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Potions and Pixels, Charlotte's indie community with Michael Zytkow | Ep 187

Indie Arcade Wave·video·38m 6s·analyzed·May 25, 2026
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TL;DR

Michael Zytkow's Potions and Pixels nonprofit builds indie arcade cabinets and runs community programs in Charlotte.

Summary

Michael Zytkow, founder of Potions and Pixels, a Charlotte-based 501c3 nonprofit, discusses his journey building indie arcade cabinets and community programs. The organization has hosted nearly 900 events, develops custom arcade machines featuring indie games from global developers, and is expanding workforce development initiatives around carpentry, electrical skills, and arcade cabinet construction. Potions and Pixels partners with local government on sustainability (CRT TV recycling) and places arcade units in schools, hospitals, and community spaces.

Key Claims

  • Potions and Pixels has hosted close to 900 events since 2016

    high confidence · Michael Zytkow stated this directly in the interview

  • Michael played thousands of games to curate the indie titles for the arcade cabinets

    high confidence · Michael described his extensive curation process and Joe referenced this story from prior conversation

  • Potions and Pixels is a 501c3 nonprofit organization

    high confidence · Michael explicitly stated this in describing the organization's structure

  • The organization has developed 11 games and apps for nonprofits, local government, and companies

    high confidence · Michael mentioned this late in the interview

  • Potions and Pixels partners with Mecklenburg County's solid waste and recycling department to rescue and upcycle CRT TVs

    high confidence · Michael described the partnership and TV storage/recycling initiative at the Innovation Barn location

  • They have hired 21 new artists and plan to release at least 21 new art pieces this year

    high confidence · Michael stated 'we hired 21 new artists who we already have their artwork. It's absolutely beautiful. So be on the lookout for um at least 21 new pieces that are going to be coming out this year.'

  • Potions and Pixels moved from a first location to a new space in the Innovation Barn, a city-owned facility that historically housed horse fleets

    high confidence · Michael described the transition and the history of the Innovation Barn location in Charlotte

  • Indie Arcade Wave (Joe) is partnering with Compulsive Pinball to sell Stern pinballs

    high confidence · Joe announced this partnership at the beginning and middle of the episode as a sponsor message

Notable Quotes

  • “I believe games have that that power like nothing else to bring people together.”

    Michael Zytkow @ early in interview — Core philosophy underlying Potions and Pixels' mission and approach to community building

  • “I'm like constantly trying to like open or you know, I'm asking people if we can open the units, look, I'm interviewing, asking them questions. I'm still trying to learn as much as I can and try to grow this thing as as big as possible.”

    Michael Zytkow @ mid-interview — Demonstrates Michael's continuous learning mindset and obsessive approach to mastering arcade cabinet design

  • “When you walk up to a full cabinet and it's like the arts there, the marquees there, the game, the music, like everything is focused on that space with you and your friends bumping shoulders, talking trash. Like it is it's a whole different realm.”

    Joe @ later in interview — Articulates the unique experiential value of physical arcade cabinets versus home gaming

  • “I'm really big on that and I know you are too. Um, it's a recognition that this isn't easy going down this path and that we're all in it together. So, I'm all about sharing this knowledge and sharing this information and helping everybody along the way.”

    Michael Zytkow @ mid-late interview — Emphasizes community collaboration and knowledge-sharing ethos central to indie arcade development

  • “To me, the opportunity to build this and to teach that to others, it's um really something special.”

    Michael Zytkow @ late interview — Crystallizes Michael's passion for the tactile, educational, and communal aspects of arcade cabinet building

Entities

Michael ZytkowpersonPotions and PixelsorganizationJoepersonInnovation BarnvenueIndie Arcade WaveorganizationMecklenburg CountyorganizationCompulsive PinballorganizationMelvin

Signals

  • ?

    community_signal: Potions and Pixels has hosted ~900 events since 2016, creating a sustained community hub in Charlotte around indie games and arcade culture; demonstrates growth of indie arcade scene through local organizing

    high · Michael stated 'we're close to like 900 events now' and described the organization growing from 300 people at first event into major community institution

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Potions and Pixels emphasizes game curation as core mission, with Michael playing thousands of games to identify titles that work in arcade context; positions machines as discovery tools for new audiences

    high · Michael described 'game curation' as 'a big part of what we do' and 'thousands of games' evaluated for arcade suitability based on quick playtime, high replayability, and skill progression

  • ?

    design_innovation: Potions and Pixels cabinets feature diverse input devices (joysticks, mouse units, FPS controllers, mechanical keyboards, RGB-lit buttons) to showcase varied indie game genres; RGB controls adjust per-game to guide player input

    high · Michael demonstrated units with 'traditional joysticks', 'mouse unit', 'FPS unit', 'metallic keyboard for typing games', and 'buttons are RGB. So like for example, this one, it's a two-player unit, and if we're playing a game together, and you're blue player and I'm orange player, the controls will actually light up'

  • ?

    operational_signal: Potions and Pixels initially built cabinets with hand tools on MDF, no CNC equipment; has since scaled to in-house production with brother's help; uses mini PCs, custom launchers, triple monitors for some units; now expanding with hired artists (21 new hires mentioned)

    high · Michael described 'we actually didn't CNC anything. We just used power tools and cut this all ourselves' for initial units; now building 'more so on my own' with significant help; mentioned hiring 21 new artists

