About Arcade Games

Arcade games once offered cutting edge gaming and a social experience to accompany them. Over the years, the industry went from pushing the limit of gaming to being passed by home video game consoles. Even some pinball and skeeball games have transitioned into digital formats and offer video versions. While the popularity of arcades started to wane in the 1990s, the games continue to offer experiences and control schemes that cannot be duplicated.

Video Arcade Game History

Arcade video games found their origins in the late 1940s when very early simplistic video games were being created. The first game was a missile defense game based on World War II gauges. Game development continued through the 1950s and 1960s with computers getting more complex, allowing for more complex games. In 1966, the concept for the first home video game console was starting to be developed, which predated arcade machines. The first coin-operated arcade machine hit the market in late 1971.

Video Arcade Games in the 1970s

The 1970s saw the start of the arcade video game popularity. Initial arcade games were expensive and largely unsuccessful. This changed when PONG launched in 1972, by Atari. PONG had players using knobs to play a simplistic game of ping pong. PONG was an immediate success. Soon more developers came into the picture, such as Williams, Nintendo, Sega, Capcom and Namco. As the era progressed, new arcade types were introduced which used buttons, joysticks, racing wheels and light guns.

Video Arcade Games in the 1980s, The Golden Age

In 1980, Pac-Man was released. This changed the industry, as most arcade games up until that point were space shooting games. Pac-Man showed that arcade games could offer more than previously thought. Pac-Man was such a hit that some arcade owners found that they needed to empty money out of the machines every hour as it couldn't hold any more. Arcade machines continued to evolve throughout the '80s, but home consoles started to make their mark on the arcade market when the Nintendo Entertainment System was released in 1985.

Video Arcade Games in the 1990s and Their Decline

The 1990s saw better graphics, new game types, and even more adult oriented games. Fighting games such as Street Fight II and the bloody Mortal Kombat were two popular arcade games of the '90s. However, the rise of the 16-bit home consoles (the Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis and Turbo Grafx-16) were cutting into arcade sales and putting an end the the local arcade hangouts.

Pinball Machines

Pinball machines were invented in 1931. Pinball involves manipulating balls under glass to earn a high score. Due to the lack of controls or flippers, they were deemed games of chance and outlawed as a form of gambling in the 1940s. The outlaw was quickly lifted and in 1950, flippers were added as a means of player control. Pinball machines took off in popularity in the 1970s when electronic pinball machines were introduced. These offered automatic scoring, electronic sounds and overall better reliability. Pinball machines continued their popularity into the 1990s when arcades began their decline. Today pinball machines have found a new market with an estimated 35 to 60 percent of annual sales now going to individual consumers.

Skeeball

While skeeball is thought of as an arcade game today, at the time of its creation in 1909 it was considered an amusement park game. Skeeball involves a long ramp with a jump at the end. The jump leads to holes that the player is trying to hit. Each hole is worth a different amount. Skeeball lanes were originally 36 feet long, restricting them to only very strong players. Like pinball machines, skeeball was initially viewed as a form of gambling and outlawed. To combat this perception, skeeball lanes were shortened and subsequently allowed to make their way into arcades. The game is still popular and appears in carnivals, amusement parks and arcades.

References

• BMI Gaming: The History Of Video Games - Video Arcade Computer Games Milestones
• Games Lunatic: A Short History of Arcade Games
• The History of Computing Project: Chronology of the History of Video Games
• Skool Days: Arcade Games in the 90s
• BMI Gaming: The History of Pinball Machines and Pintables
• Sportsvite: Skeeball Rules, History, Tips & Equipment