Topic: Why Dont Arcades....

[Majexto]

Hearing of the recent news with sega, how some company wants them to focuss on arcade games this came to mind.  Why dont arcades use console systems as arcade games.  You know how they have the stands at say ebgames where you can play like a demo disc.  Why dont arcades use these but in a more arcade style casing with complete new games.  Say you have mario kart in, you get like 5 minutes of play for 50 cents, you play your 5 minutes, the cabnet the game is in has a timer, there is a countdown clock on the casing, 10, 9, 8, 7, etc you put two more coins in and it goes back up to 5.  Then if you dont it turns the system off.  Next person comes, 50 cents in, turns back on.  Think about it you could probably make a gaming system like that for 500 - 700 dollars compared to a 1000-2000 dollar arcade game that have bad graphics and stupid play.  You would get so many more people in arcades if they would do this.  Input anyone?

[Ian Sane]

Who would go to an arcade to pay to play the exact same games they can play at home?  It would be cheaper to rent a game then to play it at the arcade in that case.  Plus why pay when you can play the same game for probably longer for FREE at the display case at EB.

During the heyday of arcades most arcade games were just plain unavailable for home consoles.  Two of my favourites, X-Men and WWF Wrestlefest, have NEVER been ported to a home console for example.  And back then even if a game was ported the arcade version usually was superior because the current home consoles weren't as powerful.  As a result going to the arcade was more meaningful because it had exclusive games.  One of the problems with today's arcades is that almost any arcade game can be faithfully ported to a home console.  That's why there are so many arcade games with special controls like DDR these days.  Since they can't be accurately ported they're more popular.

Now you did say that these games would be exclusive but that isn't realistically feasible.  A company can make WAY more money with a home console game than an arcade game and I assure you absolutely every one of those games would be released at home.  No company would make an exclusive arcade game that used existing home console hardware just to keep arcades alive.

The only way I can see arcades surviving is if they lowered the prices and made every game cost a quarter again.  What turned me off from the arcades was when every new game starting costing a f*cking dollar to play.  What used to play FORTY games now plays only ten?  No wonder arcades are failing.

[Majexto]

I never said exclusive.  Atleest I dont think I did and I didnt mean to.   I still think arcades would do better if they had console games, yeah I get your point why play there when you can play at home for free.  Say your at the mall, bored, arent getting picked up for an hour.  Go spend three dollars at the game and you have an hours worth of play.   I still think that they would do better than current games that are at most arcades.  Atleest at the arcades around here the games suck, they are a little downgraded from dreamcast graphics and cost 1.00 dollar for a minute or two of play.  Ok, this would need a corporate company to be possible not just an arcade, but lets take sega for example, going back into arcade games or whatever.  Say my idea became popular, sega began producing arcade games for ps2, gamecube, xbox exclusive to arcades only.  They would be shorter than a normal game and not excelent graphics but decent mainly to keep the cost and time taken to produce the game down.  

I agree with your last statement, at the closest mall to me every game but the 5 year old games cost a dollar mostly and if you dont get past enough points within 30 seconds-minute or enough time extensions on say a racing game your money is gone.  

[DrZoidberg]

Quote
Originally posted by: Majexto
 Say your at the mall, bored, arent getting picked up for an hour.  Go spend three dollars at the game and you have an hours worth of play. .

GBA

another reason againsed using home consoles in arcades is, have you ever felt a demo unit controller? 20 times out of 10 they are completly ruined, the public at large ruins anything it comes across that they don't own, meaning [company goes here] would have to make a different more durable controller for arcades, and while they are at it they may aswell stick to making entire arcade cabinents

[joeamis]

Arcades are like the motion pictures, motion pictures started at the movies and could only be seen there (same for early videogames), then the tv came out (home console came out), for both the quality and variety did not rival going out for the entertainment, then finally tv caught upto the movies and with cable, surpassed going to the movies.  the same happened with videogames, home consoles surpassed going to the movies.

the difference is the movies still have something you cannot get on tv (yet, i stress), you have a huge screen and awesome sound and they debute their first.