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

0:01
Hey, welcome everyone to today in the scene behind the arcade wave. I'm Joy, your host, and here on In the Scene, we dive into what's happening in the arcade space from new arcade developers, arcade owners and operators, pinball, and just news in the space in general. Now, I did partner up with Compulsive Pinball. So, if you're looking for a new stern, you can reach out to me for that. We'll have a little bit more about that later, but I'm ready to jump into this week's episode. Now, I don't even remember exactly when this was. It had to have been 6, 7, 8 months ago that I got a random message on Instagram and it came from Potions and Pixels and Michael introduced himself. He said, "Hey, I'd love to hang out with you at like IPA or something." And of course, we made it happen. So, he he came to IPA. I got to meet Michael and uh we're going to bring him in and kind of talk about what Potions and Pixels is. So, welcome, Michael. How you doing? >> Hey, Joe. Great to be on here, man. I
0:49
Hey, Joe. Great to be on here, man. I
0:49
Hey, Joe. Great to be on here, man. I appreciate it very much. Yeah, I'm I'm excited to chat. I mean, obviously, you know, like you you told me the first time we met that you had been following the channel for a long time. You'd been watching the episodes thing and uh yeah, I mean, it's it's it was great to finally meet you in person and uh I mean, we've become friends now. Like, we we talked regularly. We've hung out at plenty of shows and stuff like that. So, let's jump into like who is Michael Zidov? Like, tell me a little bit about like uh Potions and Pixels and like what got you into video games in the first place? >> Yeah, man. Ah, my earliest childhood
person
Charlottelocation
Magfestevent
Chris Myersperson
  • ?

    product_strategy: Potions and Pixels cabinets feature no coin doors; mission is to highlight developers and community rather than generate direct revenue; developer thank-you videos included on machines to emphasize human connection

    high · Michael stated 'none of these have coin doors, though, as a nonprofit organization, our whole goal with this is to to highlight the game developers' and described 'the developers actually sent like cool like thank you videos'

  • ?

    licensing_signal: Potions and Pixels has partnerships with indie developers globally; machines feature games from itch.io and similar sources; many games are arcade-exclusive; developers enthusiastically consent to inclusion; described as 'generous and awesome' community

    high · Michael described 'I hit up all these developers. Many of them I've never even met... and dude, you'd be you wouldn't even be surprised. You know, this space people are so generous and awesome' and noted games are 'from like itch sources like that from developers all across the globe'

  • ?

    venue_signal: Innovation Barn location in Charlotte serves as public-facing arcade venue, workshop, classroom, and TV storage facility; hosts school field trips and diverse visitors; positions games as community infrastructure

    high · Michael described the space hosting 'school field trips, foreign dignitaries' and having 'every type of person coming through' and serving as 'a classroom of sorts' for workforce development

  • ?

    business_signal: Potions and Pixels faces funding challenges in nonprofit sector; actively seeking grants to expand workforce development programs; describes 'a bit more challenging to raise funds' in current climate

    high · Michael stated 'It's a bit of a tricky time right now in the nonprofit realm. Um, anybody who's in that realm knows exactly what I'm talking about... right now we're in the process of trying to raise as much as we can'

  • ?

    operational_signal: Potions and Pixels expanding workforce programs: adult carpentry/electrical classes (18+), artist-focused interactive art program (20 students, funded), youth programs (under 18, safety-modified); places graduates in community venues; names students on installed units

    high · Michael described 'a class just for artists... We got funding for that. So, we'll be um posting about I think in the summertime' and youth programs 'slightly modified with the tools just from safety standpoint' with students' names on units placed in 'schools, hospitals, breweries'

  • ?

    sustainability_signal: Official partnership between Potions and Pixels and Mecklenburg County solid waste/recycling department to rescue CRT TVs from waste stream; stored at Innovation Barn; enables authentic arcade experience preservation

    high · Michael described 'partnership with Meckllinburgg County where we live um with the solid waste and recycling department. So these TVs that you see here, we have a whole like storage warehouse side where we store the CRT TVs... we like rescue these TVs and we upcycle them'

  • ?

    content_signal: Indie Arcade Wave expanding reach through guest interviews (Michael Zytkow); building community by connecting niche operators/builders; Joe actively networking at industry events (Magfest, IPA) to feature local arcade scene

    high · Joe described meeting Michael at IPA event ~6-8 months prior; Michael stated 'I've been watching since the beginning and I was like this is like one of those things where my dream was to be on this show'; Joe emphasized connecting niche community members

  • ?

    personnel_signal: Potions and Pixels has hired 21 new artists with completed artwork ready for release; plans to deploy artwork across arcade units throughout 2024; signals scaling of production and design capacity

    medium · Michael stated 'we hired 21 new artists who we already have their artwork. It's absolutely beautiful. So be on the lookout for um at least 21 new pieces that are going to be coming out this year.'

