Many Players Are At Home In The Arcades, But Will The Arcades Ever Be At Home At Home?
Arcade game players are loyal to their machines, their scene, their big scores. Often they will tell you that the home game versions of the games they play just don’t match up to the thrills of the arcade version. These players see the arcades as the big leagues, where the big games are played...everything else is bush league.
The CREEM Archive presents the magazine as originally created. Digital text has been scanned from its original print format and may contain formatting quirks and inconsistencies.
Many Players Are At Home In The Arcades, But Will The Arcades Ever Be At Home At Home?
"There are many computer games that are tougher than anything you'll ever play in an arcade."
Arcade game players are loyal to their machines, their scene, their big scores. Often they will tell you that the home game versions of the games they play just don’t match up to the thrills of the arcade version. These players see the arcades as the big leagues, where the big games are played...everything else is bush league. They’re right in that some home games B simplified versions of arcade games, id as such don’t hold that much appeal to ie veteran arcade player.
But they’re wrong in thinking that a ime in an arcade is the toughest lallenge of all. There are many computer ime*, that are tougher than anything iu’11 ever play in an arcade.
Part of this misunderstanding by arcade ayers of the home games comes from not low. ng enough about the computers that n their games. The more powerful the •mputer, the more powerful the game ogram that can be written for it. And any home computers that play games e more powerful than the computers in e arcade games.
If you’re a player whose desire is to play e ultimate in computer games, then m’ve got to understand a little about the achines they play on. Most arcade ayers think of home games as centered our.d a home game computer system ich as the Atari or Intellivision. But this it a completely accurate view. For most the personal home computers, including ose from Radio Shack, Texas Instructs, Commodore VIC, Atari, and ndair have the potential to play cornier games. In fact, most personal computer manufacturers have a line of games of their own.
The cost of these small computers is in the same general price range as the home game computer systems. Its more a question of what you want the computer to do than the price difference.
Frankly, we see the personal computer as the better buy in the long run—especially for those who are sincerely interested in the how’s and why’s of gamesmanship. Those players you are looking for straight forward eye/hand action will be much happier with the game systems.
The ultimate vista that the small computer offers the player is the chance to write his own games, to become master of all games by mastering the computer. To do this, you have to stop talking to the computer with a joystick and start telling it exactly what you want to do with a keyboard. This is by no means the most complicated thing, since these small home computers are designed and programmed to be understood and used by low-tech individuals.
The VIC-20, for example, comes with a simple manual that tells you how to create basic computer colors, graphics, even crude animation, without having to do anything but press a few keys. Their basic computer guide also includes two fullblown games, Rem Tank-V-Ufo and Killer Coment by Duane Later, that you can type into the computer to see how it’s done and then play it.
Every player has his or her favorite mode of play. Some will stick to the arcades and the latest games. Others will realize that home games have advantages, and can be great. Still others will move through games to computer programming and control, and, with any luck, will wind up playing the games of the future.
