The benefits the modern Arcade VGA monitors

A modern arcade monitor doesn't look like a TV, it is more like a computer monitor.  Older game boards had very basic video circuitry, which was constrained in resolution for two reasons.  The first reason is that most early monitors were based on TV designs, and so they had the same frequencies.  Second, memory was expensive and higher resolutions require much more RAM.  The red, green, and blue wires are the signals for the red, green, and blue electron beams in the CRT monitor.

TV combined all of the colors and synced them into the one RCA video line, that would be about 25% of RGB power.  There were some very clever designs around, which used the concept of "sprites" to work around the memory limit, but resolutions were still limited.  The simplicity produces sharply-defined but low resolution graphics.  For an emulator to reproduce this exactly, the beam of the monitor must have a one-to-one correlation with emulators graphics memory.

Most new arcade monitors use VGA now but, the one thing that really set them apart from your computer monitor and TV is that they are designed with a frame for installing them in an arcade cabinet.  This is a good thing because it really is the best way to mount the monitor in the cabinet.  If you try to put a computer monitor in an arcade game, there is no way to bolt the it in.

What is the advantage of using a real arcade monitor for the "old school" games?

The main reason is that the real games used these same monitors!  The first arcade gane cabinets were equipped with a very basic video card, which was constrained in resolution for two reasons; first, most available early monitors were based on TV designs and so they had the same frequencies.  Second, memory was expensive and higher resolutions require much more RAM.  The simplicity produces sharply-defined but low resolution graphics.

For an emulator to reproduce this exactly, the beam of the monitor must have a one-to-one correlation with emulators graphics memory.  We can make the VGA card behave as a 100% emulation of the game board, however, now comes the problem.  To do this, the number of vertical lines and horizontal pixels that the VGA card displays on the monitor must be exactly the same as the original game board.

If they are not the exact same, we have to re-sample the original memory mapping and stretch or compress it to fit the screen, or put up with an incorrectly sized picture.  So the 100% emulation is lost if hardware stretching or a scan converter is used.  So a game which was originally designed to run at, say, 320 X 240 must run the monitor at exactly the same resolution to give a 100% emulation.  If it is run at any other resolution, just because the monitor is capable of handling it, the quality of the original game will be compromised, even if the resolution is higher.

Arcade Game History Part 2

The popularity of arcade games began to loose its success in the mid to late 1990's, when CD based console gaming started to become popular.  This was definitely the case when 32-bit consoles and games arrived.

Because of improved capability in graphics, and the compact discs ability to carry a lot of data, developers were finally able to make good ports of their games to sell on consoles.  Developers saw that they could make a lot more money porting flawless or near flawless copies on their games to popular gaming consoles.  It is because of this, that gamers no longer felt they needed to spend money in the arcades to play the latest arcade game.  They could simply go to the store or mall and buy the full game for their console.

By the 21st century, console gaming surpassed arcade gaming in every way that mattered.  As a result , arcades have been on life support in some areas and dead in others.  Today, many video game developers are now making arcade games using modern PC hardware making sure the legacy lives on forever.  Please visit our web site to find out about our latest arcade cabinets and get what you'll really enjoy!

Arcade Game History Part 1

1980's

The first remarkable success of video arcade games refers to 1980's and found its peak in the 1990's.  This began in 1980 with the release of the game Pac-Man.  This uncomplicated game quickly became extremely popular, resulting in the developers creating a sequel, Ms. Pac-Man.

Both Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man would become so huge that people of all ages and genders crowded the arcades playing the game.  These games, with some others like Space Invaders, Galaga, Defender, Missile Command, and Donkey Kong, kept the arcade scene alive in the early 1980's.

By the mid 1980's the popularity of video games in general began to drop.  This began to affect the arcade scene.  This however, soon changed in 1985 when Nintendo released their sequel to one of their mildly popular arcade games Mario Brothers.  The game was called Super Mario Brothers.  Super Mario Bros became a phenomenon and would arguably put video games on the map.  After the game made a killing on Nintendo's own console, a special arcade version named VS: Super Mario Brothers appeared in the arcades.

The arcade version had levels that were different, and more challenging than the console version.  From Super Mario Brothers onward, video game developers released innovative and fun video games in arcades that would create a lasting effect for over a decade in the United States.  Developers like Sega, Namco, Midway, Capcom, and Konami became household names because of their great games.

Arcade Games in 20th Century: Part 2 - Evolution of Arcades

The appearance of arcades took place during the interwar period.  That was the time when the coin operated machines were developed.  However, not everyone was able to use arcade games; the person had to be in a certain age range.  In addition, only certain categories of people were allowed to use arcade games.

Then the video game technologies started to improve arcades with electronic features.  This led to the improvement of automatic gaming tools.  Modifications in there structure resulted in the simplification and enrichment of game play.

After some more time had passed, modifications have been moved from external area of arcade games to internal, the games themselves started to be improved.  This improvement led to more realistic imitations in games.

