10 May Are Retro Arcade Games still popular?
The introduction of new systems like Xbox and PlayStation seemed to have taken over from popular arcade games, between 1970s and 1990s, however these classics are now making a comeback, reports Delina Petiros.
Popular arcade machines like the Ghostbuster painball on far right. (Image taken by me)
Arcade games are machines installed in pubs, restaurants, and bars that require coins to be operated. The majority of these machines are pinball machines, video games, driving games and shooting galleries, all born in America around 1920s. In 1978, with the introduction of the first blockbuster arcade video game, the so called Golden Age of arcade video games started. Those machines were so popular that they were worth over $8 billion, unfortunately within less than ten years home video game consoles had significantly decreased sales and popularity of the “old” arcade machines. Previously, gamers had to leave their house and go to a bar to enjoy arcade games, now users can enjoy games within the comfort of their home. Instead of queueing and paying for each game with coins now gamers can directly buy a console and play as many matches desired with no time limit. Now, having said that would it be possible for arcade games to be still popular today?
Four Quarters in Peckham. (Image taken by me)
Mike Wick is the young manager of the first Arcade bar in London, The Four Quarters that celebrated its inauguration in June 2014 in Peckham. The bar offers a variety of entertainment with over fifteen original arcade machines from the 80s, weekly and monthly Esport tournaments and much more. Wicks says how regular customers includes both younger and mature people, in fact while generally the younger customers will be those playing Esports tournaments, the older ones will enjoy playing classic arcade machines. Mike Wicks continues on saying how the bar’s popularity reflects a trend in our society that not only sees the comeback of arcade games but also sees an increasing popularity of these amongst the young ones. (Scroll down to hear the interview)
“Arcade Games don’t have complicated rules or strategies, so they’re actually quite easy to learn “ says Rob Jenkins,
Rob playing on right with a friend. (Image taken by me)
one of the many young passionate about retro games. Rob explains the reasons why he loves arcade video games, admitting he inherited the passion from his father who introduced him to these games during his childhood. Retro games stimulate healthy competitions in those who play because the challenge of those, apparently simple games, can only consist in scoring the highest level first or beat the highest score within a group of people.
In 2016, according to the website Statista, the video game market in the United States was valued at 17.68 billion U.S. dollars proving once again how this industry isn’t dead but it is also making a major comeback in our society. Retro arcade games are now hard to be found in bars, however they are now soldat very high prices for people (mainly collectors, passionate gamers and celebrities) to use at home.
Slideshow on the Four Quarters in Peckham:
Segment of Interview
