AURELIUS - John Butler Jr. started working at the Fingerlakes Mall arcade in 1997, when the world of video games was a lot different. Home game systems were improving, but you still had to go to arcades for the best games and graphics, Butler said.

Though Fun & Games had survived the Xbox and PlayStation, it will close its doors for good Sunday. Arcade management said the mall is not going to renew its lease with the business that has operated next to the movie theater for more than 10 years.

Though the current owners have been at the mall for the past decade, an arcade has operated at the mall since its inception.

Butler said mall management informed him of the decision last Tuesday, saying the mall is looking to go in a different direction. The business has never missed a rent payment, he said.

Three other people work at the arcade.

“We were blindsided, we had no idea,” said Butler, who added that business has improved recently after a couple years of slower business.

“We were actually pretty excited, and looking forward to the future,” he said.

Mall management would not comment on the arcade's closure when reached Friday.

There are about 50 games at the arcade, including traditional video games and machines that award tickets for points, like Skee-Ball and a basketball shooting game. There are also table games like pool and air hockey.

Fewer than 10 people were playing Friday afternoon. Some of the machines had signs on them indicating they were for sale.

Butler said many of his customers over the years have been families and some youth organizations bring groups on a regular basis. The most busy time of the year, he said, is during the winter recess in February.

“I've seen lots of kids grow up,” he said. “I've made a lot of friends over the years.”

Andrew Lieber, 21, has been a regular at the arcade for at least a decade, and one year he even had a birthday there. At one time, Lieber was really into the dance-simulation game Pump it Up, which was at the arcade.

While playing pool Friday afternoon, the Mottville resident said he is “pretty sad” to see it go.

“It's good to get out of the house once in a while,” Lieber said. “It's just a great place.”

Emilee Brown had her third birthday at Fun & Games. The 4-year-old was playing Skee-Ball and other ticket redemption games Friday afternoon with her parents, Jeff and Melissa Brown.

Melissa Brown said she remembers coming to the arcade with Jeff when they were dating six years ago.

“It's going to be a lot different coming to the mall and not having (Emilee) play video games,” she said.

This is the second announcement over the past week of a store closing at Fingerlakes Mall. On Thursday, Borders Group Inc. announced it will close its Waldenbooks store in January. The move is part of a company-wide reduction of 200 stores.

A flier announcing the arcade's closure stated there is the possibility of opening elsewhere in Auburn. Butler said it is hard to tell if that is possible with everything happening so quick.

He thanked the community and customers for a lot of memories.

“I'm kind of hoping that they (Fingerlakes Mall) have a good plan in mind, and I come back in a few years and see it was executed,” Butler said.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.