Why Arcades Are Still Thriving In Japan - Cheddar Explains

Поделиться
HTML-код
  • Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024

Комментарии • 529

  • @ichifish
    @ichifish 3 года назад +598

    As a resident of Japan I see a lot missing or under-emphasized from this analysis:
    1. Japan had a huge pachinko culture and karaoke culture
    It's declining now but until quite recently pachinko was a ubiquitous working-class entertainment. Arcades and pachinko aren't the same thing, but having a common "adult" form of the arcade legitimized gaming arcades. The karaoke culture of singing publically (and poorly) with friends transferred to lots of goofy rhythm/team games as well, meaning that playing at arcades was always less about mastery and more about hanging out with friends.
    2. Housing in Japan is really, really, small
    Kids don't have a lot of space at home to hang out with their friends without their parents or siblings in the immediate vicinity. North American kids might feel like that's true for them, but take a typical American house, cut off 2/3 of it, then get rid of the yard and now you're getting close to a Japanese home. Even though consoles were and continue to be popular, few homes have the kind of space for them to be in their own room (like a basement) or even in a bedroom (having a TV in the bedroom is less common here and far more kids share rooms). It's not easy to spend hours leveling up your Street Fighter skills when 1) mom is annoyed by the noise and 2) sees you spending an ungodly amount of time doing it. Better to "go to Shintaro's to do homework."
    3. Japan is really, really urban
    Close to ninety percent of Japanese people live in a walkable-suburban or full on urban setting. It wasn't an "innovation" to locate the arcades in major urban areas: practically everywhere is a major urban area. That means kids could always walk or take public transportation and there were a lot of other attractions like karaoke or fast food in the same area. If you lived in the suburbs or countryside in the US getting to the arcade was a major hassle until you got your driver's license, and after you got your license you could go anywhere, so why go to the arcade?
    4. Restaurants and bars don't have games
    Back to the space issue, non-arcade venues simply don't have space for games. When I was growing up in the states you could just go to the local pizza place. They might not have the latest game, but they'd have something to satisfy your itch. While that made games more prevalent generally, it leached revenue from the arcades themselves. Without that revenue they couldn't innovate.
    5. Japanese arcades were expensive
    A 100 yen coin is about $1.00, compared to the 25 cents it cost when I was playing games in the states in the 70s and 80s. It might seem counter-intuitive, but that higher cost helped the arcades survive: more money meant better, cleaner facilities and a better gaming experience.

    • @PoochieCollins
      @PoochieCollins 3 года назад +20

      @Josh : interesting info, thanks for the write-up!

    • @kit2770
      @kit2770 3 года назад +10

      Makes sense to me.

    • @youngblisslife4308
      @youngblisslife4308 3 года назад +14

      When I was a kid, I remember a few restaurants having arcades...Red Robins MIGHT be one of the last ones (if they still have it). I also use to roller skating every Saturday in Detroit as a teenager and we had arcades but they were converted it into a lazer tag then eventually blocked it off as attendance in roller skating dropped. It’s sad...I don’t know what these kids do for fun outside of the house nowadays

    • @computronium8
      @computronium8 3 года назад +47

      This comment is much more informative than this bs video

    • @sokol7215
      @sokol7215 3 года назад +1

      @@youngblisslife4308smoking pot ?😂

  • @St3v3NWL
    @St3v3NWL 3 года назад +520

    I think these arcades can exist because the immense population density of Tokyo and other Japanese cities. Basically an Arcade hall in Tokyo is supported by 32 million potential customers and is also easily accesible by public transportation. An Arcade hall in lets say Chicago doesn't have 1/6 of Tokyo's potential customers making it harder to survive.

    • @henk-3098
      @henk-3098 3 года назад +31

      Japan has 3.6 arcades per 100,000 residents while the US has about 1.6 according to my own calculations.

    • @Professor_Utonium_
      @Professor_Utonium_ 3 года назад +3

      100% accurate

    • @David-xt5ob
      @David-xt5ob 3 года назад +52

      Also smaller living spaces / apartments in Tokyo encouraging people to go out to shared spaces vs bigger homes in America where you are more likely to stay in and build an awesome going room.

    • @sundhaug92
      @sundhaug92 3 года назад +2

      That also means property-value is higher too, so rent is higher

    • @TheCaptainSplatter
      @TheCaptainSplatter 3 года назад +10

      VR arcades I feel is what would be best. Too expensive to have the same immersion as home VR. Or space for that matter. I'm talking about full suits and a pod type vr.

  • @issuesexplained681
    @issuesexplained681 3 года назад +397

    Now I kinda wanna go to a Japanese arcade

    • @nanoplasm
      @nanoplasm 3 года назад +13

      By end of 2020, Arcade industry in Japan is imploding thanks to Corona. There might not be much left by end of 2021 if things don't turn around.

    • @AlexJ1
      @AlexJ1 3 года назад +15

      I went to Japan in early 2016 and can confirm the arcades are epic.

    • @julianacromey7151
      @julianacromey7151 3 года назад +8

      I just want to go to Japan, period.

    • @Professor_Utonium_
      @Professor_Utonium_ 3 года назад +7

      If you're in the USA, check out Round1, it's a Japanese chain of arcades that went overseas too

    • @Alex-it7ms
      @Alex-it7ms 3 года назад +2

      They're pretty insane

  • @xraymind
    @xraymind 3 года назад +231

    The pandemic is hitting Sega hard that they sold off controlling interest in their arcade business in Japan.

