For the first Arcade Script review on GameSiteGuru, i’ve chosen to go with the very first script I ever used as an arcade webmaster - phpArcadeScript.
This script has a myriad of strong features which are necessary for ensuring your arcade site is dynamic, easy to manage and offers the level of functionality your visitors will be looking for. On the front-end you’ll see such positive inclusions such as game ratings, an internal search engine and listings of the most popular games and most recent games, as well as stats about the arcade.
PhpArcadeScript also features strong social networking additions, such as tell-a-friend features and the provision of codes for embedding links to your arcade games on visitors’ sites or Myspace profiles. While this is a definitely a good thing, the lack of recognition for most recently popular social bookmarking facilities such as Digg, StumbleUpon etc dates it a little; however the flourishing community of phpArcadeScript users and arcade webmasters has given way to free modifications which will add these features to your arcade site.
On the user side, phpArcadeScript features a fully functional private messaging system, user profiles and also user comments. Once again, these features could benefit from some beefing up and fine tuning, but all-in-all they do provide that extra step to turn your arcade script into its own little community; plus managing your users from the admin panel is simple, with the additional of a newsletter system serving as a good way to keep your visitors coming back and promoting repeat traffic.
The true power of phpArcadeScript, however, is in its backend. Managing your arcade, its games and its members is an absolute breeze; and with search-engine-friendly URLs, keywords and customizable meta information, you’re given a helping hand with the SEO aspect of your arcade site, helping you to get your arcade indexed in places such as Google.
Similarly the options for making the most of your visitors are impressive too. The script allows you to allocate “guest credits”, which limit how many games an unregistered visitors can play in a day. If handled correctly, this positively promotes registration (and thus repeat traffic), while not being too restrictive on those who choose to simply play as a guest.
You can also set up an intermittent “loading page”; which can be ran either for all users, for guests only, or not at all. Basically this page shows up for a set amount of time between a user clicking the link to a game, and the game page itself loaded; and can be utilized for displaying ads etc. This is a very clever addition to phpArcadeScript, as it provides an extra incentive for guests to register on your arcade site; as well as being another potential source of revenue if you choose to use it to display ads.
Other bells and whistles include custom categorization, a built-in link exchange script and support not only for a range of filetypes for games, but also for videos, images, sound files and even embedded codes from places like Youtube, DailyMotion and Break.com.
The one predominantly negative aspect of the script is its default appearance. The standard arcade template is really not very visually appealing, and there is a distinct lack of theme management options. If you choose to edit the template yourself, do so only with knowledge of php, HTML and CSS. Fortunately, there are places where you can buy phpArcadeScript templates at a reasonable price. As this is a popular script, one of the first things you want to do is set your arcade aside from the hundreds of installations using the default theme.
PhpArcadeScripts popularity also provides one of its greatest assets - a thriving community of fellow arcade webmasters; meaning you don’t have to go far to find assistance or advice for running your arcade site, or a range of tweaks, mods and enhancements to help make your arcade even more appealing to visitors.
Unlike a few other arcade scripts, phpArcadeScript starts you off with 150 free games for your arcade too. While this is a welcome addition and a definite starting point for the new arcade webmaster, you may want to get your hands on a larger game pack to give your arcade a little more “oomph”.
So now to the best part about phpArcadeScript - the price. For such a powerful script you’d probably expect to pay hundreds of dollars - however phpArcadeScript without doubt offers the most value for money of any other arcade script on the market, selling at a mere $30.00 for a single-domain license. When choosing an arcade script it important to look at just how much you’re getting in terms of features for the price you’re paying, and in that regard, phpArcadeScript stands head and shoulders above the competition.
And now for the ratings…
Features : 8.5/10
phpArcadeScript provides everything you need to run your arcade, and then some! Its very easy to manage, and makes the important step of catering not only to visitors, but to the arcade webmaster too with its SEO and visitor-handling measures. It is somewhat lacking in the more “cutting-edge” features such as game sponsorship and social bookmarking; however its active community should help you in this area.
Design: 6/10
While the actual appearance of the default script installation leaves a lot to be desired, it is relatively fast loading and well structured, which earns it extra points.
Flexibility: 9/10
phpArcadeScript is highly flexible, with the majority of features being optional and, in most cases customizable. For example, you can choose whether to show loading pages, who to show them to, how long to show them for and what they contain. You can also decide whether you want the most recent, most popular game boxes etc to show up and, if so, how many games to show in each. Added to that the wide array of supported file types, the option to add features games etc etc and you truly feel in control of your site rather than the script making all of the decisions for you.
Support: 9/10
The developer of the script continues to provide support for customers, in addition to free upgrades. The community of phpArcadeScript users, however, really strengthens this area. The support forums already include answers to almost any problems, and solutions for various webmaster needs in terms of modifications and such.
Value: 10/10
phpArcadeScript is probably one of the most powerful arcade scripts on the market, and it is also the cheapest compared to other popular scripts (excluding free scripts). The developer would be more than justified in charging double, even triple what he does for this script, but that fact he chooses not to makes phpArcadeScript by far the most value for money when choosing your arcade script.
OVERALL SCORE: 8.5/10
You can find out more about phpArcadeScript right here
