Arcade Classics and Millenials

[Richardgregory]

Recently a group of very young millenials dropped by for a visit, and my arcade machine probably to them looked like a piece of furniture to them instead of a game machine.  Give them an Ipad, Smartphone or an Xbox/PS3/4 game console controller and they'll feel right at home

Anyhow, long story short - they loved the arcade classics!!!!  I was very happy to see the fact that they were content with the game and gameplay.  No need for fancy graphics, big sound, etc.....

I hope the new generation continues to respect the arcade classics and cabinets.  It feels sad to think that one day, that in some time down the road, the arcade era of the 80's will be gone for good - let's hope that never happens. 

I wished the 80's arcade era was still active to this day - makes me sad (in a good way) to think back at the times when I was a kid and lining up to get into arcades and putting down our quarters in these machines.  Or being in awe at Dragons Lair when it came out, etc.  It was such a unique and exciting time as far as I can remember.  Fast fwd today we have latest and greatest game consoles, etc, but it doesn't capture the moments as it did in the 80's.

 

[smass]

The new "arcade" is twitch.tv 

Millenial gamers hang out on twitch.  Top streamers regularly have 10,000+ live viewers.  I am a computer gamer for the most part and the rise of twitch has allowed for the formation of gaming communities much like arcades back in the day.  Watching entertaining streamers play games while talking to other players on live chat reminds me of the arcade experience.  At the arcade there was always that "guru" guy who was great a certain games and would attract a crowd to watch him play.  Same idea as twitch.tv = you can watch skilled players play and get some strats and tips and be entertained along the way.

I watch more twitch.tv now than regular TV

summit1g ftw kappa

[Haloman800]

I'm a millennial (21) who built his first arcade at 16 and is finishing my 2nd I love the classic games. It's also a nice way to spend time with my parents.

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[paigeoliver]

Most of the members of my local console collecting group seem to be in their 20s. They all specialize in Nes, which was 2-4 generations older than what should be their nostalgia choice.

I also repair arcade monitors locally. About 80 percent of the repairs I do are on Sanyo and Sharp Nintendo type monitors, almost always console collectors in their late 20s branching out into that first arcade game, and it HAS to be Nintendo. Millennial Nes obsession is basically what drove Nintendo Vs, Playchoice and Red Tent arcade hardware from trash to treasure. 

[pbj]

I get that twitch streams are the new couch co-op, and I do enjoy tweaking the occasional rando via chat on my PS4, but I'm still bewildered that kids can sit and watch someone else play a game for hours....

Anyhow, long story short - they loved the arcade classics!!!! 

Fun games remain fun.  Water is wet.

[monkeybomb]

The new "arcade" is twitch.tv

And Tofu is the new steak....

Let's take a Saturday in 1986.  I was 10.  My real life friends and I would ride our bikes 2 city blocks to the mall.  We saw the real world on the way to the arcade and interacted with each other as part of the fun.  We then wander around the arcade and saw guys playing games, but always with the intention of being happy when they got the heck off the game so we could play.  If someone super good was hogging a game, then we just moved on.  We sort of hung out there for an hour or two, watching each other and playing against each other.  Then we got food and rode home.  THEN, you aren't going to believe this, we played outside with the same people we went to that arcade with.

If Twitch.tv floats your boat, go for it.  But I don't see a strong comparison to the arcade experience.

FWIW I like Tofu.  I've just never confused it for something else.

[Titchgamer]

Hopefully with nuts like us doing what we do it will never die!

When I have kids to game with I will be giving them a proper game education!