Arcades have made something of a comeback in recent years, though they never fully went away. Some of the early arcade games had some very limited functionality. Technology has come an incredibly long way in the last 20 to 30 years, and this means that there are new ways for people to play the same sorts of games. Arcade games also now refer to not only a game played within an arcade but a style and type of game, too. When people think of these games, they normally think of relatively simple gameplay and the sort of games that have a “game over” mechanic (when the traditional arcade game would have been reset).
So, what new technologies are coming into gaming and changing the way it works? Is there still space for the older mechanics within a game?
The evolution of games
Games have changed tremendously since the days many people associate with arcades (80s and 90s). We have seen games go from simple graphics – and sometimes just dots on a screen – to hyper-realistic games that exist in massive open worlds. All of this has happened in one lifetime, which is quite an incredible feat when we look at technology and how far it has come.
Through that time, some of the styles of games have evolved while keeping the same basic theme. Slot games and casino games introduced in the 1990s have kept the same sort of icons and symbols but evolved to include enhanced graphics and are playable with slightly newer mechanics.
Newer games may not aim to have the very best graphics in terms of realism, but they do aim for something that is aesthetically impressive or fits within a certain style. Arcade games definitely have a certain look and theme that runs through many of the games, sometimes including blocky graphics and bright colours.
Displays and the way people play
Displays themselves have evolved and led to some new changes, such as games having a responsive design. This means that the game can be displayed on many different platforms, even if they have different screens and displays.
Many displays are designed to get the most out of graphics, and we have more complex things to consider in gaming than in some other forms of entertainment. Frame rate, for instance, can make a big difference to the way that a game is played. Retro consoles may have had a few display settings, but nowhere near the kind of options that are available on today’s consoles.
Mobile is something that games have had to evolve to suit, too. There are more people logging in and playing from mobile devices and even mobile browsers. By 2027, it is thought that the number of mobile gamers worldwide will exceed the 1.8 billion mark, which is the sort of number that is hard to visualise. Modern technology has certainly made games more accessible in this way.
Audio technology
Often, audiophiles are drawn to gaming. If a game is going to feel immersive, audio is one of the tools that can be used for this, and a lot of modern and retro games have worked on improving the sound quality.
Older consoles used to be restricted by their CPU but this is far less of a problem now, and this has paved the way for clearer audio that is truer to its original source. Some games do choose to stick with the style of the original games and limit the size of audio files, as this provides a sound some people enjoy. Chiptune is a whole genre of music inspired by retro arcade games and the sound effects and music they had.
Art styles keep the continuity
So, in a world with a lot of changes happening all the time, how is there any continuity in arcade gaming? Well, the art is one thing that has largely remained the same in a lot of these games. Arcade games may have a simple interface or even be set on a scrolling screen like platformer games that were popular in arcades in the 80s and 90s. Games where players went from left to right and tried to get through a number of gruelling stages used to be normal in early consoles and games that were more limited. Some new games stay true to that style, and we see platformer games being released all the time – even in the 2020s.