Today marks yet another in a long line of worrying days for arcade enthusiasts. Once one of the leading names in the industry – a title they actually managed to maintain long into the 2010s – SEGA have announced that, further to an indicative statement they released in 2020 concerning their move towards home gaming, all their remaining Japanese establishments are to be sold. More than 50 years of memories, changing hands just like that. Every single arcade that previously operated under the beloved SEGA brand, barring one landmark location, will be wholly acquired by Genda Inc., who trade as ‘GiGo’. More like ‘GiGone’ in this case.
Not all doom n’ gloom
Though it is important to note (contrary to what some other outlets reporting on this would have you believe) that this does not necessarily mean SEGA are pulling out of the arcade biz wholesale, and that therefore the abject doom n’ gloom should be withheld for the present, it’s nonetheless a sign of the times. It’s further ammo for the argument that many industry analysts uphold; about what they perceive to be a dying breed of entertainment, but which many gamers will be truly saddened to see go. SEGA have a rich pedigree in the field of cabinets n’ joysticks, so if even they are struggling with the concept, what hope do others have? Pardon my pessimism.
Eurogamer has the full scoop; ” 2020 was a particularly poor year for arcade revenue,” they report. Gee, I wonder if there might be a correlation with some kind of global event that kicked off around then? Can’t quite put my finger on it. “Back then, SEGA shifted 85 percent of its arcade shares to Genda. Now, it has offloaded the rest.”
Arcade future
The report shares in the concern we’re feeling here at Mega Visions (which, incidentally, we feel any time something retro goes down the tube). “This is part of a much longer trend away from arcades towards gaming at home – a trend Japan has resisted for longer than many other countries. Over the years, countless arcade locations have shuttered.”
Again, this is not yet the official death knell for SEGA dabbling in arcades, so stay tuned for updates as to which way this goes. It’ll be a sad moment when the last one in Japan – whichever stoic company it happens to belong to – eventually drops its creaky shutters for the final time. That might be some time off, but it feels sadly inevitable. And then what do we have to live for? HAMSTER Corporation, be our saviors in this dark hour.
What’s your take on this situation? Let us know!
