Whatever happened to 'Coin-Ops' ?

so there are still games that get me out to the arcade.

(x-post)

Wait, aren't all arcade games supposed to be 3-d holograms by now?

I can understand why companies like Sega saw it and probly thought: "balls to spending money developing that, another Sonic game anyone?" - *gaming world rejoices*

Woo!

Graphics on PC/Console games have reached a level where there is not much improvement that needs to be done. The obvious ways in which mainstream forms of games (e.g. racing/sports) can now be improved involve depth of play and artificial intelligence. These things do not give advantage to arcades.

For instance, I could happily play football games with graphics as good as Pro Evo's for the rest of my life. What I would want bettered is the way the computer controlled players on the opponents side and, especially, on my side play. It boggles my mind trying to think how this could be programmed, but it may be achievable at home through internet play perhaps.

Outside the home, I could imagine people with many friends, and the ability to arrange them into one place, taking part in arcade football games, but the cost of a decent tournament would be ridiculous compared to the price of hiring a 5-a-side pitch. Why would you bother?

But coin-ops nowadays are like playing PS2 games without a memory-card. Perhaps if something insanely physical and technologically exciting was developed, with a PIN system where status could be retrieved, then they might be interesting.

Jordan is otm. arcades has always been the place where they have things you can't play quite as well at home - back in the days when the consoles weren't fast enough to run good graphics it's been in the arcades because the hardware is too expensive to have at home.

now it's just the same, you can't just go out buying a massive steel dancing platform (although you actually CAN now) or a sword with motion sensor (although you actually CAN now kinda with eyetoy) and any of those things for the home, so it's prominent in the arcades, so the idea hasn't really changed, but the format is different now.

haha this was my university dissertation project!!

But coin-ops nowadays are like playing PS2 games without a memory-card. Perhaps if something insanely physical and technologically exciting was developed, with a PIN system where status could be retrieved, then they might be interesting.

there are games now (more prominent in japan/hongkong) that you can get your own memory card for - you actually plug in the card through which your game data is saved/loaded!)

I think that japanese racing game (the name of which i forget!) has it - you can put in two quid and it spews out a memory card that you keep.

And i remmeber in hong kong (this one is funny) there is this RACE HORSE RAISING GAME where the point of the game is to maintain your horse, and two or more people plug in their card to the machine and they RACE!!!