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An arcade game is a game machine typically found in public places like malls, restaurants and amusement arcades, and is usually coin operated. Arcade games are usually video games, pinball machines or electromechanical games. The late 1970s through the 1980s was the golden age of the arcade games. They enjoyed some relative popularity even during the early 1990s. The popularity of this platform slowly declined, however, as console and PC games came into prominence.
Techopedia Explains Arcade Game
Arcade games often have short levels, which rapidly increase in difficulty with simple and intuitive controls. Game players are essentially renting the game for as long as the game avatar is alive. For this business model to be profitable, the difficulty of the game must be high enough to make the players reach a game-over state and engaging or addictive enough to keep the players playing. Nowadays, the arcade is clearly dead in most parts of the world as what was once amazing technology is available on your cell phone, just like real money slots.
PC- or console games are sometimes referred to as arcade games if they share the same qualities as real arcade games such as the following:
- Intuitive and simple controls with simple physics
- Short levels which become increasingly difficult as the game progresses
- A focus on gameplay rather than on content or story
