JUST IN: Downtown Bike Park to open video game arcade with $5 day passes

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Credit: © Courtesy Wright State Univers

Credit: © Courtesy Wright State Univers

In the same space where the New Challenger throwback-games arcade in downtown Dayton is closing shop, the tradition of gaming will continue digitally.

Mike Bisig, owner of Mike’s Bike Park at 1300 E. First St., is set to open a brand new gaming area inside the bike park. The Arcade at Mike’s Bike Park will have about six different gaming consoles, including the classics like Nintendo, with about 50 games on each of them, according to Brian Johnson, Mike’s Bike Park marketing and developing coordinator.

Bike park goers will get free access to the gaming arcade with the purchase of a day pass. If guests are specifically there for the gaming arcade, it will cost $5 for an unlimited gaming day pass.

Opening of the new gaming arcade should be seamless with the closing of New Challenger, Johnson said, with an opening date anticipated to be April 1.

“The vintage games are so cool, and we’re going to miss them so much,” Johnson said. “We did develop a following of people who came to the park to do this (play games), and demographically, you know, we had a lot of 13- to 18-year-olds at the park. So demographically the video games make sense.”

On Monday, Matt Payne, owner of New Challenger arcade inside Mike’s Indoor Bike Park, said his business will shut down for good by the end of March. Some of the arcade’s games have already been removed, and more will be taken out this week and next.

“The problem with the classic games is it’s really hard to become profitable alone,” Johnson said. “You see a lot of (arcade-bars) popping-up because the alcohol covers the cost of that constant wear and tear on the machines.”

New Challenger opened at  221 Crane Street on Nov. 29, 2019. It is behind Mike’s Indoor Bike Park in Dayton.

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