STGs in arcades - No place for them anymore?

[Hagane]

It's just common sense. You are making the arcade lose money, and other players would have to wait for nearly 20 minutes before they could get a vs. match.

Most fighting game players I knew only played single player if there were no challengers, to pass time till someone appeared.

[hermit crab]

Well don't even have a 1 player mode then if that's "losing money". As it is I had paid for a 1 player game and then some fucker made me not get my money's worth. And why should I care about the arcade "losing money" anyway, what am I a charity?

The 2 player game is also only fun when both players are of about equal skill levels.

[Hagane]

As it is I had paid for a 1 player game and then some fucker made me not get my money's worth. And why should I care about the arcade "losing money" anyway, what am I a charity?

Why should your opponent care if you didn't get your money's worth? Fighting games are made for versus play, and if you don't like that then tough luck.

Either you get better and accept how the games work or you play them at your basement so no one can bother you.

[hermit crab]

As it is I had paid for a 1 player game and then some fucker made me not get my money's worth. And why should I care about the arcade "losing money" anyway, what am I a charity?

Why should your opponent care if you didn't get your money's worth? Fighting games are made for versus play, and if you don't like that then tough luck.

Either you get better and accept how the games work or you play them at your basement so no one can bother you.

Well the opponent shouldn't. However, it would make sense for the people running the amusement venue and the companies making the games to care if customers are amused or not. But they didn't (except apparently to some extent in Japan). And yeah, people stopped going and now stay "in their basement".

[NTSC-J]

- Top players you can watch set new records and learn new strategies from without buying a DVD or squinting at some crappy youtube video

Argh. Not that I'm a top player or anything but that's another thing I hate about arcades, people peeking over your shoulder. Totally messes up your concentration.

Unless you're trying to give the guy playing a neck massage, its very easy to stand back and watch without them even noticing. The cabinets are sit-downs, so the screens are bigger and not as obscured like in a stand-up cabinet. Many venues also have separate monitors set up that stream what people are playing so others can watch.

But like you said, if the idea of drawing a crowd because you're performing well puts you off, then I guess that's a drawback.

[Skykid]

Most fighting game players I knew only played single player if there were no challengers, to pass time till someone appeared.

I don't play single player at all.

I try get to the arcade at least once a day, and always start with a few KOF98 matches. If I beat my opponent and he doesn't put in another credit, and there's no-one else in the vicinity who looks like they'll be jumping on, I just walk away from the machine. Or, if there's a guy next to me playing with no opponent, I'll just switch seats and put in another coin.

Win or lose, the fun is in the fight.

[Hagane]

Well the opponent shouldn't. However, it would make sense for the people running the amusement venue and the companies making the games to care if customers are amused or not. But they didn't (except apparently to some extent in Japan). And yeah, people stopped going and now stay "in their basement".

I'm pretty sure arcades didn't disappear because a few basement dwellers like you were afraid of social interaction.

[siddacious]

So bummed: The last time I went to the local Round Table for lunch (just before the Christmas break), I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had a small arcade with a Neo-Geo machine, some lightgun game and a Strikers 1945:III cab.

I went today for lunch, grabbing a few dollars in quarters and was sad to see that the arcade had been expanded to fit some humungous claw machines, other forgettable games, and a humungous Terminator game. The Neo-Geo and Strikers cabs were nowhere to be found

I left a message for the owner to see if they still have them and would be willing to sell, but I don't have high hopes that they won't want an unreasonable amount.

[Eaglet]

I don't play single player at all.

I'm pretty sure Hagane is talking about top-tier or at least very dedicated fighting players.
I've also seen the exact same thing with the best players in Sweden and when i went over to Tokyo where pretty much everybody played out every credit if there was no challenger.

[Skykid]

I don't play single player at all.

I'm pretty sure Hagane is talking about top-tier

I'm not top tier but I can hold my own. If you knew just how abundant KOF and its players are here, you'd understand why 1P games are a bit pointless, you can always get a bunch of versus matches if you just come back 10 minutes later and play some shmups in the interim - 1P is tedious after you've been through it a million times. Hell, I even had a guy leave during the match the other day. I thought it was cos I pummeled him down to his last character with my first, but he may have been in a rush or something.

[Eaglet]

Yeah, i def. agree from a personal perspective.
Just that all the really great fighting players i've seen all go through 1P if they've no one to fight with.
I guess it's pretty self explanatory if you only play fighting games and want to become as skilled as possible.
I love myself some 3S, Garou (da DONG) and VF but would never get serious enough to get great at them or prioritise trudging through the story mode rather than go practice some STG's or something other more worthwhile.