arcades need to have games that cost less to make and using console hardware is a good idea (but beef it up a bit), then they can charge less to play the games, but arcades need to go online as well if theyre to survive (people just don't get the competition theyre looking for, whereas in its heyday everyone went to arcades).
if they go online, you will always have a person to play against, and their can be tournaments and such.  wouldn't it be fun to goto an arcade and play a racing game against 28 other people at the same time?  or do people prefer AI right now

[Majexto]

Really?  Every demo controller I ever used wasnt broken or anything.  Weird.  Plus dont forget that you can get the traditional joystick/button thing for ps2/xbox/gamecube.  Also how is the GBA three dollars?  Or do you just mean in general playing it?

That would be awsome, having it online, didnt they use to have competitions back in the 70's - 80's at arcades?  That would be pretty cool and would definetly generate alot of money being brought into arcades.  

[The Omen]

Quote
the difference is the movies still have something you cannot get on tv (yet, i stress), you have a huge screen and awesome sound and they debute their first.

The real difference is release dates.   If DVD versions were released the same day as the theatre , DVD would get all the sales.  In order for an arcade to work, it would have to have the games first, well before the console release.  And that just wont happen anymore.

[manunited4eva22]

Hmm well I think most games are longer than an hour totle, so it's still the better deal...

[Majexto]

Thats not really the point of it manunited, its not meant to be an hour game.  Its just suppose to be a way to say enhance arcades because they really do suck right now, most.  Im not saying people would go to the mall or somthing just to play in the arcade, im sure most arcades would do better than they are now and would be more fun.  This is kind of off the way from anything else but what if it had some sort of juke box disc changer type of thing, like the old fashioned kind where you pick the record, but it would be a disc now and it goes down over the needle but a lazer now.  So basicly you could pick any game.  That would be pretty technical though, even if thats possible.  I can see people point of views right now but I think the majority of people must admit that if you had to pay a dollar for a 1-2 minute racing game that sucks or 1 dollar for a 10 minute game or so of a console game that is fun.. which one would they pick?

Also somthing that would be really cool as a permanent installment would be somthing like the dew den, anyone with g4 has seen it, it was about a month long place that was in the mall of america that was ran by mountain dew and it had all xbox game competitions, was really cool.  Somthing like that compared to a traditional arcade, what would you pick?

Ps- manunited funny sig

[S-U-P-E-R]

I remember there used to be lots of 'PlayChoice' machines around - I wonder just how successful they were, if at all?

Seriously though, I think what draws gamers to return visits to an arcade is the social atmosphere and the opportunity to compete or show off. I highly recommend this article.

[joeamis]

Quote
Originally posted by: The Omen

Quote
the difference is the movies still have something you cannot get on tv (yet, i stress), you have a huge screen and awesome sound and they debute their first.

The real difference is release dates.   If DVD versions were released the same day as the theatre , DVD would get all the sales.  In order for an arcade to work, it would have to have the games first, well before the console release.  And that just wont happen anymore.

that is true too, i was going to include that but i forgot, thanks for bringing it up

and actually the playchoice arcade games had that minutes of play per quarter idea Majexto is talking about.

[Deguello]

How about arcades in places where you usually have to wait awhile (airports, train stations) or like Movie rental places?

[DrZoidberg]

they do here deguello, see them in cinemas and airports, usually pretty crappy games though, the newest one at the airport near me is an old namco skiing game.

[Majexto]

Yeah they have them at some of the theaters here, really bad.  On vacation once though in a theater there was this really cool good graphics flying game where you had like a flying bike and had to pedal to keep the copter up, you had stuff you had collect etc

[S-U-P-E-R]

Yeah they have them at some of the theaters here, really bad.  On vacation once though in a theater there was this really cool good graphics flying game where you had like a flying bike and had to pedal to keep the copter up, you had stuff you had collect etc

Sounds like Prop-Cycle, that game is pretty cool. The newest game the theater has here is like... Hydro Thunder. Nobody maintains them either. Augh

[BlackNMild2k1]

I got an arcade in my mall, well it's a small mall and a mini arcade, but they are both indoors. Newest game I noticed as I walked past it was Time Crisis 2. I don't remember what was nex to it, but there was also a picture booth and a claw box (where you grab stuffed animals). It's right next to the toddler play area so I think they are aiming at the preteens, but I'm sure their goal wasn't to make money.

