Comment Re:Pinball is too expensive... (Score 5, Interesting) 240
I think the reason Pinball is dying out is purely the cost of playing it.
I mean you pay 50p for three balls. Or 20p for three lives in most other arcade games.
You don't spend much time around gamers, do you? I don't know of any gamers who spend the time thinking about how much a 'life' costs them. For gamers, it's about fun, convenience, and hanging out with friends.I mean you pay 50p for three balls. Or 20p for three lives in most other arcade games.
Pinball fails on the last two qualities. A pinball machine is outside the budget of casual gamers, so most people have to go to an arcade to play pinball. On the other hand, a gaming console sits conveniently next to their TV at home, allowing them to game whenever they have time.
Pinball has no cooperative component; it's a "single-player" game. Looking at the popularity of multiplayer and online games, I'd say gamers these days value an experience in which their friends can participate. They don't get that with pinball.
I personally love pinball, but it doesn't provide what contemporary gamers want.