Built by a Builder
G&G Arcade started with a simple question from a kid: "Can we go to the arcade?" It became a company, a community, and a mission to share everything we know.
The Origin Story
Back in 2018, one of my children asked me a simple question: "Can we go to the arcade?" I did what any parent would do — I started looking for one near us. In the entire state of Virginia, I could find maybe one or two. The closest was either in Richmond or Northern Virginia, which meant an overnight trip. By the time I factored in gas, a hotel, food, and the actual arcade — I was looking at spending roughly the same amount it would cost to just build one.
So that's what I did. I built an arcade for my kids.
"Red Alert" — one of the early builds, running 1941 in the living room
Donkey Kong on the Red Alert — the classics that started it all
There wasn't much of an ecosystem for arcade builders back then. The resources were scattered and the learning curve was steep. I figured it out the hard way, piece by piece. And when it was done and we fired it up for the first time — Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Zookeeper, all the classics I remembered growing up — I got to sit there and play those games with my kids.
That moment was worth every hour I spent building it. I had the honor of sharing something from my childhood with my children, and watching their faces light up the same way mine did decades ago.
From Boredom to a Business
That first cabinet in 2018 planted a seed, but the business didn't start until 2021. COVID did that. When the world shut down and my kids were stuck at home — still in high school at the time — boredom set in hard. And sometimes boredom creates the best companies.
The name G&G Arcade came from my neighbor, Josh Garrett. Greg and Garrett — G&G. He's the one who thought of the name, not me. We started this thing together, two guys in a neighborhood with time on their hands and an idea that felt right. Since then, Josh has moved on with his life, and I respect that completely. God bless him. But the name stuck, because it represents where this started — two regular people who thought they could build something worth building.
I'm the kind of person who goes in with both feet. I don't dip toes. Once G&G Arcade became a real thing, I committed to it fully. Five custom cabinets later, each one better and more refined than the last, I realized I wasn't just building furniture with screens in it. I was solving a problem that thousands of other people have — they just haven't found the solution yet.
Inside the Workshop
This is where every G&G Arcade cabinet comes to life. Real tools, real builds, real results.
Control panel assembly — custom artwork, buttons, and encoders ready for wiring
A custom anime-themed cabinet in the workshop — built from scratch, start to finish
A walkthrough of the OPM/DBZ cabinet — custom artwork, LED-lit controls, and the workshop behind it
Why We Share Everything
Before G&G Arcade, I spent years building a social media presence for a friend's company. I took that channel from zero to over 6,600 followers, got it monetized on Facebook, and at our peak we were reaching nearly a million people a month. That experience taught me two things I carry into everything I do now.
First: content that genuinely helps people will always outperform content that tries to sell to them. Second: I learned what happens when a partnership falls apart. That situation ended badly, but I walked away with a skillset and a hard-earned understanding of how to build an audience that actually cares. Not followers — an audience. There's a difference.
My approach is the opposite of gatekeeping. Every article on this site is written to give you the same knowledge I use in my own shop. When I tell you that I use MDF for certain applications and cabinet-grade plywood for others, I'm telling you the same thing I'd tell my best friend if they asked me over a beer. There's no secret tier. There's no premium version of the truth.
Sharing knowledge doesn't hurt my business. It helps it. When someone reads my article on encoder boards and decides to build their own cabinet, one of two things happens. Either they build it themselves and become part of the community — which makes the whole ecosystem healthier. Or they get halfway through, realize how much work it actually is, and reach out because they'd rather have someone who knows what they're doing handle it. Either way, I win. And more importantly, so do they.
The Journey So Far
From a kid's question to a three-platform ecosystem.
Built the first arcade cabinet for Greg's kids after discovering there were almost no arcades in Virginia.
G&G Arcade founded during COVID. Named by neighbor Josh Garrett — Greg and Garrett, G&G.
Refined the build process through multiple custom cabinet projects, each one better than the last.
gandgarcade.net launched as a community hub for arcade builders. Dewey AI chatbot introduced.
ggarcadeai.com flagship site goes live. Arcade Assistant development begins — AI-powered cabinet management.
Full ecosystem in place: community hub, product site, and AI-powered cabinet software working together.
The G&G Arcade Ecosystem
Three platforms working together to serve the arcade building community.
gandgarcade.net
Community Hub
Educational content, build guides, vendor reviews, and Dewey — your AI arcade building assistant. The front door to the ecosystem.
ggarcadeai.com
Flagship Product Site
Custom cabinet builds, professional emulation guides, and the Arcade Assistant product page. Where the builds happen.
Arcade Assistant
Cabinet Software
AI-powered cabinet management software. Voice-controlled game launching, automatic configuration, and system health monitoring — built into every cabinet.
Our Mission
"The arcade community doesn't need more gatekeepers. It needs more open workshops. A place where the knowledge flows freely, the community grows together, and the cabinets keep getting better because we stopped hoarding and started sharing."
— Greg Ferguson, Founder