We all know about Metal Gear Arcade, which was announced at E3 last week and several sites have suddenly picked up the news again with a Famitsu article describing the game in little detail, giving us similar details that I already posted about days ago. But as I have read through some the different blogs or news sites, one thing again is clear, that a lot of these writers just don’t do their research on arcade titles and they have all overlooked something quite important about MGA which they are posting about. One thing they are all missing is that Metal Gear Arcade will be released world-wide (which also means the US, where a lot of these sites are based), which they seem to latch onto with console releases but in the case of this arcade title, it seems that too many cannot simply believe that there are still thousands of locations out there where you can find arcade games. As yet another reminder, here are two sites you can use to find an arcade location near you. Arcade Finder and Arcade Fly
Now not every game blog is at fault here as many of them have noticed that we have had several games come along lately, with some coverage in the past year on Guitar Hero Arcade, Rambo, Sega Rally 3, H2Overdrive and Justice League. But there are many more games coming to arcades than that, which we are happy to cover when we get information on them. But yet the idiotic myth that “arcades are dead” continues to prevail across many sites – which is nothing new as we have covered it before but I would love to see it end as it is a lie and sites who constantly spread this falsehood need to realize that such writing hurts all facets of the existing arcade businesses, big and small who are out there every day trying to make a living and those are not just located in Japan. I own an arcade and thousands of people who read this blog own or work for an arcade business, a route, FEC, distribution company, software/hardware maker and we are not dead. We are not going away. We provide a facet of entertainment where video games were born and there is still plenty of value to be had in locations across various countries in the world. So if you regularly read a game blog and they make a post that derides arcades due to their own laziness or bias, spread the word, don’t back down and let’s make sure that the message is loud and clear – arcades are alive and we are only going to get better.
So help us out instead of trying to tear us down! Support your local arcades!
Well said Shaggy.
Unfortunately… for most people, “perception = reality”.
So you really need to get into their face & point out that the sky ISN’T purple, and the sun DOESN’T rise in the north.
I agree with the “get in their face” approach regarding amusement – I try and get features in the consumer magazines and web sites, but they are now becoming ultra-defensive as they do not like to go against their publishers who demand that “Arcades are Dead… don’t report about it unless it is linked to a consumer game who buys advertising!”
The news about Metal Gear was a big problem for the consumer mags – publishers wanted not to report it, and just ran “oh its just a Japanese story, nothing to see here”. Now they have heard about the plans for worldwide release and they are all trying to ignore this, saying its just hype.
Its news of Street Fighter IV’s popularity in international arcades, the success of Guitar Hero, the new Metal Gear game and general new amusement releases like H20verdrive starts thats starts to place pressure on publishers to cover the market no matter their avoidance. In covering the market they have two choices:
1. get their freelancer to do a Google search on arcade news and bash out a down-play piece, and hope they do not offend too many readers intelligence, and avoid plagiarizing Stinger or AH!!
or
2. do a detailed piece on retro arcade trying yo avoid the new developments, and try and defend their ‘arcade is dead’ company policy
I am involved in two new features on amusement that include commenting on the ‘Public-Space’ element of serious gaming, and how this market is redefining out-of-home entertainment. But to be honest the more features I get run, the more of a danger I am to some editorial / publisher entrenched views and so will become a target of criticism (self serving coverage).
This criticism will grow, when more news of KWP’s proposal for a brand new US arcade magazine (ala ARCADIA) gets known on the net!!!
“So help us out instead of trying to tear us down! Support your local arcades!”
well said shaggy, your like the arcade aren’t dead version of jesus. but do bowling alleys count because at “Hollywood bowl” (a bowling franchies in the UK) they have quite a few arcade games such as mario kart gp 2, and raw thrills super bikes, THOTD4, rambo, TC4, maxi tune 3 etc… but there always busy anyway but its still a good thing for arcades though. arcades have a very good chance of survival in bowling alleys.
arcades and home consoles live with each other OK its only the people trying to cover up arcades and saying there dead so they can promote the games they review so there’ll sell more games and maybe get a cut of the pir from the game company that makes the console games.
ironically they release sega arcade hits 6 years ago for the gba and the reviewers said that the games are just like the originals but feel lost without their arcade cabinets. (forget what name it was for the gba)
there like spoilt children these publishers wanting it and then changing their mind in the end about something
Oh dear, the consumer boys are not going to be happy – Konami JP has put the first trailer out and confirmed that ALL their resources will be used to promote this game ROUND THE GLOBE!!!!
http://www.konami.jp/mg_arcade/
So let me guess when this trailer hits there are only two ways to cover this story:
– Hey, wow this looks cool I want to play!
or
– Arcade is dead!
Guess which one GAMESPOT will use!!!
…oh and Arcade4Ever, I agree with the spoilt child analogy, they do hope to get a cut, and they do want it both ways. But as the consumer scene shrinks the magazines are panicking and we are in the firing line. They do not want to hear about another industry – especially one that is highly specialized and needs good reporting skills to cover. But fundamentally they do not want a market that already has respected media coverage that they will have to vie with.
Oh it just keeps getting better (coverage of trailer from Kotau.com):
“The recently announced Metal Gear Arcade takes Metal Gear Online and stuffs it into an impressive-looking, but similarly expensive to develop, networked arcade cabinet. Thanks to 3D goggles, it will take the Metal Gear series “into the 3rd dimension,” kind of a step back for us PlayStation 3 owners already gaming in glorious 4D. But it looks like it could be an enjoyable sit-down arcade experience, as long as we don’t have to register for a Konami ID to play it and Kojima leaves the cut scenes at home.”
the reality of consumer sales:
– For the third straight month, spending on all things video game was down – this time 23% from 2008 to $863 million; bear in mind that no month since August 2007 as been below $1 billion.
Now you see why the mags panic about a new market!
here here! This arcade is dead crap has got to stop! Keep fighting the good fight arcadeheroes!