    • 1:19
    Yeah, man. Ah, my earliest childhood
    1:19
    Yeah, man. Ah, my earliest childhood memories are honestly about gaming. I come Yeah, I'm thinking back the initial consoles were um NES and Commodore 64. So, that gives you a little sense of the era that I'm coming from. And they're just so many of my core memories, those memories of hanging out with my family, playing with my brother and sisters, that sort of thing. And as it grew, I just kept on expanding my efforts in the game industry. Uh, when I was 11, I was a a game journalist reviewing games for a newspaper. When I was 14, I was one of the highest ranked Pokemon card game players in the country, and I got to go to the Hawaiian Tropical Mega Battle and win a gold medal in an international tournament, which was awesome. And I, you know, I I went on to work in the nonprofit realm for a significant period of time. and uh you know got a little burnt out by that and thought to myself I want to take that passion for the community and my nonprofit work and create something brand new. So I started Potions and Pixels. We've been hosting events. It's hard to believe we're close to like 900 events now. And it started off doing like nightlife events stuff to like 3:00 a.m. that sort of thing. A few hundred people coming out playing indie games. That was the whole core focus. Everybody knew that that was the spot to come to to play indie games. And it's grown since there. So you guys can see like the arcade machines that we built that I'm excited to be able to talk about. And we do a lot of different programs. We're we're a 501c3 nonprofit. We do youth programs, workforce development. We help grow the game industry. We help build these arcade machines and and bring community together through games. And so I believe games have that that power like nothing else to bring people together. Um looking forward to talking more about that. >> Yeah, I I agree. I mean, just in, you
    3:05
    Yeah, I I agree. I mean, just in, you
    3:05
    Yeah, I I agree. I mean, just in, you know, you and I like games brought us together, right? So, >> Exactly. And there's there's so many
    3:09
    Exactly. And there's there's so many
    3:09
    Exactly. And there's there's so many relationships I've built because of that. And the indie stuff is is so interesting to me. Obviously, that's that's where I came from and that's what I love. Pinball is becoming uh definitely another thing that I love. And we got to hang out a lot at Magfest and talk indies and that was really fun going through like the indie section there, the indie arcade there. >> Um, let's hear a little bit about how it
    3:27
    Um, let's hear a little bit about how it
    3:27
    Um, let's hear a little bit about how it all started. Like you were you obviously were not in this space, you know, eight, nine years ago. you kind of moved into potions and pixels like how did you how did you get it started? >> Yeah. So, you know, it was one of those
    3:40
    Yeah. So, you know, it was one of those
    3:40
    Yeah. So, you know, it was one of those things where I I've always been obsessed with the with the indie game um like sphere, so to speak, that whole realm. And I've just been really uh following it for for such a long time. And I and I thought to myself, I really wanted to get more people involved, more people to experience these games to do curation. That's a big part of what we do is we do game curations. I'm always excited to kind of be like almost like a game somale of sorts where um help people discover something that they'll they'll be really passionate about. And so I was I started hosting events actually back in 2016 and it took me a minute to like get started. I actually had been talking to a friend about it for a while. Shout out to Melvin. I'll have to send him this link. Uh he actually like booked a place for me and was like, "Dude, I got a location. This is the date. This is your first event." I was like, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm the kind of guy that has to have everything perfectly lined up before it needs to happen. But that was like that really motivated me in a big way because it was a countdown to this event. And so I went really hardcore uh to make sure that we like started with a splash. And uh I think the thing actually that got me to realize I wanted to fully go down that path is um I used to work for an environmental nonprofit and its headquarters is out of San Francisco. And I went down there and I saw some of the these kind of like warehouse parties they were throwing there and I just love the vibe. It matched everything that I was hoping uh to do and I was telling myself, you know what, this is something I can absolutely do. And um and kind of the rest is history from there. it started growing in our first event. I think we had like 300 something people come out and uh it's just become like a a part of the Charlotte landscape and we've helped to be a part of so many people's stories from um multiple marriage proposals and children coming from potions and pixels like people meeting and um to game developers. We hosted a ton of game development contests and other creative contests that got people who had never created before to to start creating and see what they were capable of. And so it's really just kept on growing um from there and um once I've once I've jumped in, I've gone gone all the way to the deep end. So I'm I'm really excited about where it is now and where it's going. >> Hey guys, quick break. If you want to
    5:54
    Hey guys, quick break. If you want to
    5:54
    Hey guys, quick break. If you want to support the channel, one of the best ways to do that is purchasing your next pinball through Compulsive Pinball. They're helping bring some amazing Stern pinballs to players everywhere. And the next game that they're releasing, you're not going to want to miss. Whether you're looking to add a machine to your home collection, or you're an arcade owner or operator, Compulsive Pinball has you covered. They offer special pricing for operators and can handle routing operations for businesses all over the East Coast as well as down in Orlando, Florida. Check out compulsive pinball.com for your next Stern and let them know that you heard about them from Indie Arcade Wave. >> Yeah. I mean, we've we've talked a lot
    6:29
    Yeah. I mean, we've we've talked a lot
    6:29
    Yeah. I mean, we've we've talked a lot like you and I obviously talk a lot about all this stuff. >> It's surreal.
    6:32
    It's surreal.
    6:32
    It's surreal. >> Yeah.
    6:33
    Yeah.
    6:33
    Yeah. >> Yeah. as as a fan, just those watching
    6:35
    Yeah. as as a fan, just those watching
    6:35
    Yeah. as as a fan, just those watching out there, like this is like wild. Like I really I've been watching since the beginning and I was like this is like one of those things where my dream was to be on this show and I was like I need to be ready. I need to show be able to show off this stuff and so I've been following Joe's work forever and it's just crazy how uh how yeah how close we've gotten and and gotten a chance to hang out and everything like that. So this is this is so cool and I I appreciate you know all the work you're doing man. I know so many people who are watching who uh maybe have yet to message you like me, you know, like are going to in the future and really appreciate all you've done to highlight this because as I told you in that first message, it's sometimes it's kind of like sometimes this can feel a little lonely. We're we're a bit of a niche, right? We're a bit of our own kind of like community, >> very small portion of the arcade space.
    7:17
    very small portion of the arcade space.
    7:17
    very small portion of the arcade space. >> Yeah. And so getting to hang out with
    7:19
    Yeah. And so getting to hang out with
