Backhand of Justice

Arcades were once great gaming meccas. Kids from across the neighborhood would converge to spend many quarters and hours on their favorite hobby. Back then, videogames were a social hobby, as you would encounter countless kids with whom you had a common interest while waiting for the next game.

While the home console changed the face of gaming forever in primarily positive ways, one negative side effect was the death of the arcade and the emergence of the fat loner slob videogame stereotype. Can new 3D games reinvigorate the arcade scene?

Too expensive for home consumption?

Films have had an issue for the past decade or so that home entertainment systems are replacing them as an event. Since the spread of large-size HD screens, consumers have increasingly decided that they can get the cinematic experience at home, and don’t bother with the theater.

Avatar changed all that in the mind of film producers. While you can replicate the standard experience at home, you can’t have the same 3D experience. It’s clear from the box office results of Avatar that consumers are willing to pay for this experience.

The next hot accessory from Calvin Klein

Gamers have embraced the home experience for far longer than film lovers. Console gaming is the norm in terms of gaming experiences, and with internet connectivity it’s no longer the isolated experience it was in the previous decade.

Gone are the days of 4 player split screen co-0p on the couch. It has been replaced by MW2 matches and even some epic MAG 256 player fights. With friend lists, gamers can even play with people they know. That being said, it’s not quite the same experience as the arcade.

If console gaming online with a couple friends is the equivalent to hanging out at your house with a couple friends, then going to an arcade is like going to a convention. You don’t know everybody there, but you have something in common.

In the past, that hasn’t been enough to keep gamers going out to the arcades. 3D film is working for theaters, might 3D games do it for arcades?

Hot: Split screen Goldeneye. Not: Sausage fest

3D gaming

Metal Gear Arcade is getting new 3D goggles and head tracking equipment. While you can get head tracking at home, there is still going to be a several year gap before the 3D technology is widespread in homes. Is this going to provide enough of an opening for arcades to flourish again?

The answer in the US is unfortunately no. There isn’t even the infrastructure available anymore and one of the big advantages that games have over other forms of entertainment is their cost advantage. Even if you’re going to only play MW2 and you don’t have a console, you can buy an Xbox and MW2 for $250 and play for thousands of hours.

Playing at an arcade on the other hand requires costly time based playing due to the need to repay the initial equipment investment. It’s just not feasible.

Next year's pro gamers or next year's pro KILLERS?!! CNN Reports on this shocking trend at nine ...

In Japan, on the other hand, where arcades are far more widespread, there might be a resurgence in popularity. As long as it’s just adding a few additional games that offer a completely unique experience, that might lure some traditional console gamers out of their homes and into the public.

It will be interesting to see if the old social gaming scene reemerges or if the ability to meet new players not through the internet is a lost art.