Ed Pearson - Seattle Funplex

Ed Pearson - Seattle Funplex

Author: Karl Kuras August 31, 2023 Duration: 1:41:19

After the crash, a new type of venue emerged as the dominant force in coin operated video games, the family entertainment center.  No longer just video games, but a mix of mini golf, redemption games, food counters and more, this new destination would prove an ever evolving type of business very much at the whims of a fickle public.

Our guest, Ed Pearson, navigated these tempestuos waters for almost 15 years as manager of the legendary Seattle Funplex before moving on to ever bigger facilities as the family entertainment business continued to evolve past its arcade roots.  

 

Recorded June 2022.

 

Get us on your mobile device:

Android:  https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly92aWRlb2dhbWVuZXdzcm9vbXRpbWVtYWNoaW5lLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz

iOS:      https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/video-game-newsroom-time-machine

 

And if you like what we are doing here at the podcast, don't forget to like us on your podcasting app of choice, YouTube, and/or support us on patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/VGNRTM

 

Send comments on twitter @videogamenewsr2

Or

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vgnrtm

Or

videogamenewsroomtimemachine@gmail.com

 

 

Links:

https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19920328&slug=1483450

https://www.facebook.com/vanishingseattle/posts/tbt-seattle-funplex-this-entertainment-center-in-industrial-interbaymagnolia-on-/1352717244807560/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SeattleWA/comments/loz6y7/growing_up_in_90s_seattle_if_you_know_you_know/

https://abandonedsoutheast.com/2019/01/07/wild-waters/

https://www.ssprd.org/Family-Sports-Center

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Park_(amusement_park)

https://enchanted.com/

 

Early images of Funplex

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ceFN29QT_UMCc73YjtsXEppW3rdXFmBd?usp=share_link

 

Music including/mentioning Funplex

https://youtu.be/xRH6I8baK7o

https://youtu.be/xu81F0Je00c

 

Interviews mentioning Funplex

https://www.cbr.com/mortal-kombat-legends-joel-mchale-johnny-cage-interview/

https://www.thestranger.com/pullout/2012/03/14/13017971/how-i-survived-not-making-any-money-in-the-music-industry

 

Copyright 2023 Karl Kuras


Ever wonder what gamers were actually talking about decades ago, before online forums and endless hot takes? Each month, Video Game Newsroom Time Machine hosted by Karl Kuras does exactly that, dusting off the headlines and magazine pages from the past. This isn't just a nostalgia trip; it's a grounded look at the industry's turning points as they happened. You'll hear about the surprising announcements, the forgotten controversies, and the hardware launches that had everyone buzzing-from arcade trends in Japan to home computer wars in Europe and North America. The podcast specifically revisits news from exactly 30, 40, and 50 years prior, creating a unique layered perspective on how video game culture evolved. It’s like sitting in a newsroom from a different era, piecing together the stories that shaped the games we remember today. Tune in for a monthly dose of context, where the past conversations about pixels and processors feel surprisingly fresh and directly connected to the present.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Video Game Newsroom Time Machine
Podcast Episodes
Servan Keondjian [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:50
The modern world of gaming revolves around designers and programmers being able to harness the raw power of today's high end GPUs. APIs make this task manageable and no API set has been more important in the tradition fr…
March 1983 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:37:29
Commodore goes portable IBM introduces the XT Nintendo shows off Game and Watch These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the video game…
February 1993 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:57:14
Video game violence begins to make operators uneasy 3DO plans to shake up console biz Federal investigation into Nintendo dropped These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM This episode we will look back a…
Martin Wheeler - Virgin, BITS, Recluse Studios [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:43
Few eras of gaming history are more legend filled than the British bedroom coder boom of the early 1980s. Martin Wheeler wasn't just one of them but continues to be a pioneer or one-man coding in the VR space of today. R…
February 1983 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:38:33
Atari announces mass layoffs, Time names the personal computer the man of the year & Nintendo launches the Game and Watch in North America These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM This episode we will lo…
January 1993 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:57:41
Sony and Nintendo break up, Intel christens the Pentium & EA and ESPN bury the hatchet These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the vid…
January 1983 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:23:11
Compaq gives birth to the PC clone, Commodore and TI declare war on Sinclair & A day of reckoning awaits the software business These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM This episode we will look back at t…
December 1992 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:46:47
Sega launches the SegaCD, Nintendo and Sony kiss and make up & Intel goes multitasking These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the vid…
December 1982 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:06:04
The video game market crashes, Coinop is on the skids & Home computer competition heats up These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the…
November 1992 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:18:26
Super FX brings 3D to the SNES NeoGeo breaks the 100 meg barrier The 1200 brings the Amiga into the modern age These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM This episode we will look back at the biggest stori…