    7:19
    Yeah. And so getting to hang out with people like you and how much you welcomed me and like introduced me to so many other people, it it's been a big boost. So I I really appreciate that. Yeah, I appreciate that. I mean, like there the big thing is like this is a like you said, it's a niche. It's a small community. So, the more people we can introduce to other people in the same space, the larger we can all grow because all of our networks, all of our communities will all start to culminate and it'll just get bigger and bigger and bigger. >> Sure.
    7:42
    Sure.
    7:42
    Sure. >> Um, I want to jump kind of right into
    7:44
    Um, I want to jump kind of right into
    7:44
    Um, I want to jump kind of right into that point actually. The the indie arcade space like the game development, the cabinet design, the the building of it, like to walk us through like what's the process for a standard cabinet? Like how do you find a developer? How do you find an artist? Like who's building these cabinets? Yeah, it's a lot of work for sure. Um, so these units you see the we have more. You can see some of them uh through the side and we have it some in different rooms in this building right now. But I wanted to show you guys two different models. The ones that I think I'm pointing to right here. These are like focused on like classic retro games. You can see the consoles right on the display. We run these on Mr. FPGA units. So we do hardware replication as authentically as possible. These units we actually call our indie arcades and we call them arcade. art plus arcade comes together naturally. Um, we actually like build these in house. So, these thankfully I a huge help from my brother in constructing these and I've started building these more so on my own um now and I learned a lot in the process and um it's a lot of work for sure. These ones were these initial ones we actually didn't CNC anything. We just used power tools and cut this all ourselves. Um like MDF sides um u we we used mini PCs on the inside. We actually built our own launcher. So, I know I'll send you some video of that. And you can see these uh machines right here. They have triple monitors. So, I'm trying to do mirror mode here and point these out. So, these top ones are like mares, which some people have seen online. Um, so when you're cycling through the games, each one of these units has about 10 different indie games. Almost all of them have never been on an arcade on the entire planet. So, we have some really cool exclusive stuff. You got your main screen, and then at the bottom, we have uh instructions because you're like cycling through all these different games. You have this really cool launcher. You press the potions and pixels button to launch the games. And I don't know if you can fully see it here, but some of them have like the traditional joysticks like this, but this is like a mouse unit. This is like an FPS unit. Here we have one that has a metallic keyboard for like typing games. Think like typing of the dead style stuff. We have a wild, you know, variety of different uh control schemes so that we can show off like all the different type of indie games uh that are available. And that's that's really like the goal with this is I wanted people to kind of have this upscale like feeling that they're kind of in a like an art gallery so that not only they admire the craftsmanship that went into building the units themselves and just looking at them as a work of art on their own, but then once they actually start playing the machines, they they explore the whole art of gaming itself. And my the thing that excites me the most is there's constantly people who have like, you know, they've never heard of these games, they've never played these games. A lot of this stuff is from like itch sources like that from developers all across the globe and then once they start playing they just suddenly discovered their their new favorite game and and they're addicted. So we've had these at like art festivals um corporate headquarters they've been all around Charlotte and um yeah a lot of work has gone into them. You can tell like you know we really went all out even like the the control scheme uh the all the buttons are RGB. So, like for example, this one, it's a two-player unit, and if we're playing a game together, and you're blue player and I'm orange player, the controls will actually light up specifically as you load the game um to match the control scheme and to make it easier for you to know what uh controls to press and um so yeah, I'm really excited and I can talk also, you know, about like our efforts to expand on the workforce development side. So, if you want, I can go more into detail on that. But a lot of coordination and work goes into this. And I should also say we hired 21 new artists who we already have their artwork. It's absolutely beautiful. So be on the lookout for um at least 21 new pieces that are going to be coming out this year. >> Yeah, I do I do want to touch on that
    11:21
    Yeah, I do I do want to touch on that
    11:21
    Yeah, I do I do want to touch on that stuff. There's one more question I want to ask you about that that initial wave of like getting started with all this stuff >> because you told me this story and I I
    11:28
    because you told me this story and I I
    11:28
    because you told me this story and I I think this is just wild that you did this like the amount of time you did to to put into this to like find these gains. Like walk me through the process. You said you played like thousands of games to to find what you wanted to put on cabinets. >> Yeah, it is wild for sure. Like it's
    11:42
    Yeah, it is wild for sure. Like it's
    11:42
    Yeah, it is wild for sure. Like it's it's kind it's in order game this work. I think one of the things uh Joe that we've seen is you don't have to be obsessive, right? That's one of the things that we've seen across the board with all the people we we kind of work with. Um the passion is very there. Um yeah, it was truly playing thousands of games and having this like really wild categorization system of thinking to myself, would this game work on this system? Is it like short enough? You know, a lot of folks, as you guys know, in the in the arcade space, like when you think about it, there's certain criteria that makes a a game work well on an arcade versus like on a PC or or home console, that sort of thing. So, generally, you're looking for like quick experiences, high replayability, things that reward uh that that continued play, that skill progression. And so, um, yeah, it was thousands of games like played through on itch and contacting developers to see who would be, um, interested in having their games on these machines. I should say, you should probably notice that that none of these have coin doors, though, as a nonprofit organization, our whole goal with this is to to highlight the game developers and highlight the um um, everybody involved in this process. And so what's been beautiful about it, man, just like how you and me hit it off. It's like I hit up all these developers. Many of them I've never even met or some of them I haven't even heard their voice, you know, where I was just through email and saying, "Hey, I love your work. I'd love to have your games on our machines." And dude, you'd be you wouldn't even be surprised. You know, this space people are so generous and awesome. So, one of the cool things I'll mention here is like on some of these units, the developers actually sent like cool like thank you videos. So, you're playing a game and then you exit the game and then the developer will come up on the screen and thank you for playing their game. Um, so I feel like that's a really cool touch that shows that that human side that there is a person behind this game that you just played. Uh, that they're they're passionate about what they're doing and they really appreciate you taking the time to experience the art that they created. So, yeah, it took a long time, man. It took a long time and I still, you know, this unable got me when we've gone to these conventions together. It's like as as h as proud as I am of all this and I truly am. I still feel like I have so much more to learn. So, um you you remember that when we were at these conventions, I'm like constantly trying to like open or you know, I'm asking people if we can open the units, look, I'm interviewing, asking them questions. I'm still trying to learn as much as I can and try to grow this thing as as big as possible. >> Yeah. I one thing that I noticed like
