Arcade usa classic gaming popularity – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Skip to main content

Classic gaming resuscitates the American arcade

Ars Technica takes a look at how a demand for classic games and alcohol has fueled the growth of barcades that catering to adult gamers in their 30s and 40s.

Ars Technica takes a look at how a demand for classic games and alcohol has fueled the growth of barcades that catering to adult gamers in their 30s and 40s.

arcade cabinets (flickr blake patterson)
arcade cabinets (flickr blake patterson)
arcade cabinets (flickr blake patterson)

Can video arcades really be experiencing a comeback in the US? Ars Technica takes a look at a new generation of establishments whose combination of classic games and cold drinks cater to the same kids they did in the 80s and 90s, only older and with enough disposable cash to actually play all the way through X-Men. Las Vegas barcade Insert Coin(s)‘s owner Chris Laporte is hopeful the resurgence could lead to newer Japanese machines making their way across the pond, but even if not, few things sound like more fun than a beer-fueled trip through our childhood.

Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.