Talk:Arcade game

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[edit] Proposal for structure change

It is proposed that a general article on Computer and video games be created to give an overview of the topic for the novice, and provide links to other, more specific articles for the passionate. This article is being drafted at Talk:Computer game/Computer and video games. It is proposed that the articles on Computer game, Video game, Adventure, Interactive fiction and Arcade game would remain, but focus on elements that are unique to those subcategories. Please edit, and discuss! Mark Richards 23:16, 25 Feb 2004 (UTC)

So, what's the largest arcade in the world? Anyknow know? --Chuck SMITH

Tough call... It would probably be in Dubai or one of the other wealthy spots in the Arab world. There may still be mega-arcades in Japan as well. Hmmm... maybe a bit of research...

There are a bunch of individual arcade game pages. Perhaps there should be a "list of arcadge games" page.

Taken care of. There is now a list of arcade games. — Frecklefoot | Talk 16:15, Aug 12, 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Arcarde name

Why are Arcade games called Arcade games, and game arcades called game arcades?

I could make a wild guess based on the original meaning of the word "arcade", but it would be nice to know how the term really came to be.

Yes, a list would be good. The name came about from carnivals/fairs, where all the games would be in a row resembling the covered arched passageway that is the original "arcade". This article hints at that, but is a little vague. Stan 06:35, 17 Dec 2003 (UTC)

I've just added a list of arcade games, at list of arcade games.

[edit] New WikiProject for Arcade Games

I started a new project for arcade games: Wikipedia:WikiProject Arcade Games. We've already developed an Infobox (you can see it in the Pac-Man article) and are working on a standard template. If you want to help out, come on over and added yourself to the participants. :-) Cheers! — Frecklefoot | Talk 16:15, Aug 12, 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Arcade as a game genre

I think this article should mention the fact that "arcade" is also a videogame genre. Like, for example, most Sega Genesis home console titles. You see, when home consoles wanted to be more like arcades a lot of arcade games became home console games.

And now I have this huge headache.

Arcade is not just an arcade machine, is a videogame genre, that's what I'm trying to say.

I know what you're talking about. Games that are labeled as "arcade-ish" usually have low learning curves, simple incentives, and the ability to entertain in a limited amount of time. For example, I remember playing a motorcycle racing sim computer game, and it had levels of difficulty, from "realistic" to "arcade". "Realistic" had a complex array of keys for controlling the rider's height, weight distribution, leaning, etc., while "arcade" had a greatly simplified scheme where the player just controlled the turning and speed. --Poiuyt Man (talk) 10:36, 1 May 2005 (UTC)


[edit] Quality

Something needs to be said about how... in terms of how "good" games were at the time, arcade games were famously better for a long time... you know, back when the best console you could buy was '8-bit' NES, etc.. arcade games looked as good as, if not better than, the later 16-bit SNES and Genesis games and so on. The whole thing about 'porting' games from arcade to console and how something was always lost since the consoles were somehow 'worse' (like couldn't handle voice clips). This aspect has always stuck in my mind partially because it's so confusing (how do you make an arcade game of a quality you can't make consoles of?) --216.49.220.19

If you think it needs to be said (and I think its relavent), go ahead and add it. This is a wiki.
To answer your question, arcade games were generally much better than their console (and/or home computer) ports because they used a great number of specialized chips and other specialized hardware. Many of their parts were manufactured just for that game. Video game consoles, on the other hand, used chips that were for rendering and playing a wide variety of games. They didn't have the specialized hardware the arcade games did. And many couldn't include a great deal of memory in order to keep the costs down (for example, voice clips require a lot of memory). Arcade games could afford the large amounts of memory (well, for an arcade game, voice clips and sound effects were usually contained in custom ROM chips, but the idea is similar) and specialized circuits because they were just trying to deliver one game, not a variety of them, and the total cost was transparent to the custumer, who only plunked down one (or two, three, four) quarters or tokens.
Also, when new arcade games were developed, they could use the "latest and greatest" hardware, because they were, more often than not, starting from scratch for the new game. Even if they weren't starting from the ground up, incorporating new hardware into an old system is do-able for arcade games. But once consoles (or home computers) were delivered, they were pretty much stuck with the state of the hardware when they came out. Home computers have limited upgradability, but consoles have none. So they did there best to emulate the look and feel of the arcade game with their system's limited power. Does that help? — Frecklefoot | Talk 18:20, August 31, 2005 (UTC)
But this "latest and greatest" element of the arcades disappeared largely in the late 90's, which was obviously a big element of their downfall (they lost one big competative advantage). The primary reason is because the extremely high game turnover in Japan (where they would swap out games after like only a few months instead of a year like in us arcades) forced game makers to adopt standardized "arcade consolees" like the CPS2 to save money.

[edit] Skill tester

What about those machines where you direct a claw to try and pick up prizes, what are they called (Otto is seen using one in The Simpsons episode Team Homer (where Homer creates a bowling team).

