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Has Arcade Gaming Finally Come To An End?
- Thread starter SpartaNNNN
- Start date
- Retro Video/Streaming
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OP
in this culture? maybe.
in humanity total? never. in 100 years arcades will return and people will spend credits to play game booths and drink narcotic and alcoholic elixirs
because arcades are too good and made of fundamental human experiences, like bowling and bars. People will rediscover it over and over again after people foolishly forget and abandon things that they love for provided conveniences that leave them less satisfied.
in humanity total? never. in 100 years arcades will return and people will spend credits to play game booths and drink narcotic and alcoholic elixirs
because arcades are too good and made of fundamental human experiences, like bowling and bars. People will rediscover it over and over again after people foolishly forget and abandon things that they love for provided conveniences that leave them less satisfied.
A barcade opened in our city only to close 5 months later. I honestly think it was mostly due to game selection though. There wasn't really anything to encourage repeat visits unless you just like playing arcade games while drinking. They did have The Simpsons and X-Men Arcade, but you need a group of three friends to really make those cabs pop. We're in a college town so the only groups showing up were students wanting to get drunk.
Arcade style games will always be around in some form or another.
Arcades as a place you physically go to for new games are pretty much dead, at least in the US. I wandered into a Dave and Busters and a Chuck E Cheese and was horrified- its all tablet games in there.
There's a couple of Barcades around here that have classic arcade games to play along with a beer list- those will probably stick around for a while.
Arcades as a place you physically go to for new games are pretty much dead, at least in the US. I wandered into a Dave and Busters and a Chuck E Cheese and was horrified- its all tablet games in there.
There's a couple of Barcades around here that have classic arcade games to play along with a beer list- those will probably stick around for a while.
It will never be what it once was. I spent a couple hours in an arcade last month (The Rec Room in Burnaby, BC) and while it was the first time in ages I played several arcade games I had never played before, it just made me miss '80s/'90s arcades. The modern scene might have nice force feedback and large screens but it's overpriced and the games are generic. There are more interesting arcade-style games being made on current consoles and home VR.
Hey, we got plenty of barcades in NYC and they're pretty awesome.In one country only >.>
Nah, as a niche market there are some great places even outside Japan. I was afraid with the covid situation but it's reviving again. I'm from Chile and I still have two places that are still alive and kickin'.
i see more arcades - especially barcades - in major cities this day than any other time since the 90s, so this question feels weird
There will always be a niche of arcades that continue to thrive either as barcades or as family entertainment places with a variety of things like mini golf, go karts, etc.
Are new arcade games even being produced nowadays, besides mobile-to-arcade type ones? We still have a couple of arcade joints here in the greater seattle area. Mix of classic arcades and newer ones (a new Dave and Buster's just opened nearby the other month)
"To counter the decline [of arcades], Japanese companies also offered gimmicks...that cannot be emulated at home." And then the video shows a picture of the Virtual Boy. Huh??
Anyway, a pretty big arcade just opened in Atlantic City last year. It was billed as the "Biggest Arcade in the East Coast":
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJy4V4FR9N4
I was just in AC last month and had no idea Showboat was now a giant arcade (plus mini golf and go kart). Apparently they're also building an indoor water park, so it looks like they're aiming for that family market. I think arcades will always have a home in family destinations, even if they're mostly retro games, claw machines, and gimmicky interactive experiences.
Anyway, a pretty big arcade just opened in Atlantic City last year. It was billed as the "Biggest Arcade in the East Coast":
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJy4V4FR9N4
I was just in AC last month and had no idea Showboat was now a giant arcade (plus mini golf and go kart). Apparently they're also building an indoor water park, so it looks like they're aiming for that family market. I think arcades will always have a home in family destinations, even if they're mostly retro games, claw machines, and gimmicky interactive experiences.
Arcades will still exist on consoles, home arcade cabinets, restaurants and movie theatres (for now), and in theme parks and retro spaces.
I stumbled into a Dave and Busters past week, and was pretty disgusted that's it's all:
1. Licensed Raw Thrills horseshit games, I guess arcade games can't stand up without a license anymore?
2. Flash games on big touchscreens.
3. New "retro style" games that try to capture what they are thing to emulate, and failing.
I don't meant to sound so negative and bleak, but like Jesus Christ.
1. Licensed Raw Thrills horseshit games, I guess arcade games can't stand up without a license anymore?
2. Flash games on big touchscreens.
3. New "retro style" games that try to capture what they are thing to emulate, and failing.
I don't meant to sound so negative and bleak, but like Jesus Christ.
In one country only >.>
Actually I was surprised but in my city there's actually a place just full chock of arcades.
A co-worker mentioned to me a few weeks ago, didnt even know it existed.
It was incredibly depressing. Re: chuck e cheese, My kid didn't care but all I could think of is "what the hell happened to this place."
