Do you remember the last time you went to a really good arcade? I do. It was at least 8 years ago. My mom, a cousin of mine and I, went down to Pier 39 in San Francisco’s famed Fisherman’s Wharf. As soon as I stepped onto that pier, walking towards the first building I saw, I was led to one of the best arcades I’ve ever been to. The lights, the sounds, the screams; I was immersed in all of it, and it was good.
A few years ago, however, they closed that particular spot down, and moved some of the arcade machines to a different part of the wharf. Sure, there’s still machines down there (to my recollection, at least), but it’s now a rinky-dink spot, at best. Nothing like the majesty it once was.
Over the past couple of years, it seems that the classic arcade has gone down in popularity. While the average person might not understand why (or care, for that matter), a careful observer would happen to notice the rising trend of online gaming. Online gaming has most, if not all, the same features of going to the local arcade: the community (through voice chat or regular chat), the games (Xbox Live has been offering classic arcade games for a long while. Plus, almost all of the system’s normal games are online-capable), and, maybe most important of all, the price. I mean, online play is getting very affordable, and it’s not surprising that many people would rather pay a lump sum for a monthly service than travel down and spend that much in a single machine in one day. As sad as it makes me, I have to admit that it makes more sense.
Currently, there are no arcades anywhere near my location, with the exception of those found in movie theaters. But can you really call those arcades, a bunch of throwaway machines that you have to pay $10 just to get in to play? No thanks. Maybe one day I’ll find another arcade within walking, or even driving distance, but until then, you can find me pouring 40 oz of quarters on the street, mourning the death of the noble arcade.