Arcade games are usually video games, pinball machines or electromechanical games. The late 1970s through the 1980s was the golden age of the arcade games. It’s a challenge when it comes to designing a gaming area for both youngsters and adults. An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electromechanical games. In this technological world why should mobile games get more importance than arcade games where there is a possibility for at least some brain application or physical activity.
My idea is to make the place look aesthetically pleasing and attractive. That it becomes a hang out destination for most people. The arcade will also include a cafe that serves drinks and food. It will be operating from 12pm-1am everyday. Everyone likes games not just the Arcade games but games like bowling, High-end VR gaming, laser tag, 8 ball pool, paint ball etc. The idea is to attract even the corporate sector to host parties or get togethers in the gaming arena. The intention is to blend in the 90s style of gaming with these modern ideas of gaming.
There is a lot that can be done with interiors perspective Neon and retro punk is a well suited theme for an arcade. Areas such as washrooms, Smoking areas and service areas will also be a part of this arcade. The arcade will not just focus on the games but will also attract attention through “Sangria”. Sangria is a Spanish beverage. The concept of grabbing your glass and sitting with random people in the seating area and communicating with them while you munch on some quick bites. The only rule being- Sit and talk to an unknown person. This is a new concept and I feel it will be something of great attraction to people.
The Arcade will also have private areas for the corporate sector. If they want to organise meetings or discuss business while playing pool (pool table) . It is not only an innovative way of having meetings but a stress buster too. It will surely maintain friendly relations and create better bonds among people. In Mumbai we have a similar place called SMAASH. Its also a gaming and entertainment centre, the difference is that SMAASH is for kids. Adults go there only to supervise their children. This place specially caters to adults. The arcade will also host screening of football and cricket finals.
2021
2021
PRACTICALITY OF PROJECT
How did indoor games become commercial?
Pac Man, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Frogger, Donkey Kong, Pong, Missile Command, Galaga, Street
fighters, Tetris. These are the names of Arcade games. Yes, indoor arcade games, commercially played
worldwide at malls, pizza parlours, entertainment zones, coffee shops and amusement parks.
Before the golden age of arcade gaming students of Stanford University rigged a machine to accept
coins to play the game Space War. Space War was itself considered as one of the first video games,
having been developed and released in 1962 by Steve Russel, Martin Graetz and Wayne Wiltanen at
MIT. The students at Stanford set up this machine with Space War in 1971.
Nolan Bushnell, a game developer formed the iconic ”Atari” in 1972, opening the doors into the
gaming golden age. Atari became famous with the release of Pong, considered to be a high watermark
in gaming history.
Games like Pong and Space War were set up in gaming cabinets in large compartments in which the
electronic components of the game would reside. Their cabinets and coin operated machines would
be founded in malls, pizza parlours and at other social gatherings in the late 1970s into modern day.
Since then arcade gaming has survived the flow of time. Arcade games thrive in today’s world as
indoor games are now designed for arcade control and environment. With the rise of gaming
tournaments fighting games have found their home with arcade gaming lovers.
In today’s society arcade gaming is a unique experience. The atmosphere, sound, social aspect all
appeal in some way. Arcade games give you an experience of indoor games with much suited
environment of today’s modern age. Playing games is always associated with socializing. Arcade
games cater to social as well as individual needs. Man is a social animal by nature and as all social
needs of a man have developed commercial aspect, so is the case of commercialization of indoor
games. Innovative ideas of gaming coupled with technological advancement and business acumen
which cater to basic social need of a man has resulted into a current phase of commercialization of
indoor games in a form of arcade games.
Commercialization of Arcade games
The indoor gaming industry entered the golden age in1978 with the release of Taito’s Space Invaders
which introduced a number of novel gameplay features including tracking the highest score, leading
to its popularity. From 1978 to 1982several other arcade games from Namco, Atari, Williams
Electronics, Stern Electronics and Nintendo were all considered blockbuster titles, particularly the
Namaco’s Pac-man in 1980 as the game became a popular culture fixture. Across North America and
Japan, dedicated video game arcades appeared and arcade game cabinets were installed in many
smaller storefronts as well. By 1981, the arcade video game industry was worth US*$ billion. The
novelty of the arcade games waned sharply after 1982 from several factors, including an
oversaturation of the market with the number of arcade titles and arcades themselves, a moral panic
created over video games due to similar fears that had been raised over pinball machines in the
decade prior, and the 1983 video game crash in the home console market that impacted arcades. By
1991, US arcade game revenue had fallen to US$2 billion.
Arcade games continued to improve with technology and gameplay evolution. In the early 1990’s, the
release of Capcom’s Street Fighter II established the modern style of fighting games and led to a
number of similar titles such as Mortal Combat, The King of Fighters and Tekken, creating a new
renaissance in arcade.
Convergence of computer technology and features such as 3D graphics also led to more advanced
games on computers and consoles.
Since the year 2000, the arcade game field has taken different routes globally. In United States,
arcades have become niche markets as they compete with the home console market, and they have
had to adapt other business models, such as providing other entertainment options or adding price
redemptions.