    • @kellineburton
      @kellineburton 3 года назад +19

      Yeah. It is sad to say that last year was my first and last time to be in sega akihabara. They're might be other ones but not as good as the hamster trails one

    • @nanoplasm
      @nanoplasm 3 года назад +16

      @@kellineburton The Sega Game Center will continue to operate under the Sega brand after they are sold by Sega. So if all things goes well, the Sega game centers will still be there the next time you come to Akiba.

    • @danielgstohl9993
      @danielgstohl9993 3 года назад +9

      @@kellineburton The one you're probably referring to (Sega 2) unfortunately already closed before the announcement of the sale. But there are still 4 more there, Sega 5 opened just last year. The sale doesn't mean the operations will cease completely, but I wouldn't be surprised if less profitable locations will be closed. Akiba will almost certainly still have Sega arcades for the foreseeable future.

    • @emmettturner9452
      @emmettturner9452 3 года назад +1

      Warehouse Kawasaki closed just before the pandemic (October 2019) so the idea that Japanese arcades are “thriving” is just wrong.

    • @ted90909
      @ted90909 3 года назад +1

      @@emmettturner9452 kawasaki warehouse was more of a fancy expensive indoor theme park with machines instead of rides tho, not surprised that one had to shut down

  • @DarkAngelRabbitX3
    @DarkAngelRabbitX3 3 года назад +79

    I love arcades! The problem is the ones that exist in my area are commonly filled with broken or outdated run down machines. It’s a bummer to see limited options already and half the arcade is broken. 💔

    • @ertfgghhhh
      @ertfgghhhh 3 года назад +14

      Bad business owners- that is what the problem was in the 80s.

    • @AzrialAlaria
      @AzrialAlaria 3 года назад +8

      My personal friend owns 2 arcade locations with games that WORK!

  • @AnonymousFreakYT
    @AnonymousFreakYT 3 года назад +55

    The claim that the NES killed arcades is massively premature. 1982 may have been the peak of arcade revenue, but while it did drop for a couple years, it went *UP* after the release of the NES, hitting its second peak in 1994, before starting a steady decline through about 2002 where it's been pretty steady since.
    As a kid in the '80s and early '90s, arcades were absolutely still a major force through the mid '90s.

    • @thewiirocks
      @thewiirocks 3 года назад +10

      Thank you! I was shocked that Cheddar decided to just ignore Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat, TMNT, Simpsons, NeoGeo MVS games, Sega scaler games like Hang-On, Outrun & Afterburner, San Francisco Rush, Killer Instinct, Virtual On, Cruisin' USA, and Hydrothunder, JUST TO NAME A FEW. Arcades friggin' thrived after the market crash and well into the 90s. They didn't go into active decline until home systems began meeting and eventually outpacing the technological development of the arcades in the tail end of the 90s.

    • @greyfox78569
      @greyfox78569 3 года назад +2

      @@thewiirocks Saturn, Dreamcast, and Neo Geo killed them in the US also in the US we have a problem with helicopter parents that helicopter over the wrong things.

    • @greyfox78569
      @greyfox78569 3 года назад

      @@trunkskunT I forgot the Original XBOX to that list. All of those used slightly modified arcade hardware. The Original XBOX was running a Sega arcade board.

    • @dr_ubo
      @dr_ubo 3 года назад +3

      Not really. Arcades peaked at 1991 more or less (SF2 + all the other genres hitting a last hurrah). Fighting games ruled supreme over everything else after that (shoot em ups declining and other genres struggling to hit peaks except maybe racing games), but consoles were 1 of 5 factors to really knock down the appeal of Arcades. More hardcore and enthusiasts went to arcades, less common people did. Consoles did affect that. When consoles and the internet finally upgraded to bring the missing social game environment arcades died. So... mid-2000s even the bigger guys and long-running arcade developers started to suffer greatly. Rhythm games kept arcades afloat for their massively wide appeal since then. Most people here commenting about arcades not dying are not taking the context of how big they were before THEIR time. Also, numbers can be deceiving as more people knew of arcades and could potentially flood the few places that had them, but fewer people overall had arcades as priority entertainment anymore. My favorite arcade games are all from 1988-98 by the way.

    • @jrt2792
      @jrt2792 3 года назад

      It's like they deliberately ignored home game consoles. 😒

  • @kodaloid
    @kodaloid 3 года назад +55

    If I lived in a shoebox, I'd wanna get out more too.

  • @サザランドアンドリュー
    @サザランドアンドリュー 3 года назад +55

    I've lived in Japan for nearly 8 years, and although I agree with most of the things mentioned here, I think there are some other important factors. Most arcades have a lot more than just games. As well as medal games and crane games, most medium to large arcades have purikura (print club) machines, which are essentialy photo booths that allow you to add filters, special effects and clipart to your photos. They're marketed almost exclusively to women, and most places don't allow men near them unless they're with a women. I know some women who hate games but love doing purikura. Having an extra source of income from a completely different market probably helps.
    Another major change is that pretty much all modern games are more connected to the internet. As well as having multiplayer, this allows games to get regular updates. This is great for music games, add they're always getting new songs, but it also means that every single arcade has identical versions. I used to love playing DDR in the early 2000s, and I loved going to arcades in London and finding the latest version imported from Japan, or an older version imported from America. There's now only one current version of DDR in Japan, so I no longer get to be surprised like that.