    14:05
    Yeah. I one thing that I noticed like
    14:05
    Yeah. I one thing that I noticed like almost immediately about you is like you truly are like a student of the game. Like you you want to learn as much as you possibly can. You're asking Chris like can we pop this cabinet open? You're we're talking to this indie guy. You're like can I see how you built this? You're like oh it's my first cabinet. It's like okay well let me like give you some advice like this could help. And yeah >> just so there was so much learned at
    14:22
    just so there was so much learned at
    14:22
    just so there was so much learned at Magfest. It was just crazy like how many cabinets we opened up, how much we looked at, how much we filmed. I mean you helped us pack the trucks when we were leaving so you were like learning how to do that. And I mean, it was it was great getting a call from you when you were moving from your first location to this second location, which we should talk more about that, but you're like, "Hey, I just want to I want a refresh or like I helped you pack those trucks. Can you like advise me on how to pack these machines so they don't get damaged and stuff like that?" So, >> what was that transition from the first
    14:47
    what was that transition from the first
    14:47
    what was that transition from the first location to the second location like? And >> yeah,
    14:50
    yeah,
    14:50
    yeah, >> how has that changed kind of your plans
    14:51
    how has that changed kind of your plans
    14:51
    how has that changed kind of your plans for the future? >> Yeah, so the cool thing about this new
    14:54
    Yeah, so the cool thing about this new
    14:54
    Yeah, so the cool thing about this new space, so we're in a space in Charlotte, North Carolina. It's called the Innovation Barn. So, this is actually owned by our city government. And I don't know the full like history of it, but the reason it's called like the barn is this was actually at one point uh decades ago. Like this housed the city's horse fleet. So, that shows you how how old this um this place is, but it's been renovated as you can see. It's an awesome location. And now its whole focus is on u sustainability. And so, in my prior work in the nonprofit realm, I actually um helped uh get get funding for this and other projects. So it's it's kind of a full circle moment which is really awesome. Um and so the focus of this building is on sustainability. And so one of the reasons that um we partnered together and why it was a natural connection is that we have a partnership with Meckllinburgg County where we live um with the solid waste and recycling department. So these TVs that you see here, we have a whole like storage warehouse side where we store the CRT TVs. So, that's something I'm really proud of is that um through that official partnership, we like rescue these TVs and we upcycle them. So, rather than let these t uh these TVs go into the waist stream or um or um you know get forgotten in history, we we save them through this process and and give people an opportunity to experience these classic games and classic arcade games as they were meant to be. And so it's really cool moving here because not only do we have like a public place that we can show off these units and you have every type of person coming through um school field trips, foreign dignitaries like as far as like seeing what our city is doing. So it's like it's a wild mix of folks on a regular basis. And so the cool thing here is not only do we have allin-one house a location that we can store the TVs, but then we have a workshop kind of behind me over here to the side that's behind everything. You can't see it where we're able to build these units. And the space that we're in right now is um can act as like a classroom of sorts for us. So uh the cool thing that I know you and me have talked about that I'm super excited about is that um we're expanding our workforce development efforts with this. So all these units that you guys see right here, like in the future, we're going to be building these and teaching like carpentry and electrical skills to people while building these units and then placing them out in the community. So to me, it's like just this really awesome holistic project where if you're out there and you're and you want to learn, you want to get the confidence on the carpentry and electrical side, this is a great opportunity to do so. We hook you up with other educational opportunities like OSHA certification, like first aid training, the whole like the whole package. And then um if you can see here, we have these like labels. We're big on saying thank you to everybody that's involved. That's like that's paramount to us. So we're going to have the students names on the units. they're going to be placed in like schools, hospitals, breweries, like a whole mix of locations. And um it not only advertises the program, but it gives like this mark of pride to everybody that was involved. And um and it highlights that this is workforce development. This is about local artists. All these are all these are oneofone art pieces. They're these are hand painted. These are vinyl wrapped right here. Um the the sustainability component. And then finally, that other big piece is just creating like community hubs. We all know, everybody who's watching this right now, you know exactly what I'm talking about. You know that games bring people together like nothing else. And so having these in locations where people of all ages can experience them, come together, that we can preserve classic games, we can preserve indie games, um it's a it's a holistic approach. >> Yeah. I you mentioned something there
    18:27
    Yeah. I you mentioned something there
    18:27
    Yeah. I you mentioned something there that like really makes me think about this entire space, right? all all of the indie space, all of the arcade development, all of the, you know, these smaller projects that turn into more. Tell me about what community means to you guys and how you built community with with your city, with with your county, like >> Yeah.
    18:44
    Yeah.
    18:44
    Yeah. >> What what could other people in other
    18:46
    What what could other people in other
    18:46
    What what could other people in other places do to to do something similar to what you're doing? >> Yeah. No, I love that. I, you know, I
    18:53
    Yeah. No, I love that. I, you know, I
    18:53