I'd say that arcade gaming as a location based thing overall ended a while ago. Some game types remain of course but they generally aren't as popular or as developed. Barcades exist but they aren't arcades, well not any more than a Chuck E Cheese. You can find a place like Level Up or whatever every now and then but the overall scene is gone.
I recently went to a large arcade in Croydon, South london. It was 20 quid for entry, to play as much as you wanted. Some of the games weren't in great shape, but it was still a great experience.
Most arcades I find are in poor states and have limited choice, but there are quite a few modern bars that have a bunch of arcade games and retro consoles in London that are still awesome.
Most arcades I find are in poor states and have limited choice, but there are quite a few modern bars that have a bunch of arcade games and retro consoles in London that are still awesome.
I'm surprised people are surprised at the current state of arcade gaming, this was 20 years in the making. Fighting games were really the only thing keeping it propped up longer than expected, but now why would any of the big developers bother anymore when home gaming is as huge as it is? As far as places like D&B and Chuck-E-Cheese go, they are marketed towards kids so of course it's gonna be a bunch of mobile ports and the like; sure there are some "remakes" of the classic games as well as stuff like Skeeball and Pop-A-Shot, but the Golden Age has long passed us by. Barcades are probably the closest thing we will ever get to a "pure" arcade experience anymore.
In one country only >.>
I love those games that dispense physical cards that you scan back into the game to use the character on the card like the Gundam game.
So the idea being that, you physically amass a card collection through the game, meaning you got something to show for it. I think this genre of arcade game might have started with SEGAs Kankore game.
It's having something of a resurgence in the UK with tons of barcades and places popping up, so I'd say not.
There's like 4 barcades I can get to in less than 30 minutes, and two of them opened withing the past 4 years
So they're seeing more of a resurgence as a hub for social interaction and fun date night place, but they're still woefully lesser than the arcade scenes from yesteryear.
So they're seeing more of a resurgence as a hub for social interaction and fun date night place, but they're still woefully lesser than the arcade scenes from yesteryear.
Adult arcades/barcades seem to be doing pretty good business. But yeah it's hard to justify neighborhood arcades when they just can't compete with home consoles anymore, not without costing way more than is likely to turn operators a worthwhile profit unless they're charging $3-4 a play.
As for mobile games being so prominent in arcades, that shouldn't be much of a surprise. Those are the closest modern analog to the old limited-play model.
As for mobile games being so prominent in arcades, that shouldn't be much of a surprise. Those are the closest modern analog to the old limited-play model.
An arcade being a flat payment for a certain amount of time feels like it's the logical place for arcades to go, if they want to persist. Home consoles coming into more affordable territory made the old business model kind of dogshit. Sure, I could spend $30 USD in quarters (depending on who is at the arcade that day) to play Street Fighter for a day. Or I could spend $500 to own a console that'll allow me to play Street Fighter and a multitude of other games for as long as I want, as often as I want. So it just makes more sense to charge $30 USD to have access to an entire catalogue of games for a set amount of time.
(Just throwing numbers out there, not actually thinking too hard about making them work-work).
The advent of the Barcade is fun but it also kind of heavily limits the demographic; While some allow you to take younger people in with you, not all do since they serve alcohol. There's quite a lot to be said about family outings and being able to introduce the kids to some games in a non-home environment. Barcades also sort of just prey on nostalgia + people getting kind of tipsy and getting looser with the money as a result. Fun for a date night since a lot of people view it as a novelty, but still.
I live across the street from a barcade that regularly has 60-70 people in it on weekends, and as others have mentioned barcades do pretty well overall, but that probably speaks to the fact that anyone with fond memories of arcades is now of drinking age. That said, I also live about ten minutes away from a big arcade that's kinda like a Japanese-oriented Dave & Buster's, but it has a good assortment of traditional cabinets as well and always seems to have a sizeable crowd.
In one country only >.>
I mean, its becoming increasingly niche in Japan too.
What? You don't want to play this?
Man I was sad enough when the arcade at one of my local malls shut down eons ago but this is just digging up the corpse and taking a big ol dump on it. :(
uh no, not even close. Barcades are getting bigger than ever. Traditional arcades are seeing a resurgance. Rhythm/music games are still huge. Light gun games (or modern gun games) are still pretty popular.
There are a lot more "trash" money taking machines at arcades, but in general no, they're still regularly populated and patroned.
There are a lot more "trash" money taking machines at arcades, but in general no, they're still regularly populated and patroned.
The Arcade being dead was confirmed when they announced Tekken 8 to be straight to console (for the first time too)
OP
OP
It's eSports significance
Nothing dies.
Yeah there was a huge report on the huge decline in Japan Arcade Gaming niche
Gaming arcades have always been the centre of social interaction for many members of the gaming community. For a moment in time, arcades were inseparable from gaming. Whether you were challenging other players to a round of Street Fighter or grinding out Donkey Kong to become the undefeated high-score champion, gaming arcades used to be the best place to get a good gaming experience while interacting with others that shared the same interests as you. However, with video games becoming much more affordable and accessible now, gaming arcades are slowly losing their charm and Japan is suffering the most.