  • @SquallLeonhartlo
    @SquallLeonhartlo 3 года назад +38

    You should mention that Sega has, in the last week or so, said that it's selling its arcade business and exiting the market entirely. Articles on this story repeatedly mention the "long slow death" of Japanese gaming arcades, accelerated by COVID-19. Things aren't looking good.

    • @alpzepta
      @alpzepta 2 года назад

      China is nothing but ruining the world. Great just great! SEGA is dead who next? Capcom too?!

  • @nanoplasm
    @nanoplasm 3 года назад +20

    One unmentioned reason the game centers in Japan can sustain, or even thrive, is because many of the games are deep in progressional content. The progress are saved to your personal account on the Internet that's accessed with your IC card. So your game saves can be retrieved from any cabinet in any game centers.
    Recently, many new games also have a gacha/lootbox/gambling mechanism, that entice player to come back daily to roll for that rare drop with little or no actual game play (I am taking about you, FGO AC).

    • @Professor_Utonium_
      @Professor_Utonium_ 3 года назад +2

      Bro I haven't been able to use my Nesica or eAmusement cards in MONTHS 💀

  • @spiffykitty01
    @spiffykitty01 3 года назад +52

    my family went to japan a few years back and the arcades were amazing! so clean and the claw machines and stuff were actually winnable-- it was a totally different experience than arcades in america.

  • @AverytheCubanAmerican
    @AverytheCubanAmerican 3 года назад +145

    Why? Because it's Japan, that's why.
    2:39 Ah Japanese trains, where passengers are given a certificate if a train is delayed. They're several leagues ahead of American railways

    • @KRYMauL
      @KRYMauL 3 года назад +8

      The Japanese trains are the best in the world the European ones can't even compete. The US ones are tied with the UK

    • @jwb2734
      @jwb2734 3 года назад +5

      @@KRYMauL then the uk ones must be pretty bad considering the us is more invested in hyper loop

    • @thebigpicture2032
      @thebigpicture2032 3 года назад +18

      US was a world leader in trains until Rockefeller and GM bought them all in the 20’s and tore them down so they could sell more cars and gas.

    • @KRYMauL
      @KRYMauL 3 года назад +4

      @@thebigpicture2032 GM bought them and the train companies sold them in favor of freight. Then Japan came around in the 1960s and made bullet trains. The US then proceeded to invest in airports. After which the Amtrak was relegated to serving rural neighborhoods, and has yet to make a profit despite being able to fill the too long for driving and too short for flying niche, i.e. over 4 hours by car and under 2 hours by plane.

    • @KRYMauL
      @KRYMauL 3 года назад +1

      @@bobsemple7660 One of the main reason the California HRS is so hard to get off the ground is because the freight companies are highjacking them at every turn sighting environmental reason.

  • @xelefonte
    @xelefonte 3 года назад +106

    *Arcade is thriving in Japan.*
    *COVID enters the chat room.*

    • @SatoshiMatrix1
      @SatoshiMatrix1 3 года назад +10

      But COVID has had a very minimal impact on Japan, largely because Japanese people wear masks every winter even in normal times, if they are sick, or even if they are healthy in order to remain healthy. So a pandemic comes that requires people to wear masks and....oh look, they already do. And on top of it, there is no anti-mask movement in Japan whatsoever. This is why covid19 deaths in Japan are almost nonexistent compared to the west, especially the US.

    • @calvinnyala9580
      @calvinnyala9580 3 года назад +4

      @Cooler Rafael Suprayogi your nation education is good enough. The problem lies with your administration

    • @alfredolozano7486
      @alfredolozano7486 3 года назад

      @Omega Zero he's not wrong. After all China does come to the US to steal industry secrets and US tech. However, the government's willingless to give out loans to any 17/18 year old for any major is the biggest issue with the education system. For crying out loud, why is the tax payer paying for people's Liberal Arts degree? They won't really contribute as much to society as someone with a STEM degree. Yet a Liberal Arts degree costs about as much and the government will loan the money to kids looking to "pursue their dream", despite them being less likely to succeed than a STEM major.
      Even if the US ends up making education free I don't see why the tax payer should pay for useless degrees either. The return on investment will be minimal and we would be paying for people to just end up working in Mc Donalds anyway since they come out without a skill set that applies outside of academia.

    • @bimomuzakki9379
      @bimomuzakki9379 3 года назад

      @@SatoshiMatrix1 i'm about to say that either lol.

    • @Ripcraze
      @Ripcraze 3 года назад +2

      @@SatoshiMatrix1 Even in Japan people touch their masks, and remove and put them on all the time, and nobody protects their eyes so it'll spread anyway. Most of them are also not obese, a flu virus isn't that deadly to a healthy population, even the older ones. The best way to fight off a virus is to be healthy.

  • @SupremeLeaderKimJong-un
    @SupremeLeaderKimJong-un 3 года назад +79

    Pachinko. I remember when our group the Chongryon operated several pachinko casinos. They helped fund our nuclear programs

    • @BatCaveOz
      @BatCaveOz 3 года назад +2

      Swing and miss.

    • @vaiyaktikasolarbeam1906
      @vaiyaktikasolarbeam1906 3 года назад

      MR KIM!!! How is Corona in NK?

