Video arcades in Japan face extinction as console sales hit record high amid pandemic
February 28, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
This photo shows the interior of Kasuga Amusement Arcade in Osaka s Naniwa Ward on Jan. 20, 2021. In the foreground is Gator Panic, a game similar to Whac-a-Mole. (Mainichi/Hitoshi Sonobe) OSAKA Video arcades in Japan are facing extinction amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, while console sales have reached a record high. As of 2019, the number of gaming arcades in the country had already fallen to a sixth of the level seen during the asset-inflated bubble economy period due to the penetration of home gaming consoles amid a technology revolution. Recently, the number of arcades is further plunging due to the trend of the times and people refraining from going out amid the coronavirus pandemic.