[Arcade] Arcades: Now & Then

When I was young, arcades were a place of utter wonder and cutting edge sights and sounds. Compared to the old home consoles, the huge screens and surround sound cockpits and racing modules were on another level altogether, right up to about the time the Dreamcast burst onto the scene. From that point on (when the technology in the living room generally matched that of the arcades) I couldn't throw away quarters any longer. The "experience" just didn't warrant the endless coinage like it used to. Fast-forward to modern times, just two days ago I was offered money to play an arcade game with someone and I still refused and tried to get him to abstain as well, pledging we could go back to the house and play anything we wanted, either same screen or via LAN.

The only side route to this is the nostalgia factor. For instance, there's a retro arcade nearby -- 1984 Arcade - Home -- with all the original cabinets and visual appeal and is also quite cheap for an evening out.

edit: I didn't intend it, but my current sig image seems to encapsulate the trend away from the arcade rather well.

Jam it back in, in the dark.