    • @mitchb4084
      @mitchb4084 3 года назад +2

      Actually the comment is not as strange as people in the west know. Most of the 100 billion dollar pachinko business is owned by 3 rd generation North Koreans who have special Japanese citizenship . That money is sent back to Orth Korea. All true

  • @TROXXOS
    @TROXXOS 3 года назад +6

    I'm Japanese.
    I want to point that some part of this video mixxed up "Game Center"(Arcade in Japanese) and "Pachinko"(Barely legal casino).
    Pachinko is a huge market and there several Pachinko-ya next to main stations and streets and making 190 billion dollars per year even though gambling is illegal in Japan.
    But real arcades are dying in Japan as well, and it's just 6 billion.
    Almost all of the footages of super shiny billboards in this video are Pachinko.

  • @JDMACCC
    @JDMACCC 3 года назад +53

    Girl, What on earth did you do to your eyebrows?

    • @baronvonjo1929
      @baronvonjo1929 3 года назад +8

      I wasn't paying attention. But your right. I have never seen eyebrows do that

    • @andrewdunbar828
      @andrewdunbar828 3 года назад

      墨汁

  • @qfox16789
    @qfox16789 3 года назад +28

    13,000 machines seems way too low. If each one was making $400 a week (you made it sound like this was at the upper end but whatever) that $20,800 per machine per year or $270,400,000 (270.4 million dollars) which is 44 times less than the amount you say the industry made in 1982. So either you got the revenue, number of machines or average takings wrong. I don’t think it would be that hard to believe there were over half a million arcade machines in America. DO THE MATHS CHEDDAR

  • @7GtwNYkHYs
    @7GtwNYkHYs 3 года назад +13

    Man, I grew up as a counter-culture 90s kid here in the US and I seriously miss those dark and seedy arcades. What I miss wasn't the games though, what I missed was hanging out with the fringes of society, people I could relate with.

    • @krunkle5136
      @krunkle5136 3 года назад +3

      The internet can't be put back in the box now...

    • @adewilson132
      @adewilson132 Год назад +1

      @@krunkle5136that has nothing to do with what he said.

    • @krunkle5136
      @krunkle5136 Год назад +2

      @@adewilson132 I think I was getting at how the internet is mostly why those arcades aren't coming back, especially in a cheap culture like America, where cutting costs is god.

  • @CosmicAbomination
    @CosmicAbomination 3 года назад +62

    Those sharpie eyebrows are on fleek

    • @Dustie1984
      @Dustie1984 3 года назад

      I'd die for these eyebrows

  • @kevinw729
    @kevinw729 3 года назад +7

    Great to see this - but I think you may have overlooked the market - the arcade sector of the 80's was replaced by the amusement trade of the 90's - your conclusion excludes the success of Chuck E. Cheese, Dave & Busters and Main Event to name three of the US mainstay amusement venues, and now the new generation of sites such as Barcade and Round1. Think you may have missed a lot of the reality of the market in the West! Maybe roll in industry specialists next time?

  • @nabii5951
    @nabii5951 3 года назад +67

    I think the pandemic has brought a rather abrupt end to the arcade.

    • @derrickclark5510
      @derrickclark5510 3 года назад +8

      And malls.

    • @sbojan83
      @sbojan83 3 года назад +15

      @@derrickclark5510 And movie theatres and gyms.
      A lot of places and businesses will unfortunately go under because of the draconian, ridiculous, and in most places, illegal laws set by governments.

    • @bui3415
      @bui3415 2 года назад

      @@sbojan83 I think they were going regardless. It was just barely holding on. There were and are a lot of issues plaguing businesses mainly from city and suburb layouts, car dependency, oil, money inflation etc.

    • @HieronymousLex
      @HieronymousLex 2 года назад

      @@bui3415 I guess that makes it okay then, let’s shut everything down, fuck it

    • @bui3415
      @bui3415 2 года назад +2

      ​@@HieronymousLex Not saying it's okay or not. I just think those that were unstable or financially on edge might have been pushed out by the shut down earlier than later. Particularly the industry and businesses that the OP was naming, arcades, theaters, gyms, it's pretty well known even before the pandemic that some of those were in decline. It may have been inevitable for them. It's not really that black and white and it doesn't mean we should close them or everything else out of spite but I don't think that ignoring the situation and acting like normal just to desperately save them is right either.

  • @vibri_
    @vibri_ Год назад +5

    A big problem i see with arcades in the west is this mindset that arcades should be centered around toddlers and little kids. Arcades here in Argentina have been slowly but surely replacing their older simple cabinet games like Shoot-em-ups or fighting games with stuff like mechanical kiddy rides, or touchscreen arcade ports of mobile games. And apparently some US mall arcades also have this problem. The only stuff that didn't get swapped out was classic racers such as Cruisin' USA, Sega Rally, or Daytona.
    Of course people of all ages can enjoy arcade games, but this over-focus on the absolute youngest audiences has only made arcades seem lame to teens as well as adults who grew up when arcades were still big. Arcades could really use more engaging games for older audiences, even if it means bringing back old machines or importing japanese machines.

    • @Abel-Alvarez
      @Abel-Alvarez Год назад +4

      ^ This is a huge problem that doesn't get brought up often. Japanese arcade machines still cater to everyone, but the western ones are either retro throwbacks or ticket redemption games it's embarrassing.

