Game Center Operators – A 2004 Snapshot (Patreon)

This interview offers a unique look at the Japanese arcade (game center) industry from the arcade operators’ perspectives. The header image is a bit misleading: the two game center operators interviewed here, Soyuu and Arisaka, bear little resemblence to the candy cab/PCB dominated arcades of the 80s and 90s. As anyone who has spent time in Japan in the last 10 years will have noticed, “arcades” have for a long time now been dominated by crane, prize redemption, and large-form games.

Nevertheless, its still interesting to hear the operators recount the beginnings of their businesses and the way the industry has changed since the Invaders Boom.