Editor’s Note: RePlay Assistant Editor Matt Harding has been working from and traveling in Japan this month and is sharing a few industry-related items in this week’s newsletters.
Arcade culture is alive and well in Japan, where redemption and video game arcades are beloved. A couple of big ones I stopped at in Tokyo and Hiroshima, respectively, were outposts of the popular GiGO and Taito Station brands.
The Taito Station in particular was unlike any arcade I’d ever experienced – five floors of games. The first floor was for the casual gamer with redemption, redemption and more redemption, with all sorts of plush, prizes, candy and more up for grabs.
On other floors, there were video games for more casual players and ones for the types of folks who might spend an entire Saturday in the dimly-lit room (much different from the bright-as-anything Level 1, of course). Up top, there was darts, air hockey and more social games.
Before returning to the States, I’ll make another stop in Tokyo next week to visit an arcade of another Japanese icon you may have heard of – Sega.