  • @voltz15
    @voltz15 3 года назад +6

    What really blows about our scene compared to jpn is how the cultural differences post Dreamcast really made it so people just didn't want to go out to play their games. Naomi ports were practically perfect, but also consume choice was a main factor in which titles we're allowed to shop for and pick up, where the arcade industry only continued to limit your choice based on factors around operators, distributors and overall local community.
    Pay to play or rather pay to continue also hit with an impact. Rounding the 00's I saw games were going $2 - $2.75 - $3 per play and instead of rewarding players with continued play time for doing so well, games were set in every variety of ways to ensure 5 minutes of entertainment before they're forced to either pay continued admission or "bugger off!"
    The majority of gamers who play from home chose to do so and shun arcades because it is a forced pay to play model and it's restrictive in contrast to what the home environment has to offer. If we had the same busy environment as japan, then things would have obviously been different.

  • @Naruedyoh
    @Naruedyoh 3 года назад +34

    Oh, the myth of coin shortage... It was really due to lack of access to raw material for coins

    • @Str0b0
      @Str0b0 3 года назад +2

      Yep: www.academia.edu/3672374/Insert_Coin_to_Play_Space_Invaders_and_the_100_Yen_Myth

  • @luisreyes1963
    @luisreyes1963 3 года назад +5

    How I envy the Japanese since they still have arcades.
    The closest experience to a Japanese arcade I had was a visit to the Galloping Ghost in Brookfield, IL.

  • @tangomango8474
    @tangomango8474 3 года назад +5

    If I want to go to an arcade in America you have to get in a car and ride there. In Japan you can just walk to an arcade. Popularion density and zoning laws play a big role in my opinion. In America everything is far away from residential areas because of zoning laws so you need a car to go get groceries and stuff.

  • @yoshikomizushima1361
    @yoshikomizushima1361 3 года назад +6

    Hi from Tokyo, Actually, So many arcades are out of business in Japan\(◎o◎)/!
    Because of this Pandemic, people buys PS5 and Switch plays at home.

    • @YoussefJKaram
      @YoussefJKaram 3 года назад

      What about Xbox? Or is that a mostly American thing.

    • @yoshikomizushima1361
      @yoshikomizushima1361 3 года назад +2

      @@YoussefJKaram Xbox is not popular in Japan.

    • @YoussefJKaram
      @YoussefJKaram 3 года назад +1

      @@yoshikomizushima1361 Makes sense.

    • @nampyeon635
      @nampyeon635 3 года назад +1

      This would've been a good video 15 years ago. And I still wouldn't have used the word "thriving" back then, as Japanese arcades had already started a long, slow decline.

  • @happygolucky5534
    @happygolucky5534 3 года назад +30

    It was literally called Game Center. Kids those days called it “gei-sen”. And of course, my mother was terrified of them, so, of course , I’ve gone there.

  • @gastheleft6535
    @gastheleft6535 Год назад +4

    The real problem is the weakening American economy and an ever degrading culture. In the U.S. arcades are seen as childish and nobody can justify spending money at an arcade when they can sit on their butt at home and play PS5. Despite the fact that all arcade titles these days are arcade exclusives and cannot be played at home..

    • @KenMasters.
      @KenMasters. Год назад +1

      As an American, my new favorite type of arcade cabinets are the ones jampacked full of emulated games.
      This one for example:
      ruclips.net/video/VAvelgeVfpk/видео.html

  • @fireaza
    @fireaza 3 года назад +11

    I'm sure this video has been in production for a long time, so it's rather unfortunate that it's being released right around when Sega are struggling and announcing that they're selling off their arcade division and closing some of their most famous arcades.

  • @czmistyatl
    @czmistyatl 3 года назад +3

    his eyebrows are hard to ignore...

  • @johnsexton3332
    @johnsexton3332 3 года назад +2

    In 1982 there were more than 13,000 arcades in the US: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_video_games#:~:text=Meanwhile%2C%20the%20number%20of%20arcades,10%2C000%20to%20just%20over%2025%2C000.
    The number of "arcade machines" was many, many multiples of that. Manufacturers like Atari produced more than 13,000 cabs of the most popular games like Asteroids (47,000), Centipede (46,000) and Tempest (25,000). And that's just the upright machines, not including cabaret models or cocktails. The number of Space Invaders and Ms. Pac Man machines (and many others) was likely much higher. The total number of machines produced in the golden age of arcades was almost certainly over half a million.

  • @StefanBacon
    @StefanBacon 3 года назад +6

    I love how Round1 is invading America. I can now play InitialD any day of the week in Wisconsin!

    • @HieronymousLex
      @HieronymousLex 2 года назад

      I wish they would add more classic games but it’s good for some Initial D for sure

  • @TheMajorStranger
    @TheMajorStranger 3 года назад +22

    "But in Japan, Arcade culture is thriving"
    *Show Slot machine and pachinko parlor*
    Bruh, gambling is not Arcade, it's a scourge of society.

    • @mdviperx
      @mdviperx 3 года назад

      Bbbbut, metal gear pachinko!!1!11!!!

  • @andyzhang7890
    @andyzhang7890 3 года назад +33

    This channel is like Vox's hip, more casual younger brother

    • @nickmyron172
      @nickmyron172 3 года назад +3

      I would say the exact opposite lol

    • @jwb2734
      @jwb2734 3 года назад +1

      @@nickmyron172 that's insulting

  • @nanoplasm
    @nanoplasm 3 года назад +4

    Pachinko and Pachinslot are not classified as arcade/game centers. They are thinly veiled casino operated by the mafia. One of the last remaining 'legitimate' business operated by the Yakuza, besides construction industry.

