Redpill me on arcades/game centers in Japan. Why do people still go to them in 2020...

>isolationist culture
>"stop treating them like zoo animals"
fuck off retard

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There are a shitload of games there that can't be played anywhere else, yes.

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Half of the floors are just crane games.
One whole floor will be Gundam VS games
Another will be a mix of fighting games.
Another will be kancolle
1-2 variety floors with rhythm games (Maimai is fuck as fuck, if you've never played it) and shooters.
Not really many beat'em'ups or shmups or sidescrollers.

>Why do people still go to them in 2020?
cause its fun. even the people who dont really play video games like to play the ufo catchers on the bottom floors

>Are there games there that can't be played at home?
yes

>Do people interact with others, like watching them play or playing with/against them
friends do. Some people just randomly spectate.

>or just do their own things while playing games alone?
playing alone is more common.

also if your game is popular , make sure you look behind you to make sure theres no queue.

are proper arcades really that good bros? i've lived in rural england my whole life, so the only ones nearby i visited were basically just shitty tourist casinos with a couple of cabinets. the proper american and japanese ones always seemed magical to me as a kid

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basing off my experience when i was there in january, most game centers are absolutely awful, theyre just full of gambling simulation games, crane games, gacha and the occasional actual arcade game. Very few of these game centers will have a section for fighting games which ill admit is kinda nice, but the selection is limited to whatever came out most recently. I will say, definitely go out of your way to see Mikado Game Center in Takadanobaba. The lower floor is full of actual arcade games, and the 2nd floor has a massive variety of fighting games, set up for 1v1 and tournaments. They even had a Power Stone arcade setup with dreamcast controllers attached which was a nice touch.

Okay blue pill me famarino

I went in 2018 and they were pretty packed. A lot of people playing Tekken too. And a bunch more playing some weird Fate game that requires a card to play.

Games like Tekken release on arcade before console, so if you want to play them without waiting a year, you go to the arcade.

It's the same reason console exclusives still exist.

web.archive.org/web/20080611072013/https://www.insomnia.ac/commentary/arcade_culture/

People like you are they are "isolationist" in the first place. Show no respect to people or cultures that aren't like your own. Rather gawk or speak about them as if their some tribe in Africa.

Its crazy man, ive been to one. Some of the games have passwords, saves, and take home memory card kinda things.

I remember when I heard of Half Life 2 arcade for Japan and thought it was Valve being stupid again until I saw one of these arcades in person.

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They do it because piracy is a serious crime in Japan. They'll put you in pound me in the ass prison for it.

Two reasons:
1. Unique hardware/peripherals used by the cabinets that can't be replicated at home. Gunslinger Stratos is probably the best example, but light gun shooters, sit-in AR booths, and rhythm games are others.
2. Japanese arcades (and some western ones now) use an account system. You have a card attached to you with your credits and data related to the games you've played. Basically you can save progress and things you've picked up in games.

(Meaning the actual arcade, I didnt see this, dont think it came out)

Japs haven't been conditioned into renting everything. This is a good thing.

Meanwhile all our shit is stored in one basket, and it always has a social media account attached to it. If you fuck up and say the word nigger or faggot, you will lose your game collection.

Fucking stupid japs though amirite?

This is funny because rental stores for games and DVDs are still common in Japan, even though I know you were referring to digital games.

I'm not sure about Half Life, but I definitely saw the Left 4 Dead arcade game in Akihabara.

Just play shit you like and enjoy vidya, that’s what I tell everyone

I think it's based that Japs are still hugely into physical media. Makes me wish America was like that, digital shit is soulless.

the crane games are pretty fun, won a Morgana plush toy from one a couple of years ago

>reading this thread
>suddenly remember that when I was in Japan I found out the hard way that credit is next to useless and I spent 2 days eating cup noodles and only going to free shit before realizing I had to basically transfer credit to my debit and pay a huge fee for it, to be able to take money out
>all this, because my girlfriend has some weird complex about paying off loans and credit as fast as possible, and forced me to pay off my credit before we left, ironically resulting in me ending up with way more debt on it by the time we got home

It's fun with friends and it's a good pretext to go outside to have fun from time to time. It's kind of like how you could listen to music at home and sing along, or go to a karaoke with friends.

All of those questions can be answered the same way: Yes you socially retarded moron. Are you simple?

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Playing fighting games is really fun there. Even some of the more obscure games there get a lot of play like Last Blade 2.

Fucking this. I miss the feel and smell of things. So much internet and digital 'goods' for the past 5 years are taking a toll on my mind.

Is there a way to find a specific arcade game in Japan without having to physically visit every game center?

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>love arcades like nothing else
>have asthma and weak lungs
>every single arcade is an absolute den of smoke and tobacco

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Call them on the phone?

I know Taito Game Stations have an online database where you can even check which location has which UFO catcher prize you might be looking for

Theyre popular in Japan because not all of the are shut in neets and theyre forced to go outside.

get fucked wimp

all the arcades ive visited have the smoking sections at the very top. Unless thats where you want to be.
Japan indoor smoking is the worst. Luckily they are changing it.