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mh12:

i found this article linked in a thread about another topic
http://insomnia.ac/commentary/arcade_culture/

so that got me thinking a bit more about coins/tokens/credit buttons/free play/etc on home machines. i haven't seen much discussion of this topic here before (people just seem to choose one way in their plans or stick with what their used cab is capable of, and that's that)

the article writer is pretty extreme in his view, but he makes some good points. the way he lays out his Japan scenario is pretty funny.. but i lived there a while and it is basically true. of course that style of play definitely isn't for everyone.

i use quarters with my cab, and the coin box is going to stay locked until it's full (wonder how much that'll be). whenever i run low on quarters, i change $20 at a bank. so it's costing me money (albeit only temporarily) to play, and some of the challenge on unlimited-continue games is preserved.

i'm still not much good at most games. i'm working on 1 crediting Aero Fighters!

CheffoJeffo:

Interesting read that I hadn't seen before -- thanks for the link.

While the author talks about Western arcades, consoles and their demise, he almost certainly didn't witness it first hand.

I do like his premise of the "no continue" rule (which is perhaps the clue that reveals that he wasn't there during the Western arcade boom since there were no continues back in the Golden Age).

Virtually every piece I have ever seen on the Western arcade phenomenon cites the arrival of games like Moon Patrol (e.g. games that allowed the player to continue) as the harbinger of death for the Western arcade. Ops were happy to suck in those extra quarters which, as the author points out, resulted in less additional play time (hence more profit), but did that damage the overall arcade experience ?

Interesting question and nice to see it addressed from a point of view that is completely different than mine.

FWIW, I am all quarters or free play (if the game supports it), but that is really just due to the fact that I got a REALLY good deal on a big box of quarter mechs some years ago. If I had gotten a similar deal on .990 mechs, I would be Santoro's best friend.

EDIT: And I pretty much suck at most arcade games, particularly the ones that I like the best. unless I am playing something like Metal Slug with one of the kids, I never continue (now that I think about it, other than my MAME rigs, the MVS and Rygar, I don't think I actually own a machine that has a continue option).

DashRendar:

I've been debating on making a self imposed pay-to-play rule when I'm on my cab.

Having free-play just cheapens the experience (literally).  Part of the fun is earning your progress, and not dumping endless credits into a game that was never meant to be played like that.

You get better with the challenge.  Knowing that you have to pay-to-play forces you to play with more skill.

I still remember being a kid at the arcade.  One of the nearby arcades just got in this new game called Space Ace.  It was sweet!  But when I got there, everyone was all excited because there was this guy playing, who might be able to beat it on 50 cents.

I gladly gave up on the idea of playing to watch someone who earned the right to be using that game.  It was great to see a "master" at work!

mh12:


--- Quote from: CheffoJeffo on April 19, 2010, 04:03:32 pm ---While the author talks about Western arcades, consoles and their demise, he almost certainly didn't witness it first hand.

I do like his premise of the "no continue" rule (which is perhaps the clue that reveals that he wasn't there during the Western arcade boom since there were no continues back in the Golden Age).

--- End quote ---

right. he must be - like me - around late 20s. he pretty much ignores the Golden Age and goes from about Golden Axe onwards :)

CheffoJeffo:

If you get a chance, Icons ep 208 is worth watching talking about the western arcade phenomenon.

ArcArc used to have it, but I see that it has been removed. Maybe there is a copy somewhere in the bowels of g4tv.com

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