  • @opraiderman904
    @opraiderman904 3 года назад +6

    But Japanese arcades are in decline as well.

  • @andrewdunbar828
    @andrewdunbar828 3 года назад +2

    Poker machines / fruit machines 0:28 are not arcade machines and pachinko parlours 1:28 are not videogame arcades. It's not super hard to find actual arcades in Japan, but they are far from thriving.

  • @FGH9G
    @FGH9G 3 года назад +23

    So basically, dense, Transit Oriented Development, which Japan excels at, really helps.

  • @Rod-bp8ow
    @Rod-bp8ow 2 года назад +2

    Pandemic is there at Japan, yet flawlessly and seamlessly perfected gaming atmosphere at the arcade centers designed for viruses and making places PROOF. Kick that virus. :) follow instructions per building notices and signages as the game of instruction states. SMEs.......,.......respectively.

  • @PresidentFlip
    @PresidentFlip 3 года назад +11

    Well we do have Dave & Buster’s

    • @AlexCoburn
      @AlexCoburn 3 года назад

      Fax

    • @ertfgghhhh
      @ertfgghhhh 3 года назад +3

      But those types are businesses are closing down due to the pandemic

    • @DalerMehndisTurban
      @DalerMehndisTurban 3 года назад +2

      Not even close.

    • @PresidentFlip
      @PresidentFlip 3 года назад

      @@DalerMehndisTurban I’m not sure if these Japanese arcades are offering food and alcohol. If they are then they definitely win but getting to drink is pretty nice lol

  • @idrinkyourmilkshake1882
    @idrinkyourmilkshake1882 2 года назад +2

    So many different things contributed to the US downfall of arcades. I think the number one thing is culture. Every arcade in the US banned drinks and food in the arcade area. It's all about keeping people around for hours.

  • @lillyie
    @lillyie 3 года назад +2

    1.interesting games. japanese arcades are up to date while american ones still look like they are stuck in time
    2. accessibility. japan has top notch transportation meaning you can easily access lots of arcades. meanwhile in america, it's nearly impossible to get around without a car

  • @jatom6996
    @jatom6996 3 года назад +2

    You really don’t have to go to WWII to explain why arcades are popular in Japan and not America....
    Property value is a premium in Japan and most modern Japanese dwellings seem to be very small. So it makes sense that those that live in the city don’t spend much time at home. I mean it’s not like you’re in the western US, where you can have a big home with an impressive home entertainment system AND a pool. It seems like everyone is living on top of each other in Japan

  • @sadlegume
    @sadlegume 3 года назад +2

    Do American arcades have cute anime girls? There's your answer

  • @nanoplasm
    @nanoplasm 3 года назад +1

    This is some awful timing to release this video. Sega just exited from the Game Center operation business last week, and down scaled arcade game development by shifting to home gaming. Asobox chain is out of business. Adores closed one of their Akiba store. Two arcades in Shinjuku is closing this month. The full damage of Covid-19 on Game Centers in Japan is not over yet, as GameCen businesses are still reporting massive loss.

  • @XYZRobZombie
    @XYZRobZombie 3 года назад +10

    LOL! i love how this video comes out just days after Sega sold off its arcades in japan!

  • @noroamingfees
    @noroamingfees 3 года назад +24

    This mans eyebrows are ON POINT YO

    • @AD-jq7ow
      @AD-jq7ow 3 года назад +5

      Not sure itns on point...but defenetely noticeable

    • @iSevenSimmer
      @iSevenSimmer 3 года назад

      @@AD-jq7ow 💀💀💀💀💀

  • @asiablack1968
    @asiablack1968 3 года назад +2

    Simple answer, Because America kids are not disciplined and have a tendency to destroy things such as the games or the store and the arcade game rarely get upgraded, and America doesn’t have a gaming culture like japan.

  • @AudreyYun
    @AudreyYun 3 года назад +13

    and in korea it's just pc bangs everywhere which are basically pc arcades

    • @nampyeon635
      @nampyeon635 3 года назад

      Basically. They're internet cafes. Which don't really exist in the U.S.

  • @alluvialedaempfer962
    @alluvialedaempfer962 3 года назад +2

    The coin shortage is an urban legend. It was due to Japan not producing a lot of 100 Yen coins during that time.

  • @DavidStalvey
    @DavidStalvey 3 года назад +3

    The tax increase has also hurt the Japanese arcades since they can't really charge more money (usually 100 Yen) even though the taxes went from 7% to 10 % so the arcades have been just eating that 3% loss.

  • @user-pd4pw2ry9q
    @user-pd4pw2ry9q Год назад +1

    I am Japanese. I think the reason Japanese arcades have survived is because there are other gambling elements. Many Japanese arcade games since 2000 eject cards unlike other countries. And many strong cards are sparkling and cool. Strong cards are hard to come by Many children want more powerful cards in games, so they invest more money than in regular games. It is the same as gacha in social games.

  • @ninjanerdstudent6937
    @ninjanerdstudent6937 3 года назад +6

    There were multi-story arcades all over America over 20 years ago.
    They were called Disney Quest.

  • @UmVtCg
    @UmVtCg 3 года назад +3

    03:50 Holy shit, gaming on a washing machine. The dude even has cleaning gloves on.
    Emancipation really took hold in Japan.

