Roppongi, a city in Japan famous for its nightlife, has lost its last arcade.
The arcade industry as a whole has been shrinking since the advent of home video game systems from Nintendo and the like, but was relatively healthy as early consoles were much less powerful and therefore lacked the eye-popping visuals. As technology improved for the home market, the gap between the home and the arcade shrank enough where consumers didn’t need to leave the house anymore. In the last five years, the arcade industry revenue has lost at least 200 billion yen, or just under $2 billion.
However, Japan fared better than most countries as each play typically cost 100 yen, or about $1. Arcades across the United States petitioned for a $1 coin to combat the psychological effect of pouring four quarters into a machine, but in the end it proved fruitless. Nowadays the typical arcades are inside movie theaters and rest stops.
And as of December 27 of last year, Roppongi has lost its last arcade. Maybe an arcade didn’t belong in the glitzy, decadent city, but it’s only a sign of things to come.
As of 2014, there are no arcades in Roppongi. We have become a city where there are no arcades. Thank you for the wonderful 18 years.
ROPPONGI VORTEX
only been there once, in 2012 but I liked it. Such a shame it had to close..