Why haven't arcade games advanced?

[bloomen]

I was wandering around a seaside resort the other day and couldn't help but notice that the same games were there that existed in the mid 90s. Even the clearly newer stuff looks barely more impressive, pretty much a reskin of older games.

Once upon a time you went to an arcade to play games that couldn't hold a candle to anything at home. These days your phone does a better job.

When did it all grind to a halt?

[Paul_M3]

I think around the time of the original Playstation.

Huge choice of games and decent graphics meant that £1 a go for a couple of minutes just wasn't worth it any more.

Amusement arcades made less and less money on the video games (which were hugely expensive to buy) and so slowly replaced them with more fruit machines.

[CrutyRammers]

As above. Chips got cheap, so expensive uber-cabinets got replaced with home consoles. At the time of the PS1 there were arcade machines running the same boards IIRC, for things like Soul Callibur. They lost their USP which was "graphics you couldn't get at home".

[SHutchinson]

I'd still happily sit down in a 2 player Sega Rally machine and waste a tenner.

[menguin]

SHutchinson said:

I'd still happily sit down in a 2 player Sega Rally machine and waste a tenner.

I'd buy that for a dollar!

[mp3manager]

menguin said:

SHutchinson said:

I'd still happily sit down in a 2 player Sega Rally machine and waste a tenner.

I'd buy that for a dollar!

Well then, get yourselves over to Arcade Club in Bury, Europe's largest retro videogame arcade. Entry is £10 and all machines are on free play.

https://youtu.be/drLP-cljnf4?t=2m33s

Edited by mp3manager on Friday 26th February 08:11

[menguin]

That is awesome.

[stedale]

Mmm Ridge racer anyone?

[Hoofy]

mp3manager said:

Well then, get yourselves over to Arcade Club in Bury, Europe's largest retro videogame arcade. Entry is £10 and all machines are on free play.

https://youtu.be/drLP-cljnf4?t=2m33s

Edited by mp3manager on Friday 26th February 08:11

How many games!?

[mr_fibuli]

mp3manager said:

Well then, get yourselves over to Arcade Club in Bury, Europe's largest retro videogame arcade. Entry is £10 and all machines are on free play.

https://youtu.be/drLP-cljnf4?t=2m33s

That place looks amazing, thanks! And in my old home town too

I think another reason arcade games have died is that the price to make a AAA console game can be in the hundreds of millions - there just isn't enough money in arcades for them to compete at that level.

[TheGroover]

mp3manager said:

Well then, get yourselves over to Arcade Club in Bury, Europe's largest retro videogame arcade. Entry is £10 and all machines are on free play.

https://youtu.be/drLP-cljnf4?t=2m33s

Edited by mp3manager on Friday 26th February 08:11

I've not been since it moved from Haslingden. I need to get over there...

[Guvernator]

There's a place called Heart of Gaming in North Action for those who are nearer London which looks like it's a similar setup. Not been myself but am very tempted to check it out. £10 to play as much as you want.