Some of my best memories revolve around a place my Dad used to take when I was a kid – the arcade. He used to take me to a place that no longer exists. It was called Bump ‘n Tilt. Adults received free admission with a paid child’s price of admission. Upon entry, you could see a total smorgasbord of arcade classics – from Pac-Man to Frogger to Donkey Kong. All the machines were rigged where no quarters were needed – you just played and played. I think this caused some issues with the “quarter down, next man up” rule. But they never had any issues with this. They also had a nice collection of pinball machines along with an 80’s era snack bar and even bumper cars.

We would go there for hours at a time with the goal of getting all time best scores. It was simply a slice of bliss. So what really happened to these arcades? Did the home video game industry kill the arcade? It seems so. For years co-op play depended on meeting up physically. With the onset of the internet, that became a matter of clicks to connect and play with friends and strangers. Services like Xbox Live took this concept to new levels. I can even remember the Sega Genesis had a modem to support on-line play – a big idea that was ahead of its time. It seems it was far easier and cheaper to get your multi-player fix once these services went mainstream.

Would it be possible to reinvent the arcade as we once knew it? Although I’d like to say yes, it seems doubtful. Sure, a business could form around a collection of retro cabinet style machine and reopen, but would today’s youth really absorb this idea? I doubt this too. It seems the most affluent new machines are practically like novelties – like DDR. They are contraptions that would not be realistic to convert to the home video game market. These over-sized games are not the answer. New technologies should introduced for arcades. This technology must also allow players to connect with others not only in person but also on-line and allow world wide competition via stand up style games. Live tournaments must be held. These next-gen arcades must offer something the home video game consoles can not – it must offer atmosphere combined with technology.