[Wōdnes-dæg] Arcade Culture Gets its own Documentary - Quarters All Around!

Introduction
So, Why Do Arcades Matter Now?
Friday's Entry
References

{A classic cabinet. Image from Wikimedia}

Introduction

Since getting back from a jaunt in Toronto to see the inestimable Thomas Dolby at the Mod Club late yesterday evening, things have been busy around here. But I had just enough time to pop into my inbox and find an article of great interest.

It's a piece about Brad Crawford and his documentary about arcade culture in Japan and the US. A child of the (mid) 80s, I missed the brunt of the arcade scene in North America. Luckily, however, small towns tend to change at a slower pace than the rest of the world, and so the small beach town that we spent a few weeks in during each of my childhood summers is fondly remembered not just for lakeside shenanigans, but also for the rolls of quarters spent in the town's arcade.

Reading this article got me thinking, though, just what is the difference between the US (and, being similar at least in gaming culture, Canada) and Japan when it comes to their arcade scenes? Why did major arcades die out in North America but stay alive in Japan?

Since Crawford's documentary (called 100 Yen: The Japanese Arcade Experience) is still in post-production it's not possible to turn to it for answers, but Crawford reveals enough in the article to suss out a few of the reasons why the arcade suffered such a diverse fate in the East and West.

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So, Why Do Arcades Matter Now?

Unlike the present perception of Japan as a high-tech, video game-accepting culture, around the time that arcades were at their peak (in the 70s and 80s), it was a common view that they were gathering places for hoodlums.¹

But, rather than let this image linger, the parent companies in Japan (Crawford mentions Taito and Sega specifically) actually worked to help clean up this image and to make arcades more family friendly, the kind of places where people could meet up after school/work for a few friendly virtual bouts.¹

And, wouldn't you know it, the makeover worked. Arcades are now just that - a physical space where people can gather to play live, in-person multipayer games.

Apparently, along with nostalgia, the same desire fuels the indie arcades in North America. As Jared Rea, lifelong arcade gamer, puts it, playing games like Street Fighter online is like “playing [against] a ghost.”²

But is this desire for a more intimate multiplayer experience really such a major force behind the arcade scene in North America?

Why aren't people just playing at home and inviting friends over? Unlike Japan (where inviting people to your house is rare),¹ it's pretty common to have some friends over to play video games in North America.

Though if you have people over, you inevitably wind up playing equal parts host and gamer. Arcades take the hosting concern off of your shoulders and foist it onto people who are actually in the hospitality business. Through tournaments and such, arcades are also places where people can more easily make new connections and feel a stronger sense of community.

Of course, such a sense of community can also be gained at tournaments based on console games, something that a few indie arcades host in addition to those based on cabinet games.²

So then, why continue to have places that have cabinet games? Arcade cabinets are expensive, it's hard to get newer models and upgrades, and arcade gaming is still a niche that makes for a poor profit-oriented business.²

Is the power of nostalgia over those who grew up with arcades so great that it's worth the time and effort of a few to offer a glimpse back at 'simpler times'?

Is the North American gamer so starved for a feeling of real, physical community that they don't mind paying to play games that they could play with friends for free on a home console?

Is this indie arcade culture a reaction to the trend toward putting more and more of gaming online?

Feel free to add your thoughts to the comments.

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Friday's Entry

And keep your eyes on this blog come Friday - for then you'll find a review of the Jeff Goldblum horror flick Hideaway here.

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References

1. Orland, Kyle. "Documentary Explores Why Japan’s Arcades Didn’t Die." Ars Technica (featured on Wired.com) 4 April 2012.

2. Bailey, Kat. "In Back Alleys and Basements, Video Arcades Quietly Survive" Wired.com 23 February 2012.

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