In the late 1970s-1980s, arcade games became an industrial environment based on electronic work.  This period of time is also known as the golden age of video arcade games.

Arcade Games in the 20th Century: Part 1 - Introduction

Arcade games have come a long and bright way.  They have left an indelible mark on history, arcades are known as one of the logos of the twentieth century, its legendary phenomenon.  When we talk about the legacy of the twentieth century, we are reminded of the arcades.

It is hard to find person who did not play video arcade games, or at the very least did not hear about them.  Though everyone is familiar with the arcades, not everyone knows that the combination of the words: arcade, games, has several meanings.

The first meaning comes from the Italian understanding of arcatta, and represents the amusement tools which are kept in an arch way enclosure.

The second meaning of arcade games is the game genre.  It is the operating machine with coin control that has different ways of entertaining of people, games such as ping-pong, pinball, car races, etc.

The last meaning is that of the combination of the two words, arcade, games, this combination became well known in the world.

In terms of the structure, video arcade games are the example of what can be made by joining together entertainment and electronics, two totally different domains of human life.

Influence of Arcade Industry Saviors

It is a well-known fact that Nintendo has made the ''Play-Choice.''  "Play-Choice," which offers you the opportunity to play all sorts of NES games at Arcade did quite well.  When Nintendo made the decision to get concrete Super Nintendo Entertainment System titles, they offered only a limited release and then stopped.  Despite this fact, some companies did well, meanwhile others did not.

The large successes really lasted only until the middle of 1990's.  Luckily, around 1997 Konami turned out to be a ''Savior,'' thanks to their highly unique and innovative titles.  Titles such as ''Dance, Dance Revolution,'' it is important to note that this game attracted an absolutely different variety of gamers, along with a lot of non-gamers back into Arcades.

The problem with these ''Arcade Industry Saviors'' is that they relied so much on the mainstream attention, unlike the ''Golden Age'' where each game was given a lot of attention from avid gamers.

After a couple of years,  DDR (Direct Disk Recorder) players remained the only gamers in the Arcade Industry, and Capcom started getting more attention from their 2D fighter/Marvel Comic Book games, the ''Marvel Vs.'' series which appeared at the same time.

Best of Arcades in 1990-x

Fortunately after the "Great Video Game Crash of 1983,'' one of the greatest and most popular games of all time, Super Mario Bros. came out on the much-loved console that is the NES.

The Arcade Industry tried hard to improve its financial wounds during the middle and the end of 1980's.  To tell the truth, some went out quite decently with such games as Atari's Gauntlet, and Marble Madness. However, some went out, not so well, such as Capcom's Final Fight and Capcom's Street Fighter.

Nevertheless, another great change happened in 1991, when you began to hear about games like Street Fighter II.  One of the most Capcom's most famous genre games got numerous gamers back into the Arcades.  They also had the incredibly praised game, Alien Vs. Predator: The Dungeons & Dragons brawler series as well as many others.

At the time when other companies like Konami "were most definitely not slouches," as they delivered classic titles like TMNT, X-Men and The Simpson's, games like Mortal Kombat came about as well.  (Together with different racing games & shorter titles.)

Golden Age of Video Arcade Games (1980-x)

The 1980's were the most prosperous years for the Arcade industry.  Games such as Asteroids, Atari and, Namco's favorite Pac-Man, appeared during that time.  The arcade Industry in the United States went on a total boom, as most of the games were extremely popular (specifically games like Pac-Man.)  The industry, consequently, has made plenty money and "[its] financial success is what invented the thought of Video Games going better than Movie's Box Office Grosses."

During this time, the console industry was far from its success; the beginning of 1980's was evidently the ''Golden Age'' for the Arcade Industry.

It goes without saying that the incontestable beauty of the industry's popularity lies in love of the people, regardless of age and social levels, a lot of people played arcade games no matter who they were, young kids or adults.

Video Arcade Games Ancestors of 20-th Century

More than a hundred years ago, way back when the Civil War was finished, humanity got to know about a new invention called as the "Penny Arcade."  The Penny Arcade had basic attractions such as test your strength machines and peep shows.

It is no secret that the Penny Arcade attracted a lot of attention through out the years, including the turn of the century into the 1900's.  Things really got going during the 1920's - 1930's, during the Great Depression "Film Shorts" did a really great job at providing entertainment. 

For all these years it had been keeping Americans from more horrible woes however, the Arcades did quite a decent job too.  Thanks to an invention called Pinball, made by the man with the surname of Gottlieb, people got interested in playing an ''easy to learn, difficult to master'' game.  Even after the World War-driven fear of the US population ended, Pinball games remained to be an incredibly popular source of entertainment.

It should not be much of a surprise that all that changed in 1974, when Nolan Bushnell invented a tiny little jewel called Pong.  Despite the fact that Pong is not the first electronic Video game ever made, it did become the first game to attract Video Games into the Arcade Industry.