What exactly is the meaning behind the word “arcade” in relation to what it means for games? Well, the term arcade doesn’t really refer to the game at all. The term “arcade” refers to the place that we go to actually play them. By definition, the word arcade means, “a passageway that is covered with arches.” How does this tie into the creation of the game arcade? Well, in this thoroughly researched article we’ll find out.
History of the Arcade
*before we get started arcades came to be known as “arcades” due to the series of adjoining arches that typically connected to one another in amusement parks. Where exactly the word came from though? That’s the million-dollar question.
An arcade can be referred to as either an amusement arcade or video arcade (obviously you can call it whatever you like but, these are the terms that will help you find information on the topic). As we know, the arcade is a place where people can go to play all types of games, ranging from video games all the way to merchandising games (such as the claw machines that you’ll find). In fact, you’ll often find that arcades (in some states) even allow for slot machines and other gambling devices to be played inside as well. The games in most arcades are housed in cabinets (which keep them safe and made them look pretty).
*fun fact: penny arcades were still coin-operated establishments just with smaller coinage
The Penny Arcade
The term “penny arcade” came about as a way to describe arcades with games that took coins as payment – these games, as we’ve come to know arcades, were usually put in place as a form of enjoyment for customers. Tons of different types of games could be found in penny arcades. For example, the games below could be found at a variety of different establishments and actually became fairly popular: Bagatelles, pinball machines, fortune-telling machines, slot machines(obviously) amberolas, peep show machines (in a non-creepy way), Mutoscopes, Love tester machines.
A bit more modern arcade
With the development of the CPU in the late 1970s video games go to become a bit more popular – which led to them being placed in the arcades that we’ve come to know and love today. One would be able to find a variety of different video games such as Space Invaders, Galaxian, Pac Man, and the well-loved Centipede.
The reason arcade games got to be so popular is because of the simple and fairly straightforward gameplay that one was allowed to enjoy. The simple and enjoyable gameplay featured is actually one of the main reasons that you, to this day, can find people still completely immersed in these games.
The Golden Age of arcade games
The peak of arcade game popularity came about in the 1980s. This was the time period when color games got to be a bit more popular as well as when games could actually be found in places other than in the bowling alleys and bars. (In a sense, this was when the arcading industry began to reach critical mass). Arcades began to pop up all over the country and, between the years 1982-89 the number of arcades in the U.S. had doubled to 13000 arcades spread throughout the region. This was the period when arcade games had begun to increase in innovation, popularity, and earnings – you would find more and more color arcade games around as well as a variety of different games being stationed in unusual places such as bowling alleys and bars.
*other popular notes:
- On 11/30/1982, the Mayor of Ottumwa, Iowa, Jerry Parker stated his city to be the Video Game Capital of the World (falling in line with the critical mass point). Once this was stated tons of innovations began to rear their heads. For instance, things like the Twin Galaxies Scoreboard and the U.S. National Video Game Team were formed.
- There was the first-ever video game parade on 1/8/1983
- The first-ever video game world championship on 1/8-1/9/1983
- The first-ever study of the brain of video game champion on 7/12/1983
- The first-ever billion point gaming performance on 1/16/1984
The Decline of the Arcade industry
While the arcade industry did enter a major slump in the year 1994, research suggests it was due to an adapting marketplace. The increased competition from other, more sophisticated and personalized gaming consoles took a huge toll on the bottom lines of arcades and for good reason. The next question one should ask themselves is, “Are arcades really dying? Or has the marketplace simply evolved?”
That’s beside the point though.
Researchers also state that arcades were declining in popularity because of the ever-increasing popularity of the port. Ports allowed game publishers to release incredibly similar versions of a game which basically cut into the value offered by physically going to an arcade.
The information in this article was sourced from Wikipedia
Resources:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arcade
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