A Brief History of the American Arcade
Ah, the American arcade. Pretty much everyone has some connection to it. Whether you spent countless hours as a kid, pumping quarter after quarter into the Pac-Man machine, or you honed your skills as a regular pinball wizard at your local amusement hall, arcades have been a huge part of American culture for a long, long time. Today, arcades continue to evolve. Let’s take a look back at how the modern arcade came to be.
Amusement Halls
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!
The Arcade's "Golden Age"
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.
After that, it was off to the races. The 1970s would see video games toppling pinball popularity and changing classic amusement halls into what we know as arcades. By the 1980s, games like Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Berzerk and Donkey Kong were smashing records. Simple storefronts were used to accommodate so many machines and took advantage of America’s love for shopping malls and a booming economy. While personal consoles like Atari and NES would eventually weaken its grasp, the arcade became an enduring symbol of American youth.21st Century Arcades: More Than Video Games
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?
Visit Game Zone at Zone 28
If you’re looking for an arcade that brings the best of the past, present and future together, look no further than Game Zone at Zone 28. From time-honored classics like pinball and skeeball, to the stand-up video games you grew up with, to cutting edge virtual reality, there’s entertainment for gamers of every generation. Learn more about the Game Zone Arcade and stop in!
