Trading Card Spotlight "REWIND" Doc Mack
Happy St. Patrick's Day.
Today we look back at an interview I did from January 26th, 2016. I talked with Galloping Ghost Owner Doc Mack. With now the largest arcade in the world with over 630 arcade games to date, Galloping ghost arcade is a place you need to visit and experience for yourslef.
Our next Trading Card Spotlight features Doc Mack who currently is displayed on card number 483, from the Superstars of 2013 Collection. Doc is the owner of an arcade in Brookfield, IL called The Galloping Ghost Arcade. This is not your ordinary arcade of today; Doc has around 500 arcade machines up and running for all to play. It is the biggest arcade to date in the United States. You can play old classics such as Galaga and Pac-Man or play some games of today such as The Grid, or Mortal Kombat X. Doc is also the owner of Galloping Ghosts Productions which is currently working on the arcade game Dark Presence. His company designs and builds arcade games for other arcades in his area. Doc is a huge supporter of local and out of state video game events brining his personal machines for people to enjoy and try to break records on.
Do you remember your first video game / arcade you played and what do you remember about it?
I remember the first day my Dad brought home Pong and playing it for hours and hours. In the arcades, Asteroids was the first game I ever played. I remember being amazed to be out of the house playing and able to play video games.
Did you ever think when you were younger you would be on a Video game Trading card?
While I always knew I wanted to be in the gaming industry, I never thought I would be on a trading card for it. It's an honor for sure.
When did you first meet Walter day and where was it at?
We had met at the 2013 Iowa Icon event. It was really an amazing day.
If you could describe Walter Day in one word, what would that word be and why?
Amazing - He has done so much for competitive gaming and is always such a positive and inspirational person.
Are you still involved with gaming today, and what role do you play?
Yes, I own Galloping Ghost Productions & the Galloping Ghost Arcade. With Productions we get to create video games, and with the Arcade, we get to see thousands of people every week enjoying rare arcade games!
What is your favorite portable gaming device?
I've never been into portable gaming in general, but even though I haven't played one in decades, I guess the Sega Nomad.
Do you prefer PC or Console gaming and why?
While I prefer arcade gaming, I like playing PC and console gaming equally. I do tend to play a bit more console than PC though.
What games today do you play and what are your favorite genres of games?
From Classics to shooters or fighting to action platformers, or puzzle games I’m pretty diverse as far as what genres are of interest. With the arcade it makes it hard to not play something different every day.
If you could own one arcade game or pinball game, what would it be and why?
I guess it would be NARC. It was the first arcade game I ever bought. Fortunately with the arcade I'm not limited to just having one!
Growing up were you team Sega or Nintendo and why?
SEGA! It just had more games that appealed to me.
Are video games aimed mainly at children, adolescents or adults?
Games are designed for everyone and each game targets different audiences. I think people lose sight of that sometimes and sometimes just make comments thinking that every game should be good for everyone. It's just not the case.
Do you believe some Video Games are too violent and lead to violence in America today?
I do not believe games are too violent. I think every has their own levels of what they want to see, and if a games violence level is too much, than they should just not play it. Violence has always been around long before video gaming. To think that video games are a major cause of violence is a skewed response usually propelled by the media as it's an easy way to push the blame from people. If games weren't targeted it would be something else like movies, or book, religion or emotions or anything.
Do you prefer playing video games alone, against friends or online against the world and why?
Personally, I like playing alone for console games. I tend to spend a lot of time exploring and trying to figure the game out on a technical level.
For arcades, it depends, if I'm trying a game out the first time or going for a score, I prefer solo. If I'm playing just for fun than with friends is always a good time.
Which company makes the best games and why?
Sega has always made so many great games for the arcade. They usually brought a good level of innovation and always had very memorable characters.
Do you learn anything from playing video games?
Absolutely. Gaming has taught me great levels of problem solving and patience. Playing video games pushed me to start my own video game production company. From that, I need to learn all aspects of development. Graphic work, video work, photography, music, web design and much more. Also because of the arcade, I've learn great communication, marketing and business skills. Video games have opened up paths and reasons to learning that I am forever grateful for.
Are video games good for relieving stress?
I'd say so. It really depends on the player. While playing in itself may not always be a stress relief it is an amazing distraction. I've seen player get stressed while playing in competitions and going for high scores. I've seen people use gaming in so many ways to not only be a stress relief but to also help with tough times in their lives. People, who are dealing with issues or are sad, can turn to gaming as a great outlet.
Do you like it when Hollywood makes a movie from the video game?
Not particularly. I think the games themselves are capable of telling the same story the movie is trying to tell. The stories in games can be so developed and you can see strong character development and it's not confined to a 90 minute movie time frame. Elements are so build up by gaming, usually the Hollywood adaption just can't even come close. When watching a movie based on a game I usually am so critical on it that questioning "Why did they do that?" or "Why did that get changed", that I would probably be better off going and playing the game more than finishing watching the movie.