Gaming has come a long way since the ’90s. Starting off with Wolfenstein, DOOM, Contra, and Mario – we have explored a lot of different worlds across a variety of genres. It’s important to remember how it all started back in the day – gaming together on the Atari with a friend, or simply hogging it out for a couple of hours on a machine at the local arcade. Arcades were a feeling back when consoles weren’t that widespread, mostly being a part of well-off households. Of course, we now have online slot machines to partially fill in the void for arcades, but they can’t really replace the nostalgia associated with the arcade machines of the past. (Nevertheless, if you want to check out one such arcade, Jackpot 6000 would definitely be worth your troubles. It has everything a jackpot player can ever hope of getting – and you get a free deposit for signing up!)
Arcades are really fun for the entire family. Most arcades generally come with slot machines for games that reward tickets (or if you visited one more recently, they come with cards that are credited with points for each game played). There are several games that reward handsomely, including the famous teddy bear crane machine, which rewards a teddy bear if played correctly. Almost all slot machines reward tickets for playing well, with later iterations rewarding tickets even if you fail to win. These tickets (or points) can be exchanged for a variety of prizes to take home with you. The adrenaline rush to get more points is the big thing that kept people going to arcades.
One can never be too nostalgic they say – not even when they suggest that arcades kickstarted a gaming culture in the ’90s that has continued till today. You have several branches of gaming that has emerged in a more diverse, inclusive hobby like never before. There are several platforms that are dedicated to engaging players on a large basis, with the mobile being the leader in terms of user engagement. You have several companies engaged in fantasy games like fantasy cricket, fantasy football, and even fantasy esports on a grand scale. With the Internet being more affordable and accessible than ever before, more and more people are being drawn in by this beautiful hobby.
Despite gaming being one of the industries that have seen the most growth during the lockdown, the pandemic hasn’t been very kind to the arcades. Sega is now closing off one of their biggest arcades in Japan permanently – officially marking the end of one generation (and a lot of nostalgia with that). A slew of companies along with a number of smaller brands across the world are still operating – the question really is, is this really going to last for long after COVID-19 is no longer a thing? Would people be interested to spend money for the dopamine (as well as the hours of pure fun)? Only time can tell.