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Sega quits arcade business after 50 years

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Re: Sega quits arcade business after 50 years

#91

Post by galangalalgol »

shkkmo wrote: post #58
als0 wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Arcades in America and Europe have essentially been dead for a long time, which has to be a reason why Microsoft doesn't own any. But in Japan arcades were still thriving until recently. Unfortunately, times are tough.

I've been to arcades all over the the USA in the last decade. The new breed of arcades serve a role more like "video game bar" than the their more kid/family friendlier predecessors.

The only ones I've found are collections of refurbished historic machines set to free play and you pay for entry, booze and food.

Re: Sega quits arcade business after 50 years

#92

Post by racl101 »

Andrew_nenakhov wrote: post #31

Can anyone explain the appeal of arcades to me? It is expensive and games do not look really interesting.

There's a social aspect.

For example, take girls who aren't gamers, there's no way to get them to play console games. They see that as the domain of dudes. So there's no chance to take them out on a date where you sit in a room playing games from a console.

But these very same girls love the arcade experience. They are partial to the arcade experience because they get to be out in the open, in their best outfit, consume alcohol and/or food, smoke, socialize and even though they might not enjoy the games themselves, they like the social aspect. It's like going to a club where the crowd is a bit nerdier and not quite the meat market that are dance clubs.

Same with billiards. Not that fun in dad's den. But fun as hell in a pool hall. More social. More vibing.

You don't go to arcades cause it's cheaper. You go cause you want it to be a communal experience.

Even if you're not there to mingle with guys or girls. Maybe you want to show off and beat some game. It's much funner when you got a bunch of people rooting behind you than if you owned the cabinet and just played in dad's den.

Re: Sega quits arcade business after 50 years

#93

Post by TulliusCicero »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #89
TulliusCicero wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the upside, Round 1 is steadily expanding throughout the US. For those who don't know, Round 1 is a Japanese arcade company that also has US locations, and they import many only-intended-for-Japan arcade cabinets to said locations, including some that are only in Japanese. Their rhythm game sections in particular are basically unsurpassed by American standards, it's like stepping into a slice of Tokyo.

I thought the Koreans took over the rhythm game arcade business for the most part? All the surviving arcades I’ve been to in the states in recent years have only had Korean rhythm games on hand. I hope Konami hasn’t given up on the genre, or maybe the future is just beat saber (now owned by Meta).

Gonna be honest, I've never heard of Korean rhythm arcade games. I thought Koreans were mostly just into PC (and mobile) games. I would've thought I'd heard of this considering I read about Korean gaming culture, but apparently not enough.

Re: Sega quits arcade business after 50 years

#94

Post by ronnier »

sersi wrote: post #8

I have a lot of found memories of Sega World in Picadilly Circus. Later as I lived in Japan, I really loved the Sega arcades. Truly the end of an Era. Sega is a company that I always liked and always feel regret for, I loved my dreamcast and wished they had remained in the console business, I loved their arcades and wish they would still be there. It's one of the companies that most marked my childhood and early twen…

Weird thing that many don't know... did you know Sega was created by Americans?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega

Founders * Martin Bromley * Richard Stewart

Re: Sega quits arcade business after 50 years

#95

Post by willis936 »

JetAlone wrote: post #87

I've been to the Japanese arcades many times, and I'd noticed changes cross the era of machine. A lot of the newer machines are either trying to be some kind of new arcade moba or card-based experience (half or more of which seemed to flop, with entire empty floors). More single player oriented experiences feature a game loop where a small, core element consisting of about 5 minutes costs a 100 yen coin regardless of…

The first episode of Netflix's High Score covers the 1970s and early 1980s video games, including arcades. The guy who made Ms. Pac Man started by making arcade mods that increased the difficulty of games. It was a killer business model because arcades were getting lower revenue over time because the playerbase would get good at a game within months. It isn't correct to say micro-transactions moved into arcades. It's more accurate to say arcade MTX have moved into the home.

Arcade value prop is at an all-time low. It's too bad, because rhythm games are a lot of fun and impractical for homes.

Re: Sega quits arcade business after 50 years

#96

Post by tuankiet65 »

TulliusCicero wrote: post #93
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought the Koreans took over the rhythm game arcade business for the most part? All the surviving arcades I’ve been to in the states in recent years have only had Korean rhythm games on hand. I hope Konami hasn’t given up on the genre, or maybe the future is just beat saber (now owned by Meta).

Gonna be honest, I've never heard of Korean rhythm arcade games. I thought Koreans were mostly just into PC (and mobile) games. I would've thought I'd heard of this considering I read about Korean gaming culture, but apparently not enough.

Pump It Up is a Korean DDR-style arcade. Round1 also seems to be bringing Chrono Circle to the US. Same manufacturer but different mechanics, it looks like maimai + Wacca.

Re: Sega quits arcade business after 50 years

#97

Post by seanmcdirmid »

TulliusCicero wrote: post #93
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought the Koreans took over the rhythm game arcade business for the most part? All the surviving arcades I’ve been to in the states in recent years have only had Korean rhythm games on hand. I hope Konami hasn’t given up on the genre, or maybe the future is just beat saber (now owned by Meta).

Gonna be honest, I've never heard of Korean rhythm arcade games. I thought Koreans were mostly just into PC (and mobile) games. I would've thought I'd heard of this considering I read about Korean gaming culture, but apparently not enough.

Rhythm games are huge popular in Korea, probably more so than Japan right now. Units in the USA are often mistaken for Japanese, but the use of Hangul and the K-pop tunes should be dead give aways.

Re: Sega quits arcade business after 50 years

#98

Post by awslattery »

TulliusCicero wrote: post #62
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #9

GameWorks, the American-based joint venture started by Sega and Dreamworks, closed all of its remaining locations last month. RIP the downtown Seattle arcade.

On the upside, Round 1 is steadily expanding throughout the US. For those who don't know, Round 1 is a Japanese arcade company that also has US locations, and they import many only-intended-for-Japan arcade cabinets to said locations, including some that are only in Japanese. Their rhythm game sections in particular are basically unsurpassed by American standards, it's like stepping into a slice of Tokyo.

So long as I can at Wacca while unable to travel back to Japan, I am so delighted by Round1.

Re: Sega quits arcade business after 50 years

#99

Post by JohnBooty »

willis936 wrote: post #95
JetAlone wrote: post #87

I've been to the Japanese arcades many times, and I'd noticed changes cross the era of machine. A lot of the newer machines are either trying to be some kind of new arcade moba or card-based experience (half or more of which seemed to flop, with entire empty floors). More single player oriented experiences feature a game loop where a small, core element consisting of about 5 minutes costs a 100 yen coin regardless of…

The first episode of Netflix's High Score covers the 1970s and early 1980s video games, including arcades. The guy who made Ms. Pac Man started by making arcade mods that increased the difficulty of games. It was a killer business model because arcades were getting lower revenue over time because the playerbase would get good at a game within months. It isn't correct to say micro-transactions moved into arcades. It's…

    It's more accurate to say arcade MTX have moved into the home.
I don't follow your thinking. "Making the game more difficult" and "microtransactions" are both ways to squeeze more money from players but man, they are very different.
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