Valued more than the film and music industries combined, video games are a media force to be reckoned with. Now dominating the home console, PC, and mobile spaces, the origins of video gaming in the mainstream were much different. These first appeared in video game arcades, dedicated spaces lined with gaming systems in a social playing space. It might be difficult for modern gamers to imagine, but there’s a long history here, and despite a downturn, the spirit persists.
The Modern Environment
While arcades do exist in America today, they’re far from the once ubiquitous establishments they once were. This doesn’t mean their legacy has died, however, as arcade-style games as still enormously popular. Fast-paced action-heavy video games like Cuphead and Rocket League continue the easy-to-pick-up but challenging to master arcade ideology, and many originally arcade-developed series still maintain mainstream success.
The style of arcade games reached beyond just traditional video games, too, and we’re now seeing increased adoption in online casino arcade-style games. Titles like Mines and Balls Galore, Lightning Drop similarly adopt the streamlined nature of classic arcade games. Playable on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, these releases are far more accessible than traditional arcade titles, but the influence remains strong.
