Arcade Etiquette in 1983
From an issue of Videogaming and Computer Gaming Illustrated in 1983 comes this ha-ha funny piece on arcade etiquette from Randy Palmer. When I stumbled across the article my first impression was that this would be a serious piece, but Palmer quickly shattered that thought with:
“Never walk into an arcade with quarters already in your pocket. Let the management know how much money you intend to spend by going to the change booth and producing a wad of bills. Be sure to count the change carefully after receiving it.”
Palmer offers advice on interacting with others such as: “stare at people who are playing and make knowing comments” and “stretching your arm across the screen and tapping on the glass.” It’s clear this is a tongue-in-cheek commentary on arcade audiences at the time, and reading through gives me some ideas for dealing with people at conventions. Fun read!
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Funny stuff.
I’m sure a lot of my memories are colored by nostalgia, but there was something viscerally satisfying about playing in the arcades back in the day that I just can’t find in today’s console and PC games, even those with online connectivity and robust online communities.
The whole sensory experience of the video game arcade—the sights, the sounds, the smells(!), the air of competition—added up to something not unlike that the atmosphere at, say, the local public basketball court.