3 ms·

I spent more money on arcade/video games in 1981 than any year before or since. Definitely was the golden age. The following year I stopped playing video games

I spent more money on arcade/video games in 1981 than any year before or since. Definitely was the golden age. The following year I stopped playing video games with the statement "I'll start playing again when they become interesting again". I am still waiting.

mod 9y ago
It's not them, it's you. (Me too, but only recently)
- toast0 9y ago
  A large number of games released in 1981 defined new genres, which I don't think is very true now. It feels like there were a lot more arcade releases going on in that time too (but perhaps I'm just not seeing new things very often, I don't visit many dedicated arcades). The latest trend I've seen is popular smartphone games in the arcade with enormous screens and ticket spitters; these are pretty fun (the angry birds one with a cannon is definitely worth putting in a few credits), but not terribly exciting.
  - freeflight 9y ago
    New genres constantly get "created", MOBA, MMORPG or to the name the most recent one being on the verge of becoming its own thing: Battlegrounds Sure one could argue these are just different game modes of established genres, but where to draw that line, how to define a "genre"? Imhho it's the same as with music, there are no clear-cut lines, concepts just bleed into each other, adopt each other, creating entirely new concepts in the process. Our modern gaming landscape is amazingly diverse, people who think games had been more "original back then" are usually remembering things through the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia.
    - toast0 9y ago
      MOBA and MMORPG never showed up in arcades, afaik. I had latched onto the arcade part of the thread, but I now see it had included video games in general. In which case, I agree, there's a lot of interesting content to be found (some years, you have to dig deep).
      - freeflight 9y ago
        They are mostly games played with mouse+kb, so an arcade cabinet ain't the first choice for genres like that. Tho I wouldn't be too surprised to see an arcade like this in the Asian region. Online Multiplayer (not massive but with quite a few players) also made it's way to the arcade, complete with your own profile on a storage device so you can take it along to different arcade venues. At shows like PAX there's usually a special section/event just for arcades, which has also become a rather experimental sector showing off arcade games like Killer Queen. It's a really diverse space, the issue being that only very little of it bubbles up to the "mainstream".
taude 9y ago
I played mostly through 1983 with Mario Bros.....then Nintendo came out and gave Mario Bros as good of a home experience, but without the arcade. I think Mario Bros was the last of the arcade style games I was really into. Though I remember a skateboard game called 720 Air that was pretty good....oh, and pinball.
chrisdbaldwin 9y ago
Well let me tell ya, in some towns arcades are back in full force as bars. My girlfriend and I have spent thousands at my local barcade (Up Down Minneapolis) on games and drinks over the past year. While we are some of their most regular customers, it's the arcade exclusive games that keep us coming back. ...Particularly Killer Queen.

mod 9y ago

It's not them, it's you. (Me too, but only recently)

toast0 9y ago
A large number of games released in 1981 defined new genres, which I don't think is very true now. It feels like there were a lot more arcade releases going on in that time too (but perhaps I'm just not seeing new things very often, I don't visit many dedicated arcades). The latest trend I've seen is popular smartphone games in the arcade with enormous screens and ticket spitters; these are pretty fun (the angry birds one with a cannon is definitely worth putting in a few credits), but not terribly exciting.
- freeflight 9y ago
  New genres constantly get "created", MOBA, MMORPG or to the name the most recent one being on the verge of becoming its own thing: Battlegrounds Sure one could argue these are just different game modes of established genres, but where to draw that line, how to define a "genre"? Imhho it's the same as with music, there are no clear-cut lines, concepts just bleed into each other, adopt each other, creating entirely new concepts in the process. Our modern gaming landscape is amazingly diverse, people who think games had been more "original back then" are usually remembering things through the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia.
  - toast0 9y ago
    MOBA and MMORPG never showed up in arcades, afaik. I had latched onto the arcade part of the thread, but I now see it had included video games in general. In which case, I agree, there's a lot of interesting content to be found (some years, you have to dig deep).
    - freeflight 9y ago
      They are mostly games played with mouse+kb, so an arcade cabinet ain't the first choice for genres like that. Tho I wouldn't be too surprised to see an arcade like this in the Asian region. Online Multiplayer (not massive but with quite a few players) also made it's way to the arcade, complete with your own profile on a storage device so you can take it along to different arcade venues. At shows like PAX there's usually a special section/event just for arcades, which has also become a rather experimental sector showing off arcade games like Killer Queen. It's a really diverse space, the issue being that only very little of it bubbles up to the "mainstream".

taude 9y ago

I played mostly through 1983 with Mario Bros.....then Nintendo came out and gave Mario Bros as good of a home experience, but without the arcade. I think Mario Bros was the last of the arcade style games I was really into. Though I remember a skateboard game called 720 Air that was pretty good....oh, and pinball.

chrisdbaldwin 9y ago

Well let me tell ya, in some towns arcades are back in full force as bars. My girlfriend and I have spent thousands at my local barcade (Up Down Minneapolis) on games and drinks over the past year. While we are some of their most regular customers, it's the arcade exclusive games that keep us coming back. ...Particularly Killer Queen.