    Yeah. No, I love that. I, you know, I constantly think and and you know this Joe from us like hanging out together is a lot of times I'm I'm intimidated to take that first step. I feel like oh my stuff maybe isn't good enough or I need to make it um you know I need to learn all this before I do that. And I really want to encourage everybody watching this to like to to start something in their community to reach out to others and um and and build something from that point. So to me community is everything. That's the whole reason I started this organization is I wanted to connect with like-minded individuals at all levels. Some people, you know, are casual gamers here, some are the most hardcore you can imagine and provide an opportunity for people to come together around this shared passion. And um so like for those efforts, I should say like we've hosted a ton of like paid game jams. So we've gotten a lot of grant funding um as a nonprofit to host like gamedev contests on the video game side, the board game side, game music contests. We funded cosplayers, streamers, content creators, the the whole um the whole like range of what we call uh uh under the umbrella of the game industry. And so it's a lot of it is to show people um what they themselves are capable of. And so one of my things if you if anybody checks out our social media you can see like you know interviews from winners of our contest and a common theme among many of them is they might say this is like the first song that they created or the first game that they created and a lot of it is just that encouragement. So I'm really big on that and I know you are too. Um it's a recognition that this isn't easy going down this path and that we're all in it together. So, I'm all about sharing this knowledge and sharing this information and helping everybody along the way. And like you said, you know, like I'm like a student and a and a sponge. So, anytime we go anywhere and meet folks, I'm asking them, they're like, "Who is this guy?" He's asking me about like the screws that I'm using, the the tech, this that and I'm I'm always like I'm I'm trying to learn as much as possible and also share as much as possible because I I truly think people are um capable of so much and oftentimes just need an opportunity. And that's our goal with this this nonprofit and this this work is to provide those opportunities to people. >> Yeah. You had me laughing there for a
    21:09
    Yeah. You had me laughing there for a
    21:10
    Yeah. You had me laughing there for a second when you were like, "What screws did you use and everything?" You were like, we'd go up to cabinets and you'd be like, "Hey, can I film?" And then like you just ask a bunch of questions. We saw everything like looking at every intricacy. Turn on your flashlight, look inside the cabinet. >> It was it was pretty interesting like to
    21:23
    It was it was pretty interesting like to
    21:24
    It was it was pretty interesting like to see how focused you were on. >> I I guess it wouldn't be really a spot
    21:28
    I I guess it wouldn't be really a spot
    21:28
    I I guess it wouldn't be really a spot that's overlooked in in this process, right? The cabinet building side of it, but it's the side that everybody's like, "Let's just slap it together and figure it out later, right?" Like, you're really looking at these intricacies of like how to build the best cabinet. Um, you mentioned the workforce and everything like how could people in your area get involved with classes like this so that they can they can move into the the carpentry side or the electric side or whatever that that you want to help place them into jobs with? >> Yeah. Well, I definitely encourage
    21:52
    Yeah. Well, I definitely encourage
    21:52
    Yeah. Well, I definitely encourage everybody to check us out on social media, potions and pixels. We're on all platforms. We have a newsletter. We're about to revamp our website. It's a little dated, but we're going to have something fresh and exciting here soon. So, social media is probably the fast in our newsletter the fastest way to keep up with everything that we're doing. Um, we're actively seeking funding for more of these classes. It's a bit of a tricky time right now in the nonprofit realm. Um, anybody who's in that realm knows exactly what I'm talking about. Um, for those who don't, like it's it's a it's a bit more challenging to raise funds. And so, um, right now we're in the process of trying to raise as much as we can to host as many classes as we can. Um, we uh just for those who are interested in potentially participating in our programs, we're going to have a variety of different ones at kind of different scales, different levels. So, while um kind of our traditional one is focused on 18 and over adults, um we also have one that we already got funding for, which I'm excited about. Uh that is actually going to be a class just for artists. So, artists who um uh you know, can do amazing work, but may not have ever had the opportunity to mess around with power tools, to wire things, who want to do interactive art, who want to do physical installations. We got funding for that. So, we'll be um posting about I think in the summertime is when we will start actively uh opening that opportunity up to 20 students and then we're also going to do youth programs so for people even under 18 slightly modified with the tools just from safety standpoint and um so yeah this is like the lane we're going fully down like I feel really passionate about this as an organization as I mentioned we've done a lot I don't think I actually mentioned the fact that we also have developed uh 11 games and apps for other nonprofits for local government for companies And through all of the stuff that we've done, I'm really passionate about all of it, making an impact through games, but this project around the indie arcade space that we're in is the one that I'm most passionate about. And I want to share that knowledge with people. And it's just exciting. Anytime you get your like your hands dirty, you learn something new, you build something, something physical, something physical that I think that's what's so exciting about this arcade space. And I know you've talked about this with other guests, but there there's something special about being able to go and have your hands like that tactile feel, that tangible feel with other people, that social experience. And so that's ma magic to me. And like when you see these boxes, I don't even sometimes, you know, when I was a kid coming to these boxes, it just literally felt like a box filled with magic. And it and it just it blew our minds. So, to me, the opportunity to build this and to teach that to others, it's um really something special. >> Yeah. I I love the cabinets. Like the
    24:28
    Yeah. I I love the cabinets. Like the
    24:28
    Yeah. I I love the cabinets. Like the cabinets are so big for me. That's that's why I love this this space so much because like I mean the cabinets you build are are gorgeous. They're they're so cool to look at and like the art is incredible. But like when you walk up to an arcade cabinet, you're teleported, right? Like >> absolutely.
    24:43
    absolutely.
    24:43
    absolutely. >> It's completely different than sitting
    24:45
    It's completely different than sitting
    24:45
    It's completely different than sitting at on your couch and playing on a Switch or PlayStation or whatever. you're still at home. Like it helps teleport you a little bit, but like when you walk up to a full cout and it's like the arts there, the marquees there, the game, the music, like everything is focused on that space with you and your friends bumping shoulders, talking trash. Like it is it's it's a whole different realm. >> And I think that's what like really
    25:05
    And I think that's what like really
    25:05
