Arcades can work, but it will take new tech to make it happen.
Yesterday, GameWorks announced it was closing all its remaining locations. The joint venture with Sega brought Japanese-style mega arcades to the United States. It was the model for Dave & Busters, eventually matching their restaurants too.
It’s extremely tragic. GameWorks was my favorite destination in Las Vegas. COVID hit right as arcades were finding ways to innovate. Now they are back to square one.
With VR tech, arcades absolutely can survive. But we need to do more. We need new technology, new solutions, and the ability to assure customers that games are above what they can do at home – while being safe at the same time.
As we look to 2022, Console Enterprises will be refocused on these tasks. You still won’t hear its name much, but by operating as a boutique design consultancy – we’ll be working to make sure the arcade can come back – and be better than ever.