Has the DDR Era ended?

[ChilliumBromide]

Video arcades are dying because of two things:

1. The internet

2. They're too expensive for the crowd they target.


It's important to note that there are two types of arcades: video and redemption. Video arcades have video games, and redemption arcades have redemption games. It's pretty simple.

There are tons of redemption arcades in my area - Bullwinkles Family Fun, Wunderland Electronic Castles, Chuck E. Cheeses - but only one video arcade with more than 10 machines. Redemption arcades target children with no income, meaning they target parents with large incomes. They are still flourishing. Video arcades target people between 13 and 30. Middle School students, High School students, College students, and a small clique of people who have an income as well as the time to actually play video games.

What has happened is the students have all found out that it's cheaper to buy a console and play games over the internet. Few arcades properly reward regulars; there's very little sense of membership. It's only natural that the legendary arcade scene of the 80's and 90's has died; it's simply not practical.
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I used to be active here lol

[Haoie]

Is this topic still going well?

I'll add that video arcades are further split into another 2 catagories.

Those with modern games, and usually a clean, family atmosphere. DDR counts as a modern game.

The other is the retro arcade haven, which usually is a bit darker, dingier. and features older games [usually pre 1995 or something].
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[ChilliumBromide]

Actually, I've found that DDR's a lot more popular with the 25-35 crowd at arcades (the type you find at retro arcades) than the younger crowds, because the gameplay is very similar in value to most older games. No story worth noting, high replay value, high skill curve, large focus on scores, impossible to "win".

Also, it's a whole different discussion, but retro is 3rd gen or older, not 5th gen or older. N64/PS isn't retro, just old. Same with SNES, GB, et cetera. Atari, C64, and Vic 20; that's retro.

DDR's a bridge game; it has a flashy style that attracts young people but an oldschool gameplay dynamic that attracts retro gamers.


Anyway, to kill the stereotypes, the Avalon, a 100-year-old theatre (built in 1906 IIRC) in Portland that was converted to an Arcade with the rise of video games in the early 80's, is dark, smelly, and full of gross little kids. It was a modern video arcade for about 20 years, then it became a retro arcade for about 2 years, and now it's a redemption hell. Ground Kontrol is an arcade situated in the heart of Portland that was one of the first to spring up on the West coast. It's lasted around 30 years; my dad remembers coming to Ground Kontrol to play Joust and Pinball when he was my age. It's been a classic arcade for as long as anyone can remember; it is bright, clean, and energetic; they maintain all the machines frequently, have a much friendlier manager (The manager of the Avalon makes you feel like he's going to shoot you any minute), and there aren't smelly little kids all over the place.
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I used to be active here lol