    And I think that's what like really stands out to a lot of us in in this space. That's what we love about collecting them or or fixing them or building them, whatever it might be. Um, and obviously you show these off at events, you show them off at at local places in your area. What could someone expect if they were to come to an event at your location? Like what kind of events do you host and and I mean what what can people gain out of these events? Yeah, let let me hit up the first part of that question or the what you're commenting on because I absolutely I love the these units like and this is why I honestly I've talked to you about this how much I love your show and like like that whole thing of being able to kind of connect even if I don't know these people directly just being able to watch and see all the people in this space. It's I think that this stuff is only going to increase and obviously I know you do too with especially with AI technology like there's a lot of um you know it's not people know this this is kind of like isolating times of sorts. It's bizarre times where we have all these communication tools and yet people aren't socializing the way they were in the past and and the arcade space is kind of the antidote to that in many ways. And I think it's going to be not only it's here to stay, but I think it's only going to grow from here. And so I really love what you said and and I'm excited to be in this space because I don't just think of it kind of as like um you know, some people think about it like as a bygone era and that's absolutely not the case. Um as far as what people can expect from the events, you know, different events we we we cater to like different audiences. So some of our like old school kind of like big party nightlife events that we've been known for in the past, it's, you know, a really cool vibe where people can all come together, chill around video games and board games, discover something new, people of all ages coming out, hanging out there. We also do like specific events. I'll give you a good example that we do with the city government with the planning department. We um hosted an event, I think it was last month, and we're going to host another one this year. Um it's called game plan like like um it's with the planning department. So imagine um uh you're playing planning like related games, urban development, architectural games, city planning games. So we do a wide variety of different stuff. It's it's really one of the most fun parts about this work is that we can actually show the the potential of games in a variety of different ways. And um uh it really depends. And so in in the future, um I should say actually also we do a monthly game industry gathering which is a really popular event that I'm really proud of and it's only just keeps on growing and that's people across the board whether they're in the game industry or just interested in being involved or just an game enthusiast. There's no like requirements. We never we're not the type to like give you a test before you come through the door. All are welcome always. And that's an environment where we bring people in and encourage them to show off their games. We're adding actually some of the games from some of the community members to these arcades that you see right here, which is exciting. So, um, yeah, different events cater to different kind of audiences and different people, but we're only going to keep expanding from here because the cool part about this is with the workforce development, we're hoping to produce at least like 12 of these units a month. So, our output is going to massively increase. And so, not only are we going to place these in the community, but we're also going to have this large potions and pixels collection. And my goal was at one point um you know to to have the largest indie arcade in the world. That that's definitely the dream and I think we're on on the path to to making that happen. >> I think that's that's a great a great
    28:42
    I think that's that's a great a great
    28:42
    I think that's that's a great a great dream. That's a great thing to strive for. And I mean I'm thinking of a couple other places in the country that are that are similar, you know, that are something I mean Wonderville. Why why would we not talk about Wonderville and >> Arcade Commons and you know those guys?
    28:55
    Arcade Commons and you know those guys?
    28:55
    Arcade Commons and you know those guys? Like I think it's just it's such a cool space and it's it's so unique that you're you're in the position of like teaching people how to build cabinets, how to do the electrical, um bringing in artists and and finding developers and coders or games that are already established, right? Like or maybe not established but created, right? So >> um I think it's it's so great that there
    29:17
    um I think it's it's so great that there
    29:17
    um I think it's it's so great that there are pockets like this that will help you move down this path and and do something that you want to do. I mean, you brought up the the whole AI situation, right? Like I feel like I'm of the generation that grew up like without cell phones, without the internet, but you know, I've I've grown up with all that stuff. So, it's so comfortable and so common to me this AI stuff and and how far we've gone down this technology hole. Like, it really feels like we are we're the most connected generation, but we're also like the most isolated at the same time. So having spaces like this really can put you in a position where you know you you feel some people deal with social awkwardness and and anxiety and things about going into social spaces but like when you look at something like this you know you're stepping into a realm with other nerds right like it's it's far less daunting than going to some club right to try to meet people >> and I think this is this is a really
    30:10
    and I think this is this is a really
    30:10
    and I think this is this is a really really cool space cool thing that you're doing and I I hope it just continues to grow. You got the new space, you got way more projects coming, funding's coming, >> partnering up with with your local
    30:19
    partnering up with with your local
    30:19
    partnering up with with your local government, everything. There's >> there's so much that can come out of
    30:21
    there's so much that can come out of
    30:21
    there's so much that can come out of this. And I I am planning on making it up there eventually to come check it out, hang out games, >> and it it's going to happen. It's just a
    30:29
    and it it's going to happen. It's just a
    30:29
    and it it's going to happen. It's just a matter of when. It's it's it's going to happen. >> So,
    30:33
    So,
    30:33
    So, >> let's talk a little bit about the indie
    30:35
    let's talk a little bit about the indie
    30:35
    let's talk a little bit about the indie arcade development side of this, right? Like, yeah, you've built a lot of these cabinets, you've worked on some games, you've developed a little bit. What advice would you give to someone that wanted to get started in this space? Whether it be the art side, the cabinet side, whatever it might be, just what advice would you give someone that wants to jump into this? >> First advice is to just do it. Jump into
    30:54
    First advice is to just do it. Jump into
    30:54
