Bring Back the Arcade!

Oh! How I do love this game!!!

Ms. Pacman, Galaga, Skee Ball and Air Hockey - these are the games I adore. Whether it is a reflection of my yesteryear or simply that ever-breathing competitive nature inside me, I really don't know, but this is what I automatically think of when I think of "the arcade."

I didn't really grow up in the arcade culture, although I was of age to do so. "My" arcade closed before I started to make any kind of money where that type of activity could be appreciated, and it is one thing I wished I always had.

I've been know to yell at the screen...

Meet Me at the Arcade 
 
It was for this reason that the panel at the New York Comic Con entitled "Meet Me At The Arcade" intrigued me so much.  There was a group of gamers discussing the closing of the last true Arcade in New York City, the culture of the arcade and what the future holds for this particular type of gamer.

Meet Me At The Arcade Panel at NYCC 2011

Every single one of these gentlemen had their own experience to share from the arcade as gamers, employees and even as a film maker. The perspectives drew not only from experiences shared in the famed "Chinatown Fair" arcade that was the last arcade in New York City, but also across the United States and even Japan.

I found every bit of the conversation engaging, enlightening and it just made me want to go grab a bunch of friends to go find an arcade!

Why the arcades were/are important even now.

One of the final days at Chinatown Fair.

As the panelists each shared their own experiences it became clear that a trip to the arcade was about so much more than just gaming. Lessons learned at the arcade were:

1. stretching the dollar - One panelist summed it up perfectly, "Every game was a money match." These guys went to the arcade with their lunch money for the day/week and had to use only that to entertain themselves for hours. How was this done? By becoming very good at the game and making each quarter last.
2. patience - Players have to wait their turn to play their game of choice. If they happen to be behind someone who is especially skilled, well, they might be there for awhile. This is far removed from so much of our current media which seems to center around instant gratification.
3. social skills - There was really only one way to get better at games in the arcade without going broke, you had to learn from fellow gamers. Many times this would mean having to approach gamers you may only know from the arcade and engaging in a conversation about strategy and tips. (It also involved spending lots and lots of time simply watching other gamers play the games!) In today's gaming world, where you are in your living room with an unlimited (free) amount of do-overs this type of strategic thinking about the game can often be lost. Fellow gamers have been replaced by strategy guides, YouTube videos and websites and face-to-face interaction has been replaced with voices coming out of the screen or into headsets. Other benefits of the social scene of the arcade mentioned by panelists were:

• finding like-minded people
• finding one's truth - the panelist seemed to agree that the idea that gaming is an "escape"  from reality is a major misconception held by society. They argued, rather, that games allowed them to become more themselves

What about Japan?

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You may or may not know this, but arcades are alive and well in Japanese society. This begs the question Why are arcades so popular in Japan when they can't seem to survive in the US? Four very compelling points were raised by the panel:

1. That's where the technology is. This makes the purchase of games and parts a lot more affordable in Japan than here in the US where they would have to be shipped overseas.
2. "No one wants to stay at home in Japan." I found this point particularly interesting. According to multiple panelists, the homes in Japan are so small that they really aren't conducive to "hanging out." They claim that while they lived there they witnessed the prevalence of eating out, going out and just plain being out of the house more in Japan due to limited space!
3. Customer service in Japanese arcades is second to none! Evidently if your button breaks in the middle of you playing a game, you stay where you are, raise your hand and an attendant comes to you with the parts in hand, ready to repair and replace. In contrast, the anecdotes from the US arcades demonstrate that machines could lay dormant for days.
4. Cultural scene vs. Cash Business. Guess which definition belongs to which country! The arcade business is a cash business and, therefore draws the interest of certain types of owners in the US who are less concerned with the scene and more concerned with the cash. In Japan, arcade gaming is part of the culture. You can walk into an arcade and find gaming kids, but you'll be just as likely to see a guy, in his suit, making a gaming stop on his way home from work. Arcade gaming simply means two different things in these two different countries.

What to Look for Next...

And just when the audience felt that there was nothing left for America in terms of the arcade, two exciting ventures were discussed:

1. Next Level Arcade in Brooklyn! Although the location may not be as central as the Chinatown Fair, Next Level was opened by one of the former employees and gamers of Chinatown Fair. He said that he was bored, looking to fill a void and simply did not want to see the community separate. He knows that having a crowd of predominantly 21 and over changes the dynamic of the crowd, but at least some of the players have found a new place to continue their shared gaming.
2. Arcade: The Last Night at Chinatown Fair This movie is a Kickstarter project that was filmed in the final days of the arcade's existence. Here's the trailer so you can get a sneak peek at some of the footage and some of the perspectives of the gamers who were there (I'm looking forward to this movie's release!):

Arcade: The Last Night at Chinatown Fair Trailer from Kurt Vincent on Vimeo.

Do you consider yourself a gamer?

What types of social gaming have you participated in?

From your perspective, what are some of the benefits and/or drawbacks of today's online gaming culture?

PARENTS: Would you prefer your kids playing games socially in an arcade, or at home with the family's console?