I need information about ARCADES

[Tortimer]

(if this doesn't belong here, apologies!)

I'm doing a senior project for school, and it involves researching the history of arcades. However, what I'm going to really be talking about are the social aspects--stuff like:

*Communities formed
*Friendships made
*General camaraderie
*Arcades as an escape
*The social experience

Basically, what kept people going beyond the attraction of the videogames, considering the rising popularity of home consoles through the 80s ad 90s.

If any of you guys were around in the 70s, 80s, or 90s, and can describe what it was like to walk into an arcade, or what it meant to be a regular, or can share basically anything about the social experience of arcades, it would be much appreciated.

(I know there are documentaries, but I'm trying to get as many personal accounts as possible)

 

[Mino]

Heh. You picked a hard topic. The phenomenon is too recently dead to have much scholarly research already in place, and too old to be remembered by people in this age group.

 

[Kyle]

Pretty much what Mino said. This user base grew up the last decade or still is, and arcades are near-extinct. The only ones I've actually seen in my state were in Mackinaw City, and I'd bet there are a few in Detroit... but they aren't commonplace anymore.

 

[Bacon Boy]

There's an arcade in the mall. There used to be an old one that was oddly a part of a doctor's office. I held the high score for like two months on Pac-Man. It was this really cool feeling to have all of these kids standing around me, watching me play and cheering me on. Then those risky enough to attempt to beat me were quickly put to shame haha. The only one that could ever beat my score was my mother, because apparently, she was a pro at pacman. I didn't know this until she beat my score (which I later beat). It made me look forward to a doctor's visit. It was kind of a cool thing to always go in and have everyone remember you as that kid that holds the pacman high score. Haha that was ages ago, though.

 

[BellGreen]

There's an arcade in the mall. There used to be an old one that was oddly a part of a doctor's office. I held the high score for like two months on Pac-Man. It was this really cool feeling to have all of these kids standing around me, watching me play and cheering me on. Then those risky enough to attempt to beat me were quickly put to shame haha. The only one that could ever beat my score was my mother, because apparently, she was a pro at pacman. I didn't know this until she beat my score (which I later beat). It made me look forward to a doctor's visit. It was kind of a cool thing to always go in and have everyone remember you as that kid that holds the pacman high score. Haha that was ages ago, though.

I would love to be a wellknown arcade champion. A supermarket mall near me has Mrs.Pacman, though

 

[Trent the Paladin]

Maybe shoot some emails off to Barcades? Bars plus arcades, those seem to be pretty popular.