Growing up in suburbia, there was honestly nothing like going to the arcade. It was a place to socialize, check out the latest gaming technology and also prove one’s skills as a gamer. Arcades were a haven for gamers from the 70’s, 80’s and ran strong all the way into the 90’s with legends such as Donkey Kong, Pac Man and Galaga. Even mythical games such as the urban legend Polybius were cause for arcades to be a part of pop culture. However, with console and PC games being superior to arcades; it does seem that their time in malls around the world might be a thing of the past. Now, there are two thoughts on the topics of arcade games, either they’re worth something, or they’re not. The website known as SaveTheArcades.com seems to think that arcades are worth saving since they have cultural significance. Save the Arcades is an initiative by Stride gum to preserve the way of the old arcades. The last “Save the Arcades” took place at “Arcade UFO” in Austin, Texas back in August of 2009, with Save the Arcades 2 planed for Feb 2010.

Arcades, in some respects, could be considered better that online gaming. While playing against someone else online, there tends to be a huge lack of respect for…pretty much anything. Getting into a game of Left for Dead 2 or Modern Warfare 2 seems to be met with racial slurs on a childish level. However, if those same foul mouthed gamers were seated right next to their opponent: there would be a huge change in attitude. It seems everyone is a little braver when they cannot see their opponent face to face, and they’re protected by walls, city blocks, state lines or even countries. Yelling racial obscenities in an arcade would most likely result in a person having the cops called on them, or even a fist fight. But heaven forbid those name calling losers actually have to back up their words in the real world. Arcades just seemed to be better in terms of social interaction. It was not that long ago when arcades were around and a person could find themselves shaking hands at the person who just bested them in a game of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (particularly if the winner performed a hyper combo finish). However, those days are gone, and now gaming has become slightly more isolated.

Conversely, it could be argued that social interaction has only to do with people on a friend list, and not random opponents in a death match of Halo 3. Gaming is competitive and there is technically more social interaction now since one can play against someone in another country. Arcades could be seen as small scale, while online gaming is global and more monumental. And who is to say that loud-mouths populate all of online gaming? A large population of the online gaming community could be considered as decent people, with only a few bad seeds giving everyone else a bad name. However, arcades, by this train of thought; could be considered obsolete and a way of the past. With better graphics and more people to talk with (millions and millions more, not just one’s own neighborhood) arcades just seem to be nothing more than a fading gimmick, or a place that no longer eats up quarters per game, but dollars instead. If one was to spend that much money, would it be smarter to simply buy a video game console instead?

What do you see? A sea of video game glory? Or a graveyard?

Whatever the opinions, it is plain to see that arcades are dying and are kept alive with their last breath in the form of Dave and Busters and in the back room of pizzerias. But isn’t that bit of nostalgia worth keeping alive in our world so that future generations will know of its significance and appeal? Or would it be best served as simply a memory that paved the road for better technology?