The Akihabara neighbourhood in Tokyo is famously known as the "mecca" of basically all things related to anime and video games. Unfortunately, the iconic Sega Akihabara Building 2 closed its doors on 30th August 2020 and things have only been going downhill for gaming arcades in Japan since then. A report published by The Japan Times reviews the challenges faced by gaming arcades in Japan and how the once-revered places for video games are slowly going extinct.
While gaming arcades have been on a downward trend ever since PC and console gaming became much more dominant, gaming arcades in Japan face a much bigger challenge than just competition; COVID-19. Social interaction has always been the most important aspect of arcade gaming. It's what set it apart from multiplayer video games; you go to a gaming arcade and socialise with others that share common interests as you. However, if everyone's practising social distancing to avoid a deadly disease, the socialising feature of gaming arcades goes away.
According to a police white paper, the number of gaming arcades has been decreasing since 1986, from where there used to be 26,573 of them across Japan to now only 4,022, as of 2019. This number has declined even more since the pandemic, as many businesses that rely on physical interaction have closed down. If you've played the famous Yakuza video games series, you're probably familiar with the Shinjuku Playland Carnival arcade in Tokyo's Kabukicho entertainment district. However, that too closed down in November 2020.
"The amusement market continues to face a harsh operating environment given the direct impact it sustains from the COVID-19 pandemic," Square Enix states in its financial results released on 13th May 2021. CAPCOM, too, in its financial results released on 29th July 2021, discussed how the pandemic has influenced the company's arcade sales. As a result of COVID-19, the entire industry has faced the consequences!
For decades, bowling alleys functioned as a form of entertainment for people. By the early 1970s, people were introduced to gaming arcades as a place for amusement and social interaction. Not long after, gaming arcades completely dominated the industry across the world, particularly in Japan. Even until the early 1990s, gaming arcades became an immense source of income because of the recreation they brought to children and adults alike — a virtual environment to escape from reality.
However, with time, companies like Nintendo released consoles that were both convenient and affordable, and gaming arcades started to gradually decline. With the debut of the internet, online multiplayer games became more common and the social interaction aspect of gaming arcades, which was once physical, now became virtual. Yet, gaming arcades still didn't die out completely. Over the years, they became a centre for nostalgia — a place for people to reminisce about their past. In 2010, Nikkei reported that gaming arcades were increasingly becoming a place for social interaction among elderly people.
Unfortunately, much of what set gaming arcades apart — social interaction — has been restricted due to COVID-19. When Japan declared a state of emergency because of the pandemic, Taito and Sega — two gaming arcade giants — completely shut down their gaming arcade centres temporarily across the country. As a result, not only did sales suffer but the enthusiasm for gaming arcades also diminished. The gaming arcades that didn't close had to take necessary precautions, such as using disinfectants and practising social distancing, but the whole ambience of gaming arcades was no longer the same.
"Business was tough, but I had thought we could get out of this someday," Noriyuki Shimoda, the manager of Shinjuku Playland Carnival, told The Asahi Shimbun in an interview about the closure of the beloved arcade. Yet, the Japanese government still hasn't much or any attention towards the desolated condition of gaming arcades in the country after the pandemic. The government continues to throw a blind eye towards the concern and the decades-old gaming history slowly fades away, as a result.
"The government is doing nothing to help us out of this hopeless situation," the manager at the Tokyo arcade, Mikado, Yasushi Fukamachi, told The Japan Times in an interview. Mikado's owner, Minoru Ikeda, was forced to start a crowdfunding campaign in 2020 and raised ¥37,328,892 — almost $339,925 — to save the dying business. However, not all gaming arcades can do so!
~ Arcade Mikado-Overcoming the crisis of survival "Going forward!" by MIKADO_IKEDA | Source: CAMPFIRE
"Although amusement center operations, which had slumped due to the impact of COVID-19, have entered a recovery trend, it is expected to take some time for the recovery of purchasing motivation of customers," stated Sega Sammy Holdings in one of its recent financial statements. Similarly, Square Enix has also stated that the company is noticing a recovery in its gaming arcades, particularly those in the suburbs and shopping malls. It seems like gaming arcades haven't gone extinct completely and there may still be hope for some. However, this may be the biggest challenge that gaming arcades in Japan have had to overcome since forever!
Multiple barcades operate here and another one is supposed to be coming. Funny enough in the same space a barcade that moved was in.
I visited here yesterday. It was early in the day but I'm fairly sure it picks up in the evening.
View: https://twitter.com/jamesac68/status/1591552730774081536?s=46&t=KNoAhiIK_xPSdHl6qs4pEg
View: https://twitter.com/jamesac68/status/1591552730774081536?s=46&t=KNoAhiIK_xPSdHl6qs4pEg