Wii blamed for arcade closures in Japan

[Shrygue]

via Computer and Video Games


Namco Bandai Holdings has said it will close between 50 and 60, or roughly one-fifth of its arcades. "A lot of the types of games that people played at an arcade can now be done at home," said a spokesman.

Wii seems to be being blamed more than the likes of PS3 and 360, especially with titles such as Wii Fit. A Reuters report suggests that it's not just the fact that console games are so good these days, it's also down to the fact that people would rather save their money for new games.

Oil prices are also having the finger of blame point prodding them as Japanese families, looking to save on gasoline, cut back on trips to shopping malls where the family-oriented arcades are waiting to guzzle your loose change.

For us it's not about oil prices or how awesome out home set up is these days, it's purely down to the fact that a go on the new After Burner arcade game will set you back two quid!

That and the tramps that hang out near the Trocadero.

[JKKDARK]

Damn a lot of Sega arcades closed

[souLLy]

arcades have been on the decline for years, this is nothing new. people don't want to pay £2 for 3 minutes worth of gaming, when they can pick up a cheap game on amazon for a tenner and play for weeks. It's not like arcades offer anything drastically different anymore anyway.

[acn010]

lol pwned...
arcades are gonna go extinct same as internet cafe's

[wiggy fuzz]

i remember when SEGA park closed in wood green. it was especially sad, because a couple of years later SEGA left the console business.

the arcade was great, we used to take our dreamcast saves and play for a while - it never occured to us to just play at home, because frankly it was a ton more fun in an arcade, putting your name on the leaderboard and watching everyone's expression when you get the high score.

now, it's "upload to the internet" and stuff - you don't get as well known as you did in an arcade, on the internet it's like "meh".

[Shrygue]

What, you mean Wood Green in London you say? There was a Sega Park there? Astounding, I didn't know that. Shame that went.

By the way, I think there's still another one running at the Oriental City shopping centre in Colindale (north west London) but it's been 5 years since I went inside. Also, the centre itself is going to be demolished sometime and turned into a housing estate which totally sucks.

[king-killa]

I think it's hilarous that it's a "blame" they're getting. Arcades were always getting old, Nintendo deserves a "special mention" or something for allowing us to do "the same stuff" at home, not a blame...

[JKKDARK]

I think it's hilarous that it's a "blame" they're getting. Arcades were always getting old, Nintendo deserves a "special mention" or something for allowing us to do "the same stuff" at home, not a blame...

Since the sixth generation, all the consoles were starting to replace the arcades.

[wiggy fuzz]

well, i can always hold on to the airport arcades...

but that's slowly dying out because of handelds and because the newest arcade game i've seen in an airport (as of 2008) is house of the dead

seriously