A MOMENT WITH...
SHOWING OFF COOL RETRO-THEMED STUFF THAT’S GOING ON
Author Dr Alan Meades tells Paul Drury all about the beautiful British arcade
Ever wondered about the roots of our beloved arcades? Dr Alan Meades, principal lecturer in game design at Canterbury Christ Church University, has written a comprehensive, entertaining and accessible book, investigating their long history, their place in British society and, of course, the myriad of games which populated them.
Was the motivation for writing the book a misspent youth playing Out Run in arcades, Alan?
I grew up in the English seaside resort of Broadstairs. There was a great little arcade by the beach that became my hangout for much of my childhood and adolescence, and then there was the massive arcades at Margate and Ramsgate a few miles either way. I grew up with a great love of arcades and arcade games but it wasn’t until I finished my PhD, where I spent a few years alongside hackers, glitchers and modders on the Xbox scene, that I realised there was a whole untold history of the origins and development of the British arcade to be told.
Why is the arcade something worthy of study?
I think that the test of something being worthy of study is how big an influence it has upon people and culture – how big a mark it leaves on your soul. For me, the arcade was absolutely intrinsic to my relationship with technology, games and other game players and it has influenced how I’ve grown up and see the world – Inow run a games design degree, for instance. I’ve met so many people that say similar things.
Our readers probably associate ‘the arcade’ as the place they went to in the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties to play videogames but British arcades have a much longer history than that, don’t they?
The amusement arcade can be directly linked to the travelling fairgrounds that were common across the country, as the showmen who ran them always kept a look out for novel entertainment technologies. In the late-1800s, coin-operated machines became popular including amusements and gambling devices, and showmen incorporated them into their travelling fairs. In the off-season months, showmen would rent buildings and workshops where they’d store and fix their amusements and they’d welcome visitors inside to pay and play the machines. Some showmen decided to keep these ‘gaff shops’ open permanently and high-traffic entertainment areas