  • @njdotson
    @njdotson 3 года назад +4

    (Just came here to say this) I think arcades are really popular in the US too, they mostly focus on ticket-based games but the round1 US section of the chain has the same games from japanese arcades and I go there often

  • @LostMySauce
    @LostMySauce 3 года назад +8

    Those eyebrows are just about to fly away

  • @thepenultimateninja5797
    @thepenultimateninja5797 2 месяца назад +1

    0:01 there were not only 13,000 arcade machines in the US. The upright version of the original Pac Man alone sold about 100,000 units.

  • @MrGulayLagulay
    @MrGulayLagulay 3 года назад +6

    That eye brow is eye catching

  • @keiming2277
    @keiming2277 3 года назад +2

    Their arcade game are closely linked to Japan animated series, like Gundam, LoveLive, Fate Order and initial D
    Anime that people love and play
    Imagine America come up with a arcade game series of Avengers

  • @KarimElhoussami
    @KarimElhoussami 3 года назад +2

    I wonder how many other markets declines due to America's historic hyperfixation on building every aspect of existence around private automobile usage and staunchly apposing public transportation that made markets inaccessible and thereby unprofitable.

  • @bluetarantulaproductions6179
    @bluetarantulaproductions6179 2 года назад +2

    Having arcade games at home is great and all, though it's not the same as actually being at an arcade and playing with someone next (or across) from you at the same arcade game.

  • @beartackle
    @beartackle 3 года назад +5

    Makes me think back to the good old days when I went to Diversions, Funzone, the Brickyard Mall, and other stores/places in Chicago to play arcades. Those were good times. I just wish people took pictures back then so I can feel like I was there waiting to play another game of Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, X-Men, and other awesome games. 😊

    • @RobertsBrainIsGone
      @RobertsBrainIsGone 3 года назад +1

      Those were my spots too! Fun Land at the Brickyard before all the gang stuff was my favorite place to play big screen SF2, but most of my top scores were set at Fun Zone during off-campus lunch. I used to (assistant) manage the Cyberstation at the HIP, I've got some old footage on my channel.

  • @TheMombieZombie
    @TheMombieZombie 3 года назад +2

    I stopped playing US arcade games because I didn't want to pay $1 per play. Makes you wonder if so many games in places like bowling alleys sit unplayed because of the prices. ??

  • @trappercap
    @trappercap Год назад +1

    Foot traffic thanks to smart urban planning and avoiding what sunk the American game industry.
    The reason for less arcades now is thanks to mobile gaming, the pandemic, and the bubble popping.

  • @Tofu3435
    @Tofu3435 3 года назад +1

    But just japan, search RUclips
    "Arcade Taipei" or "arcade Shanghai" or "arcade bangkok"
    Looks like every Asian city have big arcade culture.

  • @Peter_1986
    @Peter_1986 3 года назад +3

    I wish that we could have arcades at universities, that would've been awesome.
    I would definitely hang out there and play against people during my breaks.

  • @paytonturner1421
    @paytonturner1421 9 месяцев назад +1

    I still don't like to go and play in an arcade, but unless there's an arcade close to my house or near my area, I won't make the trip. Plus a way to go to an arcade will help people get out of their houses and be more proactive in the world instead of being not a people person.

  • @AirKangLocker
    @AirKangLocker 3 года назад +1

    This is a very shallow analysis of how japanes arcades were able to survive. Do a bit more research and you will easily realise most of the machines in j arcades are big riding experiences that cannot be emulated in homes or tight membership card rpg games that are catered to otakus.
    Also even up to 2019 they would hold local tournaments of fighting games

  • @theotherjared9824
    @theotherjared9824 3 года назад +1

    Because america is so much bigger than Japan, going to an arcade is a bigger time commitment to the average resident. Most have shifted to home consoles that are in their homes and are a better investment than spending money at an arcade. Since most arcade games are also on consoles anyway, the incentive other than the novelty of being at an arcade is almost nonexistant. Also, since arcades are run by independent companies, appearance and cleanliness is not always the first priority.
    Japan is much smaller with a more condensed population, making a trip to an arcade not as big of a deal. Many arcade games are made specifically for arcades, sometimes even just one location, giving an actual reason to keep coming back. Since the bigger arcades are owned by game companies, appearance is a top priority to make their own games look good.

  • @alpzepta
    @alpzepta 2 года назад +1

    Because these American like Call of Duty, Fortnite, and Minecraft better.
    How the fuck is Fortnite better than The Metal Slug?
    How the fuck is Call of Duty better than The House of the Dead?
    How the fuck is Minecraft is better than Cho Chabudai Gaeshi?

  • @IsmailEveryday
    @IsmailEveryday 3 года назад +2

    Shouldn't the title be more appropriate as 'Why Arcade games are ONLY thriving in Japan' ?

  • @Beeontree
    @Beeontree 3 года назад +36

    By the end of the video the word “Arcade” lost all meaning.

    • @treker2379
      @treker2379 3 года назад +2

      Semantic exhaustion.

  • @gaberivs
    @gaberivs 3 года назад +8

    Dear American Arcades,
    Buy Japanese

  • @clemkadiddlehopper7705
    @clemkadiddlehopper7705 3 года назад +1

    American homes are roomier and inviting to sit in for hours to play a console game. Japanese homes are little closets and they want to get out of them as much as possible, hence arcades over console games.