On the other hand, arcade games continue to flourish in other countries like China, Japan, Korea
where arcade games like Dance Dance Revolution and the House of the Dead are tailored to
experiences that players cannot easily have at home.
In addition to restaurants and video arcades, arcade games are also found in bowling alleys, collage
campuses, video rental shops, dormitories, laundromates, movie theaters, supermarkets, shopping
malls, airports, ice rinks, corner shops, bakeries, truck shops, bars, pubs, hotels, clubs. Arcade games
are popular in places open to public where people are likely to have free time.
Arcade machines spawned various communities and industries such as Fighting Game Community
and popular tournament such as Evolution Championship Series. The American Amusement Machine
Association (AAMA) is a trade association established in 1981 that represents the coin operated
amusement machine industry including 120 arcade game distributors and manufacturers.
Often averaging the amount paid per game based on the length of the game play, knowing people
are likely to try more than a one game
Just the same, commercial arcade games remain a staple in amusement parks and public businesses,
offering great ways for business owners to entice customers and give them something to do while
they wait. There are arcade centers dedicated to commercial arcade games despite the increasing
prominence of personal smart devices that offer gaming opportunity on the go.
Arcade games in their classic form have such a lure and appeal, thanks to their highly immersive
gaming experience, classic feel and nostalgia.
One of the reasons why commercial arcade games are such an enticing form of entertainment is
because they often feature short game levels and simple intuitive and easy to use control schemes,
all the while offering rapidly increasing game and difficulty levels.
There is also something rewarding and challenging about an arcade center’s environment where the
player is basically renting a game and keeping it going for as long as they can keep their in game avatar
alive or at least until they run out of coins or token to play. Arcade games are also popular because
usually they have easy learning curves, while providing players an action packed gaming experience
and oftentimes, an addictive gameplays.
How did arcade games become active games to passive games
Arcade games represent a great way for users to spend their time. The main condition of increasing
the popularity of arcade games is to allow users enjoying these moments without feeling the
frustration of a difficult game. Challenges are very important but maintain a certain level of
complexity for those who just want to have fun. Usually, the games listed in the category don’t require
too much thinking allowing players to focus on more tasks at once.
Despite the simplicity of the game, you still need to intrigue users with special bounces. Easy to play
games with attractive prizes are the key to success in this category. People like arcade games because
they are timeless. It’s a joy to play the same game after all these years even though the technology
evolved so much. You can add your personal touch for a more interesting effect but retro games
continue to engage people and to convince them to come back and play whenever they get the
chance.
It is just amazing when people just see an image of those memorable arcades. Such arcade games
have a commercial value as they have a power to impress users with various advertisements in the
break. Advertisements displayed at intervals are the great source of income.
Even in 1971, the components for a system capable of running a program with the sophistication were
too expensive to transform the game into home entertainment. A new generation of mini computers
like the Data General Nova and DEC PDP 11, that dropped the price of computing low enough that it
could be seriously considered for the coin operated games industry which at the time was
experiencing new technical renaissance as large electro mechanical driving and target shooting games
like Sega Enterprises, Periscope, Chicago Coin Speedway pioneered the adaption of elaborate visual
display and electronic sound effect in amusement arcade. While this coin operated industry was
controlled almost exclusively by a group of established firms, the promise of integrated circuits into
coin operated games attracted small number of engineers and entrepreneurs and thereon
commercial video arcade games were introduced.
Computer space is the first commercially released video game. Nolan Bushnell stood uniquely
between the world of coin operated computers that would join forces to introduce the video game
to general public. As an electrical engineering student at the university of Utah, Bushnell received
limited exposure to computer programming through his classes while gaining work experience
maintaining the coin operated games. Upon graduation Bushnell found employment at Ampex in
Silicon Valley where he was soon exposed to space war, game at the Standford Artificial Intelligence
Laboratory (SAIL). Already possessed of an entrepreneurial streak, Bushnell immediately looked for a
commercial avenue for the game and had the ideo of developing a coin operated version on a mini
computer like Nova. Enlisting his office mate at Ampex, an older and more experienced engineer
named Ted Dabney, Bushnell orchestrated the creation of a partnership called Syzygy Engineering to
develop games. Using a mini computer proved prohibitively expensive, however, Bushnell hit on a
new concept of controlling the cathode ray tube of a television through transistor transistor logic
(TTL) circuits to generate and move dots around the screen. This conceptual breakthrough was
actually implemented.
Released in 1971 by one of the few Silicon Valley coin op companies, Nutting Associates, computer
space failed to sell it entire production run due to several factors including marketing blunders by
Nutting and overly complicated physics system and control scheme that alienated the working class
bar patrons that were primarily market for arcade games at that time. Meanwhile, a second attempt
to bring Space War into the arcade market called Galaxy Game by Hugh Pits and Stan Tuck that began
market testing roughly at the same time. Both Computer space and Galaxy Games proved popular
with sophisticated engineering crowd but in order to get mass market acceptance, the arcade games
would have to evolve to be both cheaper and simpler to play.
