Finding nearby venues by choosing a game first requires consistent game and location data for those venues. A search screen cannot produce useful candidates without comparable material. After preparation beginning in February, Musecat launched Alpha in Korea on June 17 with information for roughly 45 arcades and a correction channel.

Original Alpha code from 2023-06-17, restored with synthetic sample data. The launch-era layout shows game conditions and nearby places. Original Korean screen; Alpha supported Korean only.

Initial data and administrator entry

Wiki and official-site information did not arrive in a common format. Names, locations, hours and installed games needed checking and entry into a structure the service could read.

In March, users sent short correction messages and administrators edited Firebase directly. They handled both interpretation and formatting. With two data administrators, a tool for producing consistent JSON became useful.

flowchart TD
    accTitle: Preparing Alpha's data
    accDescr: Review scattered sources and assemble an initial directory that the service can compare.
    A["Review wikis and public information"] --> B
    B["Enter locations hours and game lists"] --> C
    C["Initial arcade directory"]

An administrator JSON form

JSON expresses data as named fields and values. Entering hours into fixed fields, for example, is easier to format consistently than writing the structure from scratch. In April, we created an admin page that generated JSON from those fields.

The first form generated JSON without writing directly to Firebase, reducing risks around direct-write privileges. During release preparation, the admin screen also gained a way to check and send its contents to Firebase. Administrators still decide which information to apply.

Alpha's admin input form generates JSON from predefined fields. Original Korean screen; Alpha supported Korean only.

flowchart TD
    accTitle: Scope of the first admin JSON form
    accDescr: The first April form generated JSON from structured input; administrators applied the data.
    A["Admin input"] --> B
    B["Check input structure and generate JSON"] --> C
    C["Administrator updates Firebase"]

Corrections and new venue submissions

From May, submissions were connected to an arcade ID. The detail page opens a report page carrying that ID. Reports accept free text, so the user still needs to describe a particular game or cabinet in the message.

Submission saves the arcade ID, message, sender's anonymous-authentication UID and receipt time. The UID identifies the anonymously authenticated sender and accompanies the venue reference. Review and actual updates remain administrator work.

New venue requests have a form for selecting games and entering prices, quantities and additional information. Unlike corrections, these collect a place not yet listed. Initial material was manually entered from public sources, with additional contributions gathered through community promotion and Google Sheets.

Report input from the same Alpha code, using a fictional arcade and example message. Authentication and submission are blocked on the reproduction server. Original Korean screen; Alpha supported Korean only.

New-arcade form from the 2023-06-17 Alpha source, with local example input and submission disabled. Original Korean screen; Alpha supported Korean only.

flowchart TD
    accTitle: Reports with an identified target
    accDescr: The report route links the arcade ID to free text and submission data for administrative review.
    A["Arcade page ID"] --> B
    B["Describe changes in free text"] --> C
    C["Reports with an identified target"] --> D
    D["Admin review and update"]

Alpha release and information updates

The published list lets users find venues with their games and compare distances. Corrections can target that venue, while administrators use the form to produce consistent data. We prepared the roughly 45-venue starting collection together with its correction route.

Game and cabinet details still require reading the submitted explanation. More reports may make this work delay updates. After release, actual information needs and recurring mistakes will guide the next management approach.

Arcade detail from the 2023-06-17 code. Sample prices and quantities are displayed using the original components. Original Korean screen; Alpha supported Korean only.

Reference: Musecat engineering notes.