Arcades vs. Platforms

[Premezilla]

Fellow Lurkers and Lurkettes,

I'm interested in finding out the preferred way of playing games for all you folks out there. Myself, I enjoy the feel of plunking down a few coins at the local arcade, however, the ability to play games in the comfort of your own home is a big factor as well. For instance:

At an arcade, when someone loses in a fighting game, the humiliation is greater. The feel of those plastic guns' "kick" when you pull the trigger is strangely comforting. And the joy of finding an extra coin on the floor is pure euphoria.

But....

At home, whenever you feel like stopping, you can save your place. If you need a break (for food, drink, bathroom, etc.) there's a PAUSE button. And finally, you don't need to worry about machines eating your coins, or dropping them in hard-to-reach places.

What are your thoughts?

[WarLocke]

Depends on the game, mostly.

Fighting games (Street Fighter, Time Killers, Tekken) just feel wrong if you're using anything but a joystick - and even with a joystick-controller at home, there's something about the group of players huddled around the cabinet that just doesn't translate.

Shooters too only work in arcades IMO, since I've never played a decent home one (no, Duck Hunt does not count :P ), although I guess the right game with the right peripherals could be awesome on a 50" big screen.

The few arcade-based RPGs I've seen (actually, the only one I can think of now was an early Neo-Geo game) just bombed, so I don't think the console/PC demographic has much to worry about. :D

[Archon_Wing]

I'm generally more of a console person than a arcade person. I never really got into it. But shooters are best in the arcade though. :P

[LochnarITB]

I do so love my computer gaming. However, some very good memories for me are of "Electronic Lunches". Having a flexible job and boss (another video game lover), I used to take a couple hours in the middle of the day, while all the kiddies were in school, to head to the local arcade to run $5 or so of tokens through the various machines with my best friend. Several years have gone since then but I still remember the fun we had.

[Nystul]

It certainly depends on the game. But overall, I'm more of a console person (actually my last console is a NES and I visit the arcade about once a year, so it's more like none of the above / PC only). Traditional arcade games are designed to test your skills quickly, and spit you out in a couple minutes if you don't meet the test. I tend to prefer consoles where the buildup is usually more gradual and you can experience a bit of the game without reaching for more quarters.

One thing I would be willing to spend a few quarters on is a good pinball game. Consoles and computers really can't begin to do justice to pinball.

[ZatarRufus]

One thing I would be willing to spend a few quarters on is a good pinball game.  Consoles and computers really can't begin to do justice to pinball.

For me Pinball Fantasies by 21st Century Entertainment comes close. This was a featured program from PC Gamer magazine sometime during its first year of publication (when a floppy disk was included as opposed to the later CD version). I was so impressed with the 10 minute demo that I purchased the full version.

All in all, I find computer games are more enjoyable as the intricate games don't work well in an arcade. I attribute this to my preference of strategy, simulations, and various RPG type games. For instance, can you imagine the cost to build a Sim City metropolis if one had to pop in quarters to keep the game alive?

[kandrathe]

One thing I would be willing to spend a few quarters on is a good pinball game. Consoles and computers really can't begin to do justice to pinball.

That is the distinction for me as well. Downhill skiing games, motorcycle or road racing simulation games, or pinball where the real physics of the moving machine are what make the arcade experience sooo much better than hardware in my house. For head games only games, depth is important and so the arcade falls short.

Actually a fantasy project of mine is to transform a laz-e-boy into the ultimate 3D VR platform with XYZ rotation and motion. Seat belts would not be optional.