DoA Creator Says Online Is New Arcade

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to this interview with Dead Or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki at Gamespy. The discussion covers the forthcoming Ninja Gaiden, as well as the new Dead Or Alive Online title we've previously mentioned, but the most interesting part of the interview may be Itagaki's assertion that "When you look at arcade culture, it's pretty much dying. I feel that it needs to be replaced with something else, and that is online gaming. Online connects the homes around the nation to create an arcade-like experience without going to an arcade."

Comments

Re:How about

[Kastagir]

Or, focus on gaming centers (eg igames.org) as the new arcades. Here pc games can be played like arcades, and can be networked.

They can have cabinets for emulatuated arcade games, or cabinets for console versions of games. Instead of pay per play, keep the normal center rate of $x/hour. With cabinets for emulators or consoles, if the game you want to play is full, just play it on another cabinet, they can switch games easily.

Here you can still run arcade type tournaments, pc tournaments, center vs center online tournaments, etc.

If someone put forth the effort I bet the transition could be made and centers would get more popular, maybe grow to the levels of the old arcade scene or higher. It's too bad that almost every center is focused on CS or card games though. Branch out guys :/