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canman wrote:This might sound strange but I feel a little intimidated when I go into a game center these days. No longer are there any simple games where you put inyour Y100 and start to play. Most of the games require cards or other devices. Now it could be because I'm getting old, but even my 18 year old doesn't go that often. And on a side note, it was very interesting to see when some of his friends came over to hang out, they didn't gravitate to the PS2 , but they all played and enjoyed the old Nintendo 64. I think games and consoles are becoming way to complicated and difficult. Only Nintendo Wii seems to be more simplified and easy for all kinds of users.
Kuang_Grade wrote:It also seems that hasn't been a 'hot' arcade game for a while...A few years back you could count on updates to fighters or a whole new version of DOA, Virtua Fighter or Tekken fairly regularly but that doesn't seem to be the case now. And while Sega still seems to have success with some light gun games like Ghost Squad and House of the dead 4, it seems like alot of focus in going into the collectable card games, which I have no doubt are extremely effective at sucking money out the very small portion of users who actually play them but are terribly intimidating towards non-hardcore gamers (and I'm not sure if I've ever seen a woman playing one of them although I've seen a few playing Derby's Owner Club but that game is an industry in its own right). While overall economic issues are always a factor in any industry, I suspect the fact more and more content that used to be arcade exclusive (such as old retro games and even raiser sim games like idolm@ster) can now be purchased/downloaded for the Wii/PS3/360, often at very attractive prices, is clearly a factor as well.
http://www.yukan-fuji.com/archives/2007/03/xbox_live.html
Previously, users would have had to wait for a new version upgrade to get new content/costumes/ect, while now they can just pay a little more at home and get those new features downloaded to their home console. 800 yen won't get you far in an arcade, but it will get you a virtual console Sega Master system game on your wii that might keep you busy for a while and you get to keep it when you are done. Likewise, one of the key arcade experiences, competing against other human opponents is no longer a unique arcade experience. Online console gaming, even for twitch games such as Virtua fighter, has progressed to such a state that it can be a fair approximation for the arcade experience of competing head to head as well as offering new game play options that aren't in arcades.
GuyJean wrote:They need to introduce 'game girls' to cheer you on.. Like 'booth babes' or 'maids'. Some would dress like game characters, others would be 'token chicks', spreading their tokens..
Hire cheap high schoolers and let them play for free.. Just tell them it's a 'club activity'.
GJ
Hey, I know what works!.. on me.dimwit wrote:But isn't that your solution to everything? Not that I have any problem with it.
ttjereth wrote:....The only reason I go into an arcade any more is to play the UFO catcher games...
Amusement arcades, once the preserve of the younger generation, are looking to pensioners to boost their flagging popularity. According to the Japan Amusement Industry Association, the spread of game consoles and Japan's aging population have hit arcades hard, with more than one in five arcades closing between 2004 and 2009.
The one ray of hope for the industry is its growing popularity among older people. An official of the Hello Taito Kameari amusement arcade in Tokyo's Katsushika Ward says it has seen a steady increase in senior customers over the past two years, with 80 to 90 percent of weekday customers now in the older age bracket.
On a weekday afternoon in mid-August, more than 10 old people were playing video games at the center. Chieko Kofuji, 76, sat on a tatami-matted bench at the amusement arcade and chatted to Matsu Noda, 86. They have become good friends since meeting at the arcade. "I would grow senile if I stayed at home all by myself," said Kofuji, whose husband died 10 years ago. "But I can forget everything while I am here playing games."
One of the most popular machines is a token drop game, played with game tokens rather than real coins. Customers feed in tokens into the machine and hope they will push other tokens from moving platforms into the payout box. An experienced player can enjoy the game for a few hours with 1,000 yen ($13).
Many of the customers stay for hours, drinking tea and eating boxed lunches between their game sessions. "The arcade is providing a forum for conversation," said Yasuaki Sakai, head of the arcade.
In fiscal 2009, there were 19,213 arcades in Japan with total revenues of 504.2 billion yen. Both figures represented a drop of more than 20 percent from fiscal 2004, but the industry is looking to capitalize on the interest from older people.
Adores Inc. has started offering free tea and cake at some of its outlets and lends reading glasses and blankets to customers. Bandai Namco Group, which operates about 200 arcades in Japan, gives free tokens to older people who bring fellow seniors to its outlets, and some arcades are offering massage chairs to relax old bodies.
Taito Corp. has put tatami matting on the benches in all its 20 outlets across the nation, and game machine maker Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. has started selling coin drop machines with on-screen explanations in large letters. Seiji Yasumura, a professor of public health at Fukushima Medical University, says these games have their merits. "For old people who tend to stay at home, game arcades provide an opportunity to meet others, which acts as a good stimulus and is good for health, too," he said.
Or one of these...Coligny wrote:I think they are fucking with us... or never stepped into a japanese arcade... The only noisier place might be an F1 racetrack during a grand prix...
But there were many social media posts comparing the assassin’s likeness to that of Hideo Kojima. And this then led to the spread of misinformation. Far-right French politician Damien Rieu retweeted images of Kojima, with the caption “The extreme left kills.”
Rieu then deleted the tweet, and eventually released a statement of apology:
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