In Back Alleys and Basements, Video Arcades Quietly Survive
Now, the big family arcades are closing and the gamers are moving back into the rat-holes. In San Francisco, New York, Austin and elsewhere, these gritty little storefronts hearken back to the days when arcade cabinets mostly lived in bars, pool halls and run-down amusement parks. They are a place for gamers to test their skills against like-minded enthusiasts, a digital Fight Club for those looking for something more than Skee-Ball and Dance Dance Revolution.
I walked by this place last weekend and I did a double-take when I realized it was an arcade. At first I thought it was off-track betting or something cause it was full of people. Plus the shops in front of the Stockton Tunnel entrance are sketchy anyway.
Tags: arcades, San Francisco
