Arcades aren’t what they used to be, especially in the West. They’re looked upon as places for retro nostalgia, not where you’ll find some of the most interesting games available. But that’s where Japan has an advantage as some of the arcades are being used to test cutting-edge virtual reality games.
,
,
Above: Japan’s arcade business, as measured by its manufacturer’s association. Image Credit: JAMMA
Arcades, or “game centers” as the Japanese call them, are alive and kicking in Japan as I noticed in my whirlwind visits to Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka last week. Many companies have exited the business as the market for arcades has sagged in the U.S. But in Japan, arcades still occupy a huge amount of real estate. Square Enix’s Taito has more than 138 arcades throughout Japan, and it’s just one of the companies in the business. Square Enix said that arcade sales were $360 million in the year ended March 2016, up 9.7 percent from a year earlier. One of the reasons? Foreign tourists like me.
Instead of being artifacts of the past, these arcades have turned into experimental labs where game companies can test their newest creations in ways that their American counterparts can’t. They’re located in prime real estate in places such as Akihabara, Tokyo’s electronics store district, where it would be ludicrous to operate businesses that consume a huge amount of electricity and don’t make money.
“Since entertainment options have increased significantly over the last two decades, especially driven by the Internet and mobile, many people in Japan predicted a quick death for arcades,” said Serkan Toto, game analyst at Kantan Games. “The market has been shrinking both in terms of revenue and the number of centers over the years. But overall, arcades are still a surprisingly resilient business.”
He said that game center operators have been creative, both in terms of locations and attractions. Many arcades are not standalone anymore but now integrated parts of larger entertainment or shopping complexes, especially in big cities like Tokyo. All told, there are 15,612 arcades, according to a report by the Japanese Amusement Machine and Manufacturers Association.
“Some locations host events or offer other ways to spend time and money, such as themed cafes or restaurants,” Toto said. “Content-wise, arcades have been trying to expand away from single males towards families, females, and also elderly people. The stereotypical arcades with old video game cabinets still exist, but new ones being opened are usually clean, look modern and try to create a more positive atmosphere. The most recent wave are VR experiences that can be enjoyed by a group of people – something that an increasing number of arcades here in Japan are using to lure customers.”
For sure, the arcade business is weaker than it used to be, particularly because PC and console games have become so popular in our homes. Street Fighter V debuted earlier this year, and it was the first major title in the series that did not get released in the arcades first.
But there’s plenty of other bizarre games in the arcades and new games in development. Fans are more than ready to drop 100 yen (about 87 cents) into all the machines. The games generally fall into categories such as fighting, romance, racing, biking, shooting, music, dancing, slot machines, mahjong, horse-racing, prizes, and photo booths.
At an amusement park called Joypolis in Tokyo, Sega has a free-roaming multiplayer virtual reality game called Zero Latency VR. In this game, players occupy a warehouse-like physical space. They wear VR headsets and hold guns with light sensors on them. They have to fend off zombies that attack the space from all directions. Sega’s PR folks say that the place is always packed full on weekends, even with sessions that cost $10 per visit.
,
,
And here’s a video of a super-fast arcade player. I hope to be as good one day.
,
Source: Venture Beat