The death of arcades... Possible revival?

Apparently, they've been big in the 70's, 80's and 90's. Sure, as home consoles came around, arcades got a little less popular, but were still around. In the 2000's, it just straight plummeted down though. I think around 2005, the arcade around me shut down, which I took for granted at the time, but now I miss the nostalgia of it.

I'm 22. If I were 40 or even 30, I'd probably have a greater fondness toward them. But I did go to the arcades about once a month. But I understood why home consoles overtook arcades. It was cheaper. You could play as much as you want whenever you want. You don't have to drive anywhere. And games were big adventures instead of just 2 minute game sessions that are hard enough to make you want to insert more quarters when you die.

I know Japan still has arcades but the U.S. doesn't really. Unless you count casinos. I would imagine in modern times, building a machine that could run Pac-Man would be MUCH cheaper than one in 1990. And also, imagine what arcade games would be like in HD.

The social aspect of gaming has also changed. Physically interacting with people (including strangers) at a public place was the way to do it with arcades. Consoles were great co-op for close friends, but nowadays online play is taking over everything and most games today lack in offline multiplayer. Online has created lots of opportunities and there's always a ton to do offline. But I certainly miss when playing games WITH people was common.

There may very well be a resurge in arcades again, though they'll probably be different than the ones we used to know. I guess supply and demand works in cycles. People get sick of something and then they miss it. We're novelty chasers.

I loved to go to the arcades as a kid but unfortunately I don't think they are coming back. Kids nowadays have easier, cheaper and more convenient access to games in general (PC, consoles, tablets & smartphones).

I don't see the arcade business returning. It died off because there wasn't any interest in it anymore. And with so many more avenues for games available these days that are way more profitable, it just wouldn't make sense.

You know what's even cheaper than building an arcade machine that can run Pac-Man? Porting Pac-Man onto smartphones and charging a couple bucks to download it. Video arcades aren't nearly as viable as making games for home systems, PC, smartphones, and the myriad of other platforms that have sprung up since the 80's and early 90's.

Also, the U.S. has plenty of arcades. They're just mostly relegated to malls and fun centers (Chuck E. Cheese's, etc.)

As someone who grew up in the 70s and 80s, I have a certain fondness for the arcades of old. But, if I'm totally honest, I couldn't say I miss them in the traditional sense. Nostalgic for the memories of them? Sure. But "miss them" meaning that I would like one nearby with a selection of games? Not really.

I'm a "live in the now" kinda guy. And I think what we have now is really pretty great. Deeper experiences, more artistic design built into all kinds of imaginary world, graphics that rival Hollywood's best efforts. There's a lot to like about this hobby. Plenty to lament as well, but I like to be positive. :)

You know what would cause me to go back to arcades? Digital-only gaming. Which is
exactly where it seems to be heading. I am not going to support that shit. I'd even create my
own if need be. There are still plenty of arcades around if you know where to look and because
they're so scarce---they're mad active.

Hmm, think you need to be closer to mid 40´s mid 50´s to have a fondness towards Arcades, i was a kid in the 90´s and i don't recall that many arcades they were pretty much history by the time i was old enough and us kids were having fun with nintendo, and when the Sony ps1 came out 93-94 i think, we got that and went crazy over the graphics and that it now was on cd´s and not cartridges :D

It is sad. I was introduced to fighting games through arcades. I think it would be revived if those who start up an arcade business weren't looking for profit but building a community of gamers if that makes any sense. They should also order high quality games and not racers from the eighties and make arcades more adult oriented so it shouldn't be a place where bored clueless parents drop their kids and run off to do some shopping but rather a place for gamers and enthusiasts to meet.

One of the reasons arcades were so special before is that they were so much more advanced than what we had at home. That slowly stopped being the case around the time Dreamcast launched. What people have at home is now just as good or better than arcades, so they don't see the need to go somewhere and pay to play.

Yep, also online leaderboards and esports have taken away the other 2 big factors that arcades have.

Depends what region you mean. While arcades may have declined in the West, arcade gaming is still alive and well in the East, where they generate even greater revenues than console gaming.

This is partly because a lot of modern Asian arcade games tend to emphasize social interaction and audio-visual-kinesthetic experiences, things that you can't replicate in homes. And alongside these more casual experiences, there are also the more hardcore games, like bullet-hell shooters, which challenge players in a way most home/portable video video games don't. But most importantly, there's a kind of 'arcade culture' that exists in Eastern Asia which we just don't have here in the West. And I think it's that cultural aspect that has kept arcades alive and relevant in the East.

Nevertheless, the recession has, in recent years, taken its toll on the Japanese arcade industry, which has been in decline for the past couple of years. However, this is balanced out by the continuing growth of the Chinese arcade industry, although that may have a lot to do with consoles being banned in parts of China.

I wasn't too much into arcades... imo the games were pretty bad and i dont like fighting games.

Unless you're rich you won't have proper arcade machines like these in your house.

http://www.findarcademachines.com/images2/Manx-TT-Twin-Main.jpg

http://www.funtimehire.co.uk/artwork/photos/jetski.jpg

I know people who are far from rich who have a few arcade cabinets at home. It all depends on who you know.

Speaking of rich people, you should check out Michael Jackson's personal arcade collection:

http://www.pinsane2.com/pinorama/events/MJ_09/kr/michael_jackson_arcade_entry.html

That guy was a pretty hardcore gamer, owning some of the rarest Sega arcade machines out there.

This here is pretty much the main reason you won't see arcades again. I remember going to them as a kid and being like woooooow!! Some crazy looking games that you got to play for a while. Now you get the same thing at home for cheaper basically.

He might have used that to lure in kids...

I remember Moonwalker (never ran into the arcade version, but I had the home version). That was a crazy game but it was one of Sega's better Shinobi knockoffs.

If the future arcades could provide for a quick exciting and replayable experience that's not available at home then yes.

I'm thinking holographic technology could help in that way. Like a Holodeck(?) in Star Trek or that cool chess game Obi wan plays in Star Wars.

Computers in the 80's were novelties and downright scary for some folks. Now everybody walks around with more processing power in their pocket than an entire early 80's arcade.

In order to get the quarters of todays crowd, you would have to come up with something just as new and groundbreaking as computers were in the eighties.

I remember arcades. But it's cheaper to game at home. I don't miss them, though I used to hang out there quite a bit back in the day.