| Game centers, also known as video arcades, are popular entertainment venues in Japan, attracting not only children but such diverse audiences as salarymen and housewives. Advances in home video games have lured customers away from game centers, but such amusement spaces continue to survive in Japan today. Chapter one of this thesis traces the history of game centers in Japan, from their early origins in penny arcades to the large-scale amusement establishments of today. Chapter two examines recent industry trends and the current condition of the game center sector. Chapter three describes contemporary audiences of Japanese game centers and the culture found at these amusement spaces. Finally, chapter four considers the impact of Japan's otaku subculture as a factor in the industry's survival. Because game centers have not been given the same attention as other entertainment outlets, in this thesis I hope to contextualize their impact as a cultural product. |
