Mie Kumagai (Virtua Tennis) first original mobile game!

[George]

Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown.

It came out on consoles within the last three years. What point are you trying to make anyway? I know arcade games aren't as popular as mobile games.

I said in Arcades. You say that arcade gaming is better yet you haven't even played an arcade in years, the games you bring up as 'amazing' are over a decade old. That's my point. You don't know the situation with arcade gaming and what it is now. Yet you are quick to argue about what it is in your eyes.

[Radrappy]

Yeah, those are great games that came out over a decade ago... how that have anything to do with now? I'm confused.

Because it has to do with how people feel about arcade games vs mobile games?  I don't know if you know this but mobile games have a terrible reputation while arcade games represent the halcyon of people's youth gaming wise.  This whole discussion started from someone saying "I don't understand why mobile games get flack compared to arcade games." 

So thats my point, why would I want a great game designer make a mobile style game (which arcade games basically are now) when they can just make it on damn mobile (or console) for millions of more consumers?

Ok well this is a COMPLETELY different argument.  Obviously if you lump console games with mobile games you've created a completely different landscape than what we've been previously discussing.  Me and mademan are saying "fuck mobile games" not "we hope everything stays on arcades forever."

[George]

So your saying a new platform doesn't have the decades worth of trial and errors that arcade gaming has? I can bring up plenty of really shitty early arcade games from the 80's, plenty of crap. Heaps of it. I think this whole comparasion isn't even fair considering how long arcade gaming has been around. I will say one thing, it has gotten worse (arcade gaming) over time while Mobile is at least improving.

Tho in the end of the day I rather SEGA just drop arcade and focus on PC/Consoles/Mobile. In the end its all about who gets to play your experiences, not what is nostaglic (aka a dead scene like arcade gaming).

[Radrappy]

So your saying a new platform doesn't have the decades worth of trial and errors that arcade gaming has? I can bring up plenty of really shitty early arcade games from the 80's, plenty of crap. Heaps of it. I think this whole comparasion isn't even fair considering how long arcade gaming has been around. I will say one thing, it has gotten worse (arcade gaming) over time while Mobile is at least improving.

Tho in the end of the day I rather SEGA just drop arcade and focus on PC/Consoles/Mobile. In the end its all about who gets to play your experiences, not what is nostaglic (aka a dead scene like arcade gaming).

I agree that mobile has plenty of time to grow and evolve as a platform, that's very fair.  But as it is, arcade games have a fruitful legacy on their side while mobile games have nothing but baggage at this point.  Hence the outrage of a well known arcade developer switching to mobile. 

[Barry the Nomad]

I'd argue that arcade games also have their baggage. The past of arcades is not all sunshine and roses and a fruitful legacy. Let's not forget the negative stigma that quarter-munching games carry. Sure you count point to the positive in saying "well, they are plugging quarters in because it's a great game and is addicting", but more often it was because games were rigged or were made to be overly difficult to suck money out of consumers and it lead to a negative stigma for parents ("I'm not wasting my money on those arcade machines that just steal your quarters!") as well as the players who passed around the titles of games to avoid because they're unfair. I know I've tried several arcade games that I've since not played again because they were just so blatant in taking your money, giving little in terms of entertainment.

Basically, both mobile AND arcades have their positives and negatives and I think it is unfair to hold arcades above mobile, especially given the direction arcades have taken in the past 5-10 years - more redemption machines (casinos for kids) and less experiences that we are so fondly remembering in this topic. Really, the best arcade experiences are thanks to older venues that have held on to old hardware, but over time we will see less and less of Virtual On and Crazy Taxi and more of coin pushers and cheap ticket dispensers.

Personally, I look at mobile and arcades equally nowadays. Both have their underhanded tactics and downsides, but both also have their great games and upsides. I don't think it's fair to turn ones nose up at a developer who makes the shift from arcades to mobile.

[Radrappy]

Personally, I look at mobile and arcades equally nowadays. Both have their underhanded tactics and downsides, but both also have their great games and upsides. I don't think it's fair to turn ones nose up at a developer who makes the shift from arcades to mobile.

Name me a mobile game that's comparable to playing virtual on against another skilled player in an arcade with twin sticks.  You can claim they both have foibles and would be right but arcade games have the potential to be more immersive and skill based than console titles whilst mobile games will be forgettable and consumable at best.  Hearthstone is the only example I can think of of a truly excellent mobile experience but even that is best played on a full ipad as opposed to a phone.   

Also, you guys are full of crap.  I was at a mini-golf place yesterday and it was full of high quality NEW games(the new mario kart arcade machine was a big hit, as was the newest iteration of DDR).  I got to play this for the first time and it was awesome :

 

[Team Andromeda]

Name me a mobile game that's comparable to playing virtual on against another skilled player in an arcade with twin sticks

Its just the SEGA defence force in full effect; Most of them are only saying that becasue its one small aera SEGA Japan  being do well of late . Nothing beats a big screen and proper controls that's why zero game games feature tiny screen and only a small ammount come with just touch controls in the Arcades .

as was the newest iteration of DDR).  I got to play this for the first time and it was awesome :

And the worst part is that's made by bloody Namco , when it used to be SEGA Japan that was the king of Star Wars games in the Arcades

[Barry the Nomad]

I don't think we're on the same page. I am discussing the current state of arcade and the current state of mobile, though you keep bringing up Virtual On - a game from 1995 that is incredibly hard to find in western arcades.

I believe that both arcade and mobile have their positives and negatives, and I think it is unfair to brand mobile as "forgettable and consumable" and arcades as "immersive and skill based".

Don't get me wrong, arcades have some great games like SW Battle Pod and H2 Overdrive, but they are also filled with far too many cheap redemption machines and the Virtual On-type games you are mentioning are lucky to be around if the arcade management can be bothered to upkeep them. By that same token, mobile is filled with far too many cheap games and tactics that mimic redemption games, but there are also plenty of great recent efforts like Sword & Sworcery, Heroki, Sonic 1&2 Remastered, Chain Chronicle, Spell Tower and Zen Bound.

Circling back to the focus of this topic, I think it's great that Mie Kumagai is developing a mobile game and I think it is shortsighted and naive to think that SEGA arcade talent developing for mobile is a bad thing.