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Originally Posted by ArcadeOperator
Yeah, console games are definitely a contributing factor, probably even the main cause, but I grew up in the arcade community and honestly they have always been poorly run in the US, it's just that back then we had no alternative to arcade quality games. Having arcade quality games on consoles these days didn't kill off the Japanese arcade market but killed off the market here because arcade operators didn't give a rats ass about maintenance and keeping up with the latest games.
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The reason consoles haven't killed off arcades in Japan (even if they have wounded them severely) is because kids and teens need places to socialize and hang out, and arcades can fill that need.
The most socially orientated games are toward the front. These are UFO catchers, puri-kura, group racing/shooting games, etc. What we consider traditional stand-ups or more "individual play" games are going to be more in the middle and back of an arcade. This is wear the gender divide is the greatest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ArcadeOperator
The reason why I want to appeal to girls is because back in the early 90's there were virtually no girl gamers, but now there are plenty. There is a new market that didn't exist 20 years ago. I know how to get guys in the arcade, but I am clueless to how to (if it's possible) get girls in the arcade, thus why I am posting here. If open windows aren't the way, I need to know that  Plus if I can get a decent amount of girls in the arcade, I will get at least 4-5x more guys who will come regularly, thus making the arcade more successful. Arcade aren't really about practicality, it's about a community I am trying to provide. And no, online gaming does not provide that kind of community. |
Now there are girls that play video games, sure, but not in arcades. I don't know if it is possible to lure the girls into an arcade to play games. However, if you had something more than just games, you could be on to something.
Girls aren't going to come and play retro games for the sake of playing, but if there were a social element (food, puri-kura, etc.) your chances are higher.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ArcadeOperator
I mostly get my facts about Japanese arcades from internet articles, things I hear from friends who have been to Japan, and internet forums. Yes, not a great source of knowledge, but that's all I have to work with for now, and thus why I am posting here. Trying to get more facts and data. I am open to the corrections of my previous knowledge.
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First, I would read that book I suggested, and it may seem like to an American that Japanese arcades are thriving, but as someone who has been visiting Japanese arcades since the 1980s, I can tell you the heyday (mid-90s) is well over.