A Brief History of the American Arcade

Before arcades, the amusement hall was the place to be. These began popping up as early as the 1930s and were comprised of simple, coin-operated games of skill or chance. Many were made up of various slot machines like you’d find in a modern day casino. However, legal implications saw a sharp decline in slots and the meteoric rise of another game—the crown jewel of any amusement hall –  the pinball machine.

Pinball mania swept America’s youth throughout the 30’s and 40’s, but authorities had some concerns. Many states had strict anti-gambling laws, and they argued that pinball machines violated these decrees. The original pinball machines were considered a game of chance, not skill. Some would even pay out real cash. Some municipalities were so worried about pinball that they banned them. The most famous case is New York City Mayor Laguardia personally smashing a pinball machine with a hammer in 1942. This led to a pinball ban that would remain until 1972!

As computers and other new technology became more prevalent, entertainment entrepreneurs were quick to cash in. In the 1960s, a basic computer game called Spacewar! was developed at MIT  that quickly caught on with college crowds. This inspired Nolan Bushnell and his associate, Ted Dabney, to create their own version for mass appeal.

The arcades many of us grew up with were little more than dark rooms with a bunch of upright games. Other than the odd vending machine or a soda fountain, there wasn’t much in terms of food, and certainly no other forms of entertainment. However, as arcades needed to compete with console games, they needed to attract more visitors with more options.

Many companies wanted to give adults that nostalgic feeling of revisiting the arcades they grew up with, but with a few added perks. Instead of arcades, you could now visit bars with arcade games in them. This idea grew over time and soon entertainment complexes became the norm. The one-stop destinations provided numerous forms of entertainment along with food and drink to accomodate a wider array of visitors. Sound familiar?