, engineering programs, etc. We intend to offer them a place for educational field trips. We already have a few big-brained folks on-board who want to help run classes. If we’re lucky, we might just help foster the next great pinball or video game designer!
We’re also working with some people specializing in history and research. We intend to do complete write-ups on every game that passes through the arcade. QR codes on the machines will quickly allow players to see everything from the designer and year of manufacture, to fun historical facts and game-play tips. Even better, we plan to hose all of that info online so anyone can browse it from the comfort of home!
3: That’s a lot! How do you plan to do all this stuff?
Simple, Community! Building, supporting, *and listening to* the gaming community is one of Frank’s core values. If the Ball Goblins or Philly Pinball Club wants to run a league, they are welcome to! If Pinball for the Pets wants to have a tournament, all they gotta do is ask! Do you want to have a smash brothers tournament on a projector in our party room? Well that’s crazy, because we want you to have one too!
Don’t get me wrong, we’ll also be hosting plenty of our own events but we want the community to steer Frank’s. Frank doesn’t want to steer the community.
Sociologically speaking, we want to be a reliable “third place.”
Frankiologically speaking, we want to be like Cheers, but for games. You know, Cheers the TV show? From the 80’s? Yeah, the 1900’s. It had Norm and Cliff! Ugh, nevermind, just google it.
4: What won’t I find at Frank’s?
Redemption games. It is important to us that Frank’s is a place where people go to have fun for fun’s sake. We won’t have games that spit out tickets in exchange for prizes. We won’t have cards that you have to load up with credits. We may have an occasional capsule machine or other amusement device of historical significance, but our goal is to be a place for fun, not a “casino for kids.”
5: How can I help?
See the “How Can I help?” page by clicking the menu link above or by clicking here.
6: I heard you are going to pay people to loan games! / I heard you are taking on investors / I heard…
Similarly, you’ll find answers to those questions and more on the “How Can I Help?” page.
7: When do you plan to open?
Within the year. There’s a lot of moving parts here. We’ll keep you up to date through the blog on the main page.
8: Why does your website look like it’s from 1998?
Because it’s rad.