These simple but challenging games are addictive. Also, games are designed in such a manner that
within no time the experience gets viral and it is shared with like-minded people. Innovative ways of
improving games has contributed the commercial success. Development aspect with marketing
strategies over the years has convinced people to continue playing with this modern recreational
activity.
Arcade games are a great way to bring back pleasant memories and to observe how things evolved in
the game industry. At the same time it is quite complicated for arcade owner to promote a game
which has thousands of rivals in the market. Despite the huge number of games available, arcade
owners are able to attract users who are always interested in gaming recreational activity.
Investers heavily invest into arcade gaming machines, arcade set up, techniques and strategies
related to it. This activity has found a place in mainstream businesses. It is a known fact that best
arcade games and machine business owners tend to possess solid marketing skills. Purpose in
marketing is the key to success. High performing arcade games and machines achieve market
dominance. Promotional and marketing calenders coordinate the execution strategy and result in
more efficient use of both internal and external resources.
Telemarketing firms, magazine advertising, billboard advertising, internet advertising and of course
mouth publicity and delightful experience in itself has resulted in arcade games becoming active
gaming activity. A visible transformation from indoor gaming to active arcade gaming has taken place. 18
How is arcade gaming interactive
Palladium houses arcade gaming zone which is the main attraction in the mall. Arcade provides many
options of interactive games. Interactive games help people work out how to gracefully accept both
losing and winning. They form a sense of sportsmanship and discipline. It provides a platform to teach
how to interact with both adults and children. It indirectly teaches how to successfully form
relationships.
Games are immersive and require strategy and problem solving skills to win, requires players to
remember and take in a lot of information. Regularly playing these types of games improves memory
and help the brain process information quicker.
Abstract interactive games are powerful environments for learning. Research consistently finds that
player learns new skills, knowledge, insights, attitudes and even behaviours in games that challenge
them to think and explore and also respond. For children especially it’s a great source to develop
learning skills at younger age. It enhances memory brain’s speed and concentration level, build skills
for future careers.
Group play provides various social benefits along with personality development. It basically teaches
you to be a better problem solver. It improves manual dexterity.
Interactive gaming tempers a problem by teaching more universally applicable critical and problem
solving skills. Studies show that 80% of people perceive the use of arcade games improves many
interactive skills along with self-development. Arcade gaming, typically interactive games challenge
players to solve compelling problems. Players learn by doing in a virtual setting that responds to every
move collectively. They interact with the game environment, develop skills to succeed by cooperation
with each other. It gives opportunity to experiment, fail and try again together. It trains to ask for
help and give help whenever necessary. It teaches how to develop team spirit. Interactive games
improve motivation, perception, coordination
In today’s times arcade gaming has evolved into most engaging and sophisticated form of
entertainment. The advancement of technology and the increasing usage of internet has allowed
conventional game to become virtually accessible, significantly enhancing their reach and the joy of
gaming enthusiast. Research has corroborated conventional wisdom that playing interactive games
has substantial psychological benefits. Challenging games with friends are known to improve
memory, concentration, analytical skills. Being extremely conscious of every move by an opponent
and any giveaways in their behavior or action is guaranteed to make one more alert and perceptive.
In this way, arcade games help improve interpersonal skill development.
While there is a lack of conversation and interaction at social gatherings, playing interactive games
certainly helps improve interpersonal relationships. It promotes both communication and team work.
It addresses most basic and common human need to be a social animal.
How is it becoming profession from a leisure game
A career in gaming is not only limited to just playing games and championship battles. There are
diverse careers in gaming to choose from. Arcade gaming provides ageless entertainment. An arcade
symbolizes fun and affordable carefree times to visitors. Once there is a customer/visitor who visit
arcade gaming zone to attain fun time for himself, then arcade game provide certainly becomes a
business.
Arcade designing, keeping it upgraded, satisfying customer all this becomes a necessity. It is a full
fledge profession as arcade game set up is as good as setting up a business unit. The niche/customer
base target depends on the type of arcade is set up. Traditional arcade is typically visited by families
and young people looking for a social gaming experience. A great example of this type of arcade is
Funspot Lucania, New Hampshire which according to Guinness Book of World Records was named as
the largest arcade. Another famous example is Barcade in Brooklyne, Newyork which prides itself on
its classic games and craft beers.
There are many examples of Arcade-Restaurants combos. These types of arcades are generally visited
by both co-workers and families. A well known example of this is Dave and Buster’s an American chain
that provides full service restaurants and arcade entertainment.
The industry has grown leaps and bounds in the decade since arcade games dominated. According to
NASSCOM, the Indian gaming industry does close to $890 million of business every year and there are
over hundred game development organizations in India already. Pertaining to this there is a rising
demand for professionals in this field, from artists, entrepreneurs, designers, programmers,
engineers. Arcade gaming set up is one of the fastest growing career option in India and abroad. Vast
number of young students from diverse background are in demand to establish gaming arcade zones.
From recent years, there is a tremendous growth in arcade gaming industry. This is how arcade
gaming has transformed into serious profession from just a leisure games
Sayali Chaudhari