They are called "merchandisers"

[edit] Arcade Manuals?

I have been editing the Splatterhouse article and noticed someone changed a line to denote mention of an "arcade manual" and I am wondering if such a thing ever existed. Logically and personally, I have never seen one nor even considered the existence of one since arcade cabinets usually simply stated in the game how to play them and covered the story, etc. TheMonkofDestiny 20:44, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Most arcade games came with a manual that was intended for the owner/operator of the game. They're technical in nature and explain the settings for dip switches and told how to care for the game, replace broken parts, etc. That's most likely what he was referring to. — Frecklefoot | Talk 21:30, 20 December 2005 (UTC)
If you go to the Killer List of Videogames, they have links to several manuals for popular arcade games. — Frecklefoot | Talk 21:31, 20 December 2005 (UTC)
Ah. I now consider myself better informed. TheMonkofDestiny 12:39, 19 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Worldwide view

This articles seems to talk primarily on arcade games in the US, but not on arcade games around the world. For example, the article states that arcade games died out around the lated 1980's, which is only relevant in the US and not in places such as Japan where arcades are still very popular.--TBCTaLk?!? 09:38, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

That's covered in video arcade. But you're right, this article could be updated to include that information as well. — Frecklefoot | Talk 15:29, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] spam link?

the BMI site cited here is primarily a sales site for arcade games; can we find a better source for "top 100 arcade games" listing than this one? SpikeJones 00:04, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

Removed as spam, WP:SPAM. — Frecklefoot | Talk 15:54, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Improving language

The article currently says:

"One form of interactive technology, virtual reality, has failed to truly become popular in arcade games, but this is due to technical limitations preventing games from being able to achieve convincing virtual reality in the first place."

Size and cost of the technology are just as big, if not bigger, reasons; it's also not clear that the technology is not "popular;" perhaps "has failed to see widespread adoption" would be a better term that does not assert popularity or a lack of it. --Edwin Herdman 22:24, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Removed link to 39-in-1 Arcade

There are a huge number of arcade emulation devices, 39-in-1 isn't particularly notable. Tobias Lobster 23:45, 11 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] What happened/push coins

What happened to this article? I came here trying to find out what you call that game where you put in coins and these lever arms (eventually) push them out. It looks like there used to be a nice, well-organized complete article here, and it's been messed up. The March 25 version looks better than what's in here now. I don't want to touch it because it looks like someone has a plan... does someone? stephan.com 21:14, 25 March 2007 (UTC) Oh, yeah, the coin game appears to be called Flip-It and as of this writing lacks a Wikipedia entry. More info [1]

[edit] Emulation Misconceptions

The article previously included this sentence: Users can abuse the freely distributed ROMs, provided under the pretext users download them to replicate games they own on a more convenient medium through MAME or others, and download games they do not own, thus violating copyright.

This is both misleading and potentially inaccurate. ROMs are not distributed by the MAME team to the general public, and just as importantly the pretext that ROMs are available on the pretext that you must own the actual systems is (and always has been) bunk and would not stand up in court. I have also noticed that erroneous justifications on this pretext (or some variation of the apparently made-up "24 hours rule") are less common nowadays. If you have a real arcade machine, you may dump the ROMs yourself. As a result, I've edited the Emulation section slightly. --Edwin Herdman 05:41, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Ideally the section should be externally referenced; Console emulator#Legal issues isn't referenced either. Marasmusine 06:42, 9 May 2007 (UTC)


[edit] Bar/Restaurant Environment Being "New" Debate

Very simply put, Dave and Buster's did not invent the concept. Ground Round was doing that in the 70's and 80's, and The Tomfooleries chain was also doing that in the early 80's, as were several others. --Marty Goldberg 21:09, 20 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Gatti's Pizza

From their web site-http://www.gattispizza.com/about

Then in the late 1980s — seeing a natural connection between pizza that both kids and parents would enjoy and the need for wholesome family entertainment — Mr. Gatti's began integrating game rooms with top-quality, "All You Care-To-Eat" buffets. This new combination of big-screen TVs, video games and delicious pizza brought in the whole family to "Eat Up The Fun."

