Retro Immersion

This week I’m back to talking about Microsoft, and probably a bit about Apple too but mostly Microsoft and their service for Xbox and PC called “Game Room” (www.microsoft.com/games/en-US/Games/Pages/gameroom.aspx) . I’m going to start by saying that I love arcades; My generation was probably the last generation to have awesome arcades that were common and also video game systems that were common in the house, so I have an appreciation for playing games at home and going to the arcade. My childhood had a lot of going to arcades and blowing all my money on games like Street Fighter. Sadly, this trend is declining and even countries like Japan are seeing arcades closing in droves). I honestly don’t see video games at home very social when compared to meeting and challenging friends at the arcade, and that’s something else I miss.

In walks Microsoft with their Microsoft Game Room, which, is basically a giant arcade with tons of old school retro and arcade games that you visit using your Microsoft avatar. You can walk around and interact with others in a simulated virtual arcade. I’ve used it and it’s sweet. You get a pseudo interaction by walking up to other in game avatars of your friends playing on the arcade cabinets and you can communicate with them via microphone as if you were there. It’s still not as great as being in an actual arcade and I’d like to see more recent arcade titles, but it’s still an extremely fun experience that is really designed around the social aspect of arcades (and that’s what makes it so fun).



Alternatively outside of Microsoft, classic arcade game companies like Capcom are implementing their own idea of a social like experience within their games. They remade the classic Street II Turbo and added an arcade feature where up to 8 people can be in a lobby watching two people play against each other. When someone loses the next person challenges the winner and this repeats until the winner’s streak is broken and the new winner keeps playing. Everyone can watch the match and talk with each other. This is a similar experience for anyone who’s played their fair share of Street Fighter in arcades. The new Super Street Fighter IV (www.streetfighter.com) also has the feature (called “Endless Battle”), in addition to a drop in feature where you can play against the computer until someone challenges you and they can drop in and play a match against you. Again, this is similar to another Capcom arcade classic coming out Final Fight Double Impact which allows anyone to hop into the game you’re playing at anytime just like in the arcades.



This might all be a lot of talking about video games, but the immerse nature of these types of games that try to replicate a once common social aspect of them is something I think that goes overlooked. When we talk about video game immersion and Web 2.0, the most common types to talk about are games like World of Warcraft and things like Second Life or even Neopets. I don’t really consider those games actually socially based as interactions are based on the interactions created by the game (also I think they are boring, and that to get truly immersed in the social aspects of those games, you might give up on some social aspects in life…just saying). Virtual arcade type features revolve around the fact that there used to be a social setting, and then it tries to recreate that. To me, that’s more of a social experience, especially as it’s a social experience rooted within a social experience. Any experience that replicates going to an arcade with your friends is a good thing!

Oh and my gamertag on Xbox Live and Games For Windows Live is KidQuamen (Not that anyone is reading this to add me…)