[nickmitch]

The last time I was home, I found out one of the lat arcades finally closed.  I was hoping to go there until somebody gave me the news.  I was pretty upset.

[S-U-P-E-R]

I got an arcade in my mall, well it's a small mall and a mini arcade, but they are both indoors. Newest game I noticed as I walked past it was Time Crisis 2. I don't remember what was nex to it, but there was also a picture booth and a claw box (where you grab stuffed animals). It's right next to the toddler play area so I think they are aiming at the preteens, but I'm sure their goal wasn't to make money.

Dropping by to post that I recently one-credited Time Crisis 2. epeen+

[TJ Spyke]

Yeah they have them at some of the theaters here, really bad.  On vacation once though in a theater there was this really cool good graphics flying game where you had like a flying bike and had to pedal to keep the copter up, you had stuff you had collect etc

Sounds like Prop-Cycle, that game is pretty cool. The newest game the theater has here is like... Hydro Thunder. Nobody maintains them either. Augh

You bumped a almost 6 year old thread to answer a question that probably no one cares about anymore? Where is that image of the hand reaching through the computer and slapping a person.

The only arcade within 50 miles of me is at an amusement park, and they have a crappy selection (and outdated. the newest game is the arcade version of Guitar Hero, and there was no fucking way I was gonna pay $2 to play it).

[BranDonk Kong]

The only arcades around here are at Disney, Sea World, etc. There's one at Andretti Thrill Park, which is only a few minutes away, but it's mostly lame crap, but they do tend get new games. They have Deal or No Deal, and Guitar Hero Arcade...both are crap, but at least they're newish. I do however plan on stealing one of the GHA controllers one day.

[Smash_Brother]

Arcades are on a slippery slope to doom right now.

The problem is that arcade hardware is too expensive to justify the manufacturers making it without the prices being exorbitant, meaning that the arcades charge $2.25 per credit in some places (New York), meaning that no one in their right mind goes out to arcades anymore, meaning that fewer manufacturers will make arcade games, etc.

In the US at least, you not only have home consoles smothering arcades but you also have the fact that the arcades are too expensive, coupled with the fact that they're perceived as hotbeds for crime/gang activity. All that considered, it's no surprise people choose to stay home.

It's a shame, too, because I loved arcades as a kid and dreamed of owning one. That'd be suicide in this day and age, though.

[ThePerm]

here in the Phoenix Area, Gameworks used to be the craziest most awesome arcade there ever was. Now it is a piece of **** filled with nothing but claw machines. They are Sega claw machines with 75% Nintendo toys. I remember back in 7th grade it was filled to the brim with the latest and greatest games. It was packed with people , it was one big party. There was even a bar at the top called the 8-bit lounge or whatever.

[ThePerm]

Arcades are on a slippery slope to doom right now.

The problem is that arcade hardware is too expensive to justify the manufacturers making it without the prices being exorbitant, meaning that the arcades charge $2.25 per credit in some places (New York), meaning that no one in their right mind goes out to arcades anymore, meaning that fewer manufacturers will make arcade games, etc.

In the US at least, you not only have home consoles smothering arcades but you also have the fact that the arcades are too expensive, coupled with the fact that they're perceived as hotbeds for crime/gang activity. All that considered, it's no surprise people choose to stay home.

It's a shame, too, because I loved arcades as a kid and dreamed of owning one. That'd be suicide in this day and age, though.

arcade manufactueres don't understand that quarters are where its at. When Pac-Man came out there was a shortage of quarters. Many people can play more often at lower prices. At higher prices fewer people play. Maybe the 10- rich guys go in there and plays the 2.00 game, but 50+ poor people play the 50 cent game. That is 25 bucks from the poor people and 20 bucks from the rich people, but also add the rich people there too because they'll play 4 times as much at lower prices and then its more like 45 bucks

[ThePerm]

double post

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

$2 to play F-Zero AX?  **** OFF, arcade industry.