Notice it says "Late 1980's"? Now can I remove the incorrect reference in the article? ok thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.247.215.55 (talk) 11:58, 21 September 2007 (UTC)

Not incorrect. As stated the sentence says, "70's and 80's". I wrote the original sentence, and changed it to 70's and 80's rather than "70's and early 80's" in the next edit. Quit trying to change it back. And drop the sarcasm, it'll get people to take your arguments more seriously stop considering having the page protected from further edits and having your account reported. --Marty Goldberg 15:38, 21 September 2007 (UTC)

There needs to be a distinction between the arcade/restaurants of the late 70s and early 80s that were original, and the restaurants that ADDED arcades in the late 80s early 90s (Gatti's Pizza) 24.247.215.55 12:26, 21 September 2007 (UTC)

For what reason other than to push you war on Gatti's vs. Dave and Busters? It serves no content purpose, and no importance to industry history. Specifically, the history of locations with restaurants and arcades becoming popular during that time period. --Marty Goldberg 15:38, 21 September 2007 (UTC)

Don't worry, Gatti's pizza is still mentioned later in the article. I know you seem to have a fondness for them. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.247.215.55 (talk) 12:46, 21 September 2007 (UTC)

Not any more than your fondness for Dave and Busters. The irony, is I didn't even add Gatti's to the entry in the first place. And that distinction is not your concern, or you would have changed it to not include Ground Round as well by those guidelines. You're just trying to turn this in to a contest to force your content, and that kind of conduct has no place on Wikipedia. Plenty of other contributors managed to follow the guidelines and contribute meaningful content. --Marty Goldberg 15:38, 21 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] to wgungfu

This line is a segue into the next paragraph-

" but the advent of the World Wide Web on the Internet coupled with the increasing power of home video game consoles caused a fragmentation of the entertainment industry. Arcades would never be the same again."

The reference to the WWW needs to be where it is in the article. It is common knowledge that the internet played a big role in the fragmentation of the industry. If you want to rewrite it, fine, but don't eliminate it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.247.215.55 (talk) 12:06, 21 September 2007 (UTC)

Once again, common knowledge is not a reference. The page you added is not a reference. You need to cite specific works. Likewise, repetition is not a segue, its repetition. Its bad form to repeat information already there. You're obviously new to here, and have yet to figure out how Wikipedia works. --Marty Goldberg 15:25, 21 September 2007 (UTC)
Anon user, the policy page WP:Verifiability may help you. Marasmusine 15:29, 21 September 2007 (UTC)
Honestly, he's been pointed to WP:OR which includes links to that and other relative policy guidelines. If he was that interested in doing anything other than what he's been doing and how he's been conducting himself, he'd have followed it long ago. --Marty Goldberg 15:42, 21 September 2007 (UTC)
In order to compromise, I just added material on the rise of Internet/Network based gaming (which he was confusing for the WWW, which is something that runs *on* the Internet and is not the Internet itself). Likewise added a segue via the first paragraph of the next sentence to avoid repeptition of material. --Marty Goldberg 16:04, 21 September 2007 (UTC)

Here is the point I have been having a hard time expressing. People quit going to arcades in large numbers in the latter half of the 1990s because they had many more media options available to them. Yes I know the WWW is not the Internet, that was an unfortunate typo. All aspects of the Internet affected arcade traffic and mall shopping in general. Shopping, gaming, chatting, looking at porn, etc. kept people at home. Home game consoles got more powerful, casinos proliferated, kids participated in sports (soccer) in larger numbers are all factors. When I can find the correct way to source this I will. I'm in the arcade business. I own, operate, and repair games for a living, and have been doing it for 20 years. I know whats going on. I talk to other operators, manufacturers, and distributors. My paragraph above " but the advent of the World Wide Web on the Internet coupled with the increasing power of home video game consoles caused a fragmentation of the entertainment industry. Arcades would never be the same again." was meant to express the fact that not just Internet gaming, but the Internet as a whole affected the industry. I added it in a place I though it belonged in the timeline.

Another thing. There in an inconsistancy in the article with respect to restaurant/arcades that I have been trying to fix but Wgunfu keeps undoing. Gatti's pizza didn't become a "fun center" until the late 1980s. Chuck E. Cheese started out as a "fun center", Gatti's started out as a pizza place.

"During the late 70's and 80's, chains such as Chuck E Cheese, Ground Round, Dave and Busters, and Gatti's Pizza combined the traditional restaurant and/or bar environment with arcades. [2]"

"To remain viable, arcades added other elements to compliment the video games such as redemption games, merchandisers, and food service. Referred to as "fun centers" or "family fun centers" [5], some of the longstanding chains such as Chuck E. Cheese and Gatti's Pizza ("GattiTowns")[6] also changed to this format. "

I'm not sure the correct way to rewrite this. The second paragraph would be correct if you removed Chuck E. Cheese since it already contained the elements of a "fun center". The first paragraph would be correct if you changed it to "late 70s and early 80s" and removed Gatti's pizza.

Somehow the article should be changed to make the point that in order to survive, arcades added the elements that Chuck E. Cheese was already using.

Just my two-cents. I guess I don't have the editing talents that some Wikipedia articles demand. 24.247.215.55 19:54, 21 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 1st coin-op game?

Didn't Heron of Alexandria created the first interactive coin-op game? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.191.180.171 (talk) 04:03, 26 April 2008 (UTC)

If you consider paying for holy water a game. He could be considered the creator of the first vending machine though.Asher196 (talk) 04:05, 26 April 2008 (UTC)