Specialist cafes are introducing arcade games to a new generation As anyone who was a teenager in the the 1980s will be able to tell you, social spaces where you […]

As anyone who was a teenager in the the 1980s will be able to tell you, social spaces where you can play arcade games aren’t a new initiative.

After the heyday of Space Invaders and Pac-Man, though, arcades began to fall out of favour, mostly thanks to the rise of affordable personal consoles and gaming via the internet in the late ’90s.

But a new generation of arcade game cafes are starting to appear, determined to bring the golden age of arcade gaming back to the UK.

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Reviving a lost gaming community

The latest arcade game cafe to open in the UK is Edinburgh-based Konbo, which is inspired by the arcade scene in Japan.

Owner, Michael Cox, spent weeks visiting arcades in Japan and found them to be very busy and frequented by people of all ages and backgrounds.

“I wanted to create a space that had some of that atmosphere to it, to get away from the negative associations people have with arcades in the UK – typically crumbling seaside attractions with broken machines that swallow your money,” he explains.

Cox dreamed of running an inclusive, comfortable and pleasant cafe which would allow customers to experience original arcade games in a social environment.

This community aspect also inspired Glasgow’s MEGAbytes cafe, which opened in 2015.

“It started with the idea that gaming should be more public and inclusive,” says MEGAbytes director, Nav Saran.

“Sharing stories about how we tackled a particular boss fight, or how we racked up certain scores through speed runs, rejuvenated our own personal lives which had been dwindling thanks to dead end jobs and adult responsibilities.”

From there, Saran and a small group of his friends began making the ‘pipe dream’ of owning a retro gaming cafe a reality.

Making arcade gaming’s history accessible

Not only are arcade game cafes social spaces where people can relive nostalgic memories, they’re also a way to preserve the culture of gaming and introduce it to a new generation.

“The aim was to re-contextualise arcade games – to put them in a clean pleasant space where you could be sure the games are carefully selected and lovingly maintained.” Michael Cox, Konbo founder

Portsmouth is home to Game Over, a retro internet cafe which is also an interactive museum, showcasing over 40 years worth of equipment.

Owner Steve Lowe (who is a software engineer by trade and had a game published when he was just 12 years old) has been collecting games for over 30 years, and had some of his finds displayed in his home before deciding to open the cafe.

“I hadn’t done anything like this before, but had people round to see my display,” he explains.

“It was popular with everyone as they got to play on what was on the shelves, so that’s when I decided to open a bigger place for the public.”

Cox agrees that preserving the games – but still being able to use and enjoy them – is a key factor in what he hopes to achieve with Konbo.

“Arcade games could be considered the ultimate in exciting retro gaming, since they’ve always been somewhat out of reach (only available in arcades, never on home systems) and this situation has only become more extreme over time,” he says.

“With Konbo, we hope we can make some of these rare games available for people to enjoy again, as they were originally intended.”

Patience is required

As arcade games are a relatively specialist subject, all three businesses have faced various challenges whilst setting up their respective cafes.

“The main challenge that we had when we were setting up was to get noticed and to be taken seriously as a viable business.” Nav Saran, MEGAbytes director

Saran thought that Glasgow would be crying out for a venture like MEGAbytes, as nothing similar existed in the city.

“We originally imagined that any city that’s starved for gaming venues or hang out spots would be craving a business like this but we did hit a few roadblocks in getting the public’s interest,” he explains.

“It eventually picked up once our crowd funding went live, and we just ran with it.”

Sourcing games and machines can also be a challenge, and Cox notes that this is only getting more difficult with time.

“Arcades are virtually extinct in the UK, and the machines and games are only becoming scarcer over time as they break or are hoarded by collectors,” he explains.

“There are certain fittings that are still made and easy to find, but finding other specific 20 or more year old parts for Japanese machines can be tough. Patience is required.”

A new generation of fans

“If a game is a true classic, then its appeal never fades – it remains engrossing and enjoyable, no matter the age or background of the person playing.” Michael Cox, Konbo founder

But despite the potential difficulties, the new generation of arcade game cafes are gaining loyal fans and helping to revive a lost industry.

Lowe from Game Over attributes this to the games themselves: classics which have remained popular for the best part of half a century.

“It is because of the gameplay and how simplistic the games are, even though most were difficult to beat,” he says.

“For my generation it’s a step back in time, and for the current generation it’s a new world of gaming for them.”