It’s not too late to get in on the Patreon update for July! This month we have two full episodes of the demo for your enjoyment. Pledge $5 or more to get access, and if you pledge $25+ total over the course of development, you’ll get the finished game in the end! …okay, enough shilling. Today, I’d like to open a discussion:
What would an arcade game be like in 2017, if the industry hadn’t collapsed in the 90s?
Oh, arcade games still exist, yes. Very modern, very flashy, with HD screens and so on. But these are invariably shooting, racing, or ticket spewing gambling boxes. What would a classic joystick based arcade game look like if it was produced in 2017…?
Honestly? I’m not sure.
In the world of Arcade Spirits the industry kept ticking right along without a ton of changes from the 80s, 90s, and onwards. But the Funplex, your home away from home in this game, is largely packed with 80s/90s fare as it’s an old-fashioned place tucked away in a forgotten corner. That “solves” the problem for me, as I only need a few modern games on display, but I am curious and looking for ways to say… where would gaming go?
I think the best place to look would probably be Japan, which still has a thriving scene, but even then you’re looking at evolved games like card games, music games, and sports games. Very few joysticks. 100 Yen, one of the documentaries I mentioned in an earlier post, covers all these things nicely… but still doesn’t feel like it fits the gap between the 90s and 10s.
So, let’s chat about it. What do you imagine when you think of an arcade scene that never really died out or experienced drastic overhaul? What would you want from an arcade, in an ideal world? What dreams do you have? Let’s talk. Leave comments below! Thanks.