    First advice is to just do it. Jump into it. Honestly, it won't necessarily be uh perfect at first, but that's that's part of the journey. Um, I am uh quite the perfectionist, hardcore OCD. And you know, even our our most pristine kind of production that we create, you're as a creator, you're always going to see something that you feel like you could have improved on. And that's great. That allows you that motivates you to constantly improve and change for the future. You know, for example, like the vinyl wraps, we we just worked with um um a vinyl company to make them even more durable. And so, it's part of the fun of this process is constantly improving. So don't fall down the perfection paralysis. Something I'm still guilty of and still personally working on. But that that's my biggest piece of advice. And then connect with others in the community that are doing this work. I mean YouTube has been a massive um source for us. Indwave has been a massive source for us. You you see other people doing the work. You follow their paths whether you're following them on social media, whether you're following them on YouTube. it gives uh you a great opportunity um to have insight into how it works. And so I would say start small. We didn't actually start small. We went with these triple monitors custom launcher. Uh a little bit crazy. I'm not going to lie. But I think if you can start with like a small like even just like a maybe like a bar top arcade style, maybe even start with like a um like a kind of like IKEA style setup that you can like put together and just constantly challenge yourself to keep on putting uh the leveling up your game um and connect with others. I mean I like listen I'm I'm still guilty of this as I'm constantly feeling intimidated. when we were at Magfest, which is like the mecca of um indie arcade um units, which I encourage everybody in this space to to go to. It's just phenomenal. Um you are constantly going to find amazing people who um are absolutely open and willing to share their passion with you, to walk you through this, to help you out. I'm I'm one of those people, too. So, if you're interested and and need some advice, I'm happy to offer that. And uh if you're in the Charlotte area and want to come down, uh just as you can tell the passion from hopefully from what I'm talking about today, like I'm happy to walk you through uh the different steps. But I think that key element is to not just like think forever about it, but actually jump in and do it. And just know that um there's opportunities to constantly improve and um you're going to be proud of what you accomplished. I guarantee you that. >> I agree totally. I mean, just just jump
    33:23
    I agree totally. I mean, just just jump
    33:23
    I agree totally. I mean, just just jump in. Like just do it. just try something like >> thinking of like like Amar obviously
    33:28
    thinking of like like Amar obviously
    33:28
    thinking of like like Amar obviously like Amomar tried to hook us years ago and I I think it might have just fallen through the cracks or whatever. I'm glad it happened when it happened, right? But like the first time I played his game, I I don't remember exactly what he used. He mentioned in the interview that we did, but like it honestly felt like he just put joysticks on a Kleenex box and that's how we played it. And it was freaking awesome. It was so much fun that I made one game and I was like, "Dude, put this in a cabinet. Like this is ready. Let's do it right now." And now it's at Meccus. Now it's in a bar top. Now it has a full I think I think there's one at Super Abari. I don't remember. >> Yeah. And another one right beside my
    34:02
    Yeah. And another one right beside my
    34:02
    Yeah. And another one right beside my house and he's expanded to multiple places. Like huge shout out Crab Volleyball for sure. He's an awesome community member. >> It's there. It's it's definitely an
    34:09
    It's there. It's it's definitely an
    34:09
    It's there. It's it's definitely an option and and finding your local arcade and just pitching this idea. Like a lot of the times they're like, "Yes, we want to try that. We're we're happy to house your game." >> So there's there's plenty of people to
    34:18
    So there's there's plenty of people to
    34:18
    So there's there's plenty of people to reach out to. Just send a DM. the the worst that happens is it doesn't get answered. But the vast majority of people in the space are going to do that. I'm I'm going to just say it right now. Everybody I've had on the show has either been meeting them in person or just shooting them a DM on Instagram. That's all it takes. So there there's here that want to meet. >> It's it's either like you said, it's the
    34:38
    It's it's either like you said, it's the
    34:38
    It's it's either like you said, it's the rare fact of some people not responding or a yes. I can I can barely count the number of times that there's ever been a no. Like seriously, like it's almost always yes. Uh, and so I totally second everything you just said for sure. And getting feedback from folks, it's huge. It helps out. It helps you improve. It helps you become more um like constructively critical of your own work and others to help grow this whole thing. >> Yeah. I mean, we we want to help. We
    35:04
    Yeah. I mean, we we want to help. We
    35:04
    Yeah. I mean, we we want to help. We want to see more people doing this. So, if you reach out to any of the developers that I've talked to on the show, they're probably just going to shoot you a message back and say, "Yeah, what do you want to talk about? What do you need help with?" Like, >> we're happy to walk everybody through
    35:14
    we're happy to walk everybody through
    35:14
    we're happy to walk everybody through this and and make it continue to grow, you know. Um, that's that's all I had for you, Michael. Like, I'm I'm super happy you came on the show. I really appreciate your time, sharing your story. Shout out your social medias. Like, where can people follow along on your journey? >> Yeah, I appreciate it, Joe. Uh, yeah,
    35:28
    Yeah, I appreciate it, Joe. Uh, yeah,
    35:28
    Yeah, I appreciate it, Joe. Uh, yeah, we're on we have our website, potions and pixels.com. We're on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, I think blue sky threads. We're on everything. So, defin Tik Tok, I think, now. So, jump on all those. We'd love to have you. We have our own Discord. It's a really healthy community if you're in Charlotte or even stopping by. That's been the cool thing. We've had people like stop by from like while they're in Australia or something which is wild to think about. Um so we welcome everybody. And Joe, if I could really quick mention this because I don't know how many people know this because you know just from the interviews alone, but folks if you ever get a chance to hang out with Joe, this man is like supremely good at games. like Laker notice. I watched him play some stuff uh including the game Ice Cold Beer and uh the level of focus that this guy has. He's he's the real deal. So, I wanted to make sure that was on on the record if it hasn't been established in the past in these interviews that uh you're you're a force to be reckoned with on on the skill on the skill side. For sure. >> I appreciate that. I've been playing
    36:27
    I appreciate that. I've been playing
    36:27
    I appreciate that. I've been playing games a long time. I feel like I'm all right. There's stuff that I'm really good at. There's stuff that I'm not good at. Pinball is one that I'm I'm getting better at, but >> Oh, you're good at too, man. For sure.
    36:36
    Oh, you're good at too, man. For sure.
    36:36
    Oh, you're good at too, man. For sure. >> Ice cold beer is one I' I've put a lot
    36:38
    Ice cold beer is one I' I've put a lot
    36:38
    Ice cold beer is one I' I've put a lot of time on that game. Absolutely love it. It's so much fun. Uh, any arcade that doesn't have it needs it. And if you need it, hit me up because I got them. So, um, thanks Michael. I really appreciate you coming on. Potions and pixels. Awesome. You need to check it out. Follow the socials. You know, I mean, you are a wealth of knowledge. Like, you can kind of help everybody on every stage of this. And if you need need someone to talk to, reach out to Michael DM on Instagram. He's pretty quick about getting back. Um, if you are looking to add games to your collection, uh, indie arcadewave, you can find all the indies on there. As well as if you're looking for a new stern to add to your collection, whether it be home or arcade, reach out to me. Uh, compulsive.com is where you can find those games. And, uh, for anyone that's still watching, don't forget to like, share, and subscribe. It helps us a ton the way we'll continue to grow. We can all ride it together. And until next time, peace.