  • @pipebomber04
    @pipebomber04 3 года назад +1

    Americans and other western people are largely individualistic. Theyd rather gather things they need in their house rather than sharing with ang doing things in the community.

  • @Imbatmn57
    @Imbatmn57 3 года назад +1

    So basically the us complained about their problems but japan fixed their problems.

  • @AD-jq7ow
    @AD-jq7ow 3 года назад +2

    His voice is not good for naration....

  • @bradley8575
    @bradley8575 3 года назад +2

    Japan loves the 70s 80s 90s so much despite Japan being one of the most technologically advanced nations.

    • @krunkle5136
      @krunkle5136 3 года назад

      I think I know what you're meaning. I like how they still hand write notes and resumes. Not everything should be computerized. It loses a human touch, which is hard to bring up in our post-modern climate.

    • @angelusvastator1297
      @angelusvastator1297 3 года назад

      And the 00s as well.

  • @MastaGambit
    @MastaGambit 3 года назад +3

    Kinda late to make a video like this right after Sega had to axe their arcade division ._.

  • @philipdefibaugh5683
    @philipdefibaugh5683 3 года назад +2

    From the late 70's to 1985 my father worked at 2 Arcade palaces (Play Palaces) in 2 different malls. Our family got FREE games and spent hours playing the most popular games of the day like Pacman, Ms. Pacman, Frogger, Defender, Donkey Kong, Zaxxon, and Popeye.
    Because of this I have a soft spot for Arcades, and breaks my heart to see abandoned Arcades and destroyed Arcade Cabinets.
    I wish the Covid-19 Virus would go away!
    Thank you for uploading this.
    My favorite Arcade game is Ms. Pacman.

  • @cowhydrodynamics
    @cowhydrodynamics 3 года назад +2

    I went to Japan in 2019. The arcades where like something I’ve never seen

  • @djvader666
    @djvader666 3 года назад +1

    Ok what is up with those eyebrows bro? Seriously next level! lol

  • @ErnoSallinen
    @ErnoSallinen Год назад +1

    Only 13 000 arcade machines in USA at the height of the boom? That can't be right...

    • @ErnoSallinen
      @ErnoSallinen Год назад

      After a quick research:
      Yep, you're talking about arcades, not arcade machines. The real amount is something like 1.5 million.

  • @DougAlesUSA
    @DougAlesUSA 3 года назад +1

    5:44 In Japan they need to chain down hand sanitizer. 🤦‍♂️ So much for the utopian culture. 🤣🤣🤣

  • @matthewwynne939
    @matthewwynne939 3 года назад +1

    Maybe it's old people like me who remember when it only took a quarter to play a game, but so many now you look down and see a dollar reader.

  • @noiryork
    @noiryork 3 года назад +1

    Surely this video will talk about the big arcade closures in Japan because of COVID?
    Update: it did.

  • @codycast
    @codycast 3 года назад +5

    “Barcade”? Please don’t try to make that word anything. Just because a bar has video games does it mean if you need some stupid name for it.

    • @kaitlynrauch3454
      @kaitlynrauch3454 3 года назад +2

      That term has been around for years now.

    • @ezakustam
      @ezakustam 3 года назад +1

      It's a place where the bar and the video games are the main attraction. Regular US arcades didn't have a bar. It's literally the name of a franchise. It's already been "a thing" for years, and it could bring arcades back.

  • @TrowaBarton
    @TrowaBarton 3 года назад +1

    Fun side not with covid-19, they aren't.

  • @strippinheat
    @strippinheat 3 года назад +2

    They must be using several year old data because arcades are now rapidly dying in Japan. Even before corona, they were hurting, but this year has seen a lot of very large amusement centers close permanently.

  • @javonmorris-byam6153
    @javonmorris-byam6153 3 года назад +13

    I don’t care about what this video actually says for right now, I just want eyebrows this perfect.

  • @g00rb4u
    @g00rb4u 3 года назад +1

    "The Nintendo NES" oh, so "the Nintendo Nintendo Entertainment System"?

  • @DavyKapiji
    @DavyKapiji 3 года назад +9

    The only way to stay float is to keep adapting to new challenges

    • @itstomatogear6806
      @itstomatogear6806 3 года назад

      Congratulations 🎉👏 of being the top comment 👍😁 (as of now 😈)

  • @1ManMopol
    @1ManMopol 3 года назад +4

    Makes sense

    • @MatthewCobalt
      @MatthewCobalt 3 года назад

      Should be the first to make the pun or should I wait?

  • @AbrahamLincoln4
    @AbrahamLincoln4 3 года назад +5

    If you want to find noltagia, go to Japan.

  • @BassBanj0
    @BassBanj0 3 года назад +2

    Arcades are a big thing in the UK too, I absolutely love them

  • @MikeJ2023
    @MikeJ2023 3 года назад +1

    What about places like Dave and Buster‘s? Which are very much current in today’s culture.

  • @twelve11
    @twelve11 3 года назад +1

    Because JAPAN is the best place on Earth

  • @ced1106
    @ced1106 3 года назад +1

    Good to know. The arcade centers remind me of Disney's failed attempt for a similar game center / theme park experience.

  • @markstein9773
    @markstein9773 3 года назад +1

    That's because Japanese's Arcades are much fun, cute, and enjoyable.

    • @legendaryTMNICO
      @legendaryTMNICO 2 года назад

      I noticed that Japanese people are more old school like going to record stores to buy physical copies of albums and going to arcades.