Return of the Space Invaders 238
pashdown writes "Get your two-liter bottles of Shasta and your all-Rush mixtapes ready! In honor of the 25th Anniversary of Space Invaders, Taito has commissioned Namco to remake the classic arcade game. The only thing not nostalgic is the price, increased from one quarter to two." We had a sneak peek of this cabinet as a Slashdot Games story a couple of weeks back.
space invader history (Score:5, Informative)
Re:space invader history (Score:3, Informative)
realism (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:realism (Score:3, Insightful)
b) Most games cost more then this now, some being $1 or $2 depending on what location they're in
Re:realism (Score:5, Insightful)
that said tho, the new galaga versions kick ass, faster play, faster shooting, tasty graphics while maintaining the flat-down perspective. of course there's hope and love for games, just don't go looking to be a 10 year old again.
Re:realism (Score:2)
It's also available on the Namco Museum for $15.. great buy.
Re:realism (Score:2)
The site is in Nihongo, so I can't read it all that well. Anybody want to translate?
Re:realism (Score:3, Insightful)
I was testing a MAME setup at the house with a decent collection of games. My 12 year old son is into gaming. He has an XBox, PS2, Dreamcast, plays various games on the computer and gets a few monthly game magazines.
His only comments on MAME were, the graphics on the games "suck" and no better the N64 and t
Re:realism (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:realism (Score:5, Interesting)
Hell Just last month 3 friends and I scared the hell out of a bunch of kids at the arcade near me as we hogged the Gauntlet machine for 3 hours.
nothing like freaking out teens by seeing 4 35-37 years olds in their arcade screaming and yelling at each other playing a video-game.
only the asshat operators are charging more per play for the classic games.
Re:realism (Score:5, Informative)
Find the closest Wunderland or Nickel City. It costs $2 to get in, and 1/4th the games are 5 cents, 1/4th are 10 cents, and the rest are free!
Re:realism (Score:2, Insightful)
Yeah, since there's only 3 of them, and the nearest one to me is 11 hours away! Sounds like a wonderful plan! Spend $80+ on gas to get there to play games for a couple hours at $.05 or $.10 a pop! Heh!
Re:realism (Score:2)
Re:realism (Score:2)
If you're *really* 35-37 years old, your use of the word, "asshat" is inappropriate for your generation.
I haven't yet decided about "to the extreme!".
Re:realism (Score:2)
Re:realism (Score:3, Interesting)
Being a starving college student, however, I eventually ran out of quarters (not just because of BattleZone, but...)
Had also just taken my first programming course as a math elective about then (was a bio major at the time - and had just found out that I _hated_ O-chem) - my grades suffered considerably as I found myself spending inordinate amounts of time in the comp lab - but it turns out that that was the only programming course av
Re:realism (Score:5, Insightful)
One of the reasons the arcade industry died out in America is because the games simply got too complicated. The games with whiz-bang-ultra-3D-photo-realistic-graphics and 27-button controllers that impress HARDCORE games are a big turn-off to a large majority of the audience. Most people don't want to have to figure out something complicated in the arcade. They want something they can have fun playing for 10 minutes while they're waiting at the laundromat or the movie theater or for their friend to finish taking a leak at the highway rest stop.
I think this is especially true now that home games match (or outshine) arcade games and offer much more depth and complexity. No longer do hardcore gamers spend hours in arcades- they have game consoles for that at home. The market for more complex arcade games simply does not exist any more.
In the year 2003, arcade games need to offer quick, short, simple bursts of fun. And nothing fits the bill better than the games of 20-25 years ago.
And of course a game that cost 25 cents in 1980 is gonna cost 50 cents now. Have you ever heard of inflation? Relatively-speaking, it's probably cheaper now.
Don't forget, they also got 'Family Friendly'. (Score:4, Interesting)
Parents always complained about the place, as parents are want to do. Not that anything ever went down there. The owners were parents themsevles and wanted to make sure it was just a fun place to hang out.
Long story short the mall they were located in got tired of hearing parental complaints so they forced them out by jacking up the stall price quarter after quarter after quarter until it got too pricy. About a year after it left, the mall sold the stall and the one next to it to a Fun Factory.
Now, the place is all lit up, bright and shiny, and costs three to four times as much for each game. There a couple of guys who stand behind the counter and occasionally play a game or two, but it is now home to a few mall rat gangs and has had more fights break out in the last couple of years over high scores than the old place ever did in its lifetime.
Re:Don't forget, they also got 'Family Friendly'. (Score:2)
From what I heard, most of the complaints followed whatever was on the news that week. Teen drug use, alcohol, gangs, and even once, a claim that some girl got pregnant in there. Almost all of them were foundless. I don't think it helped matters any to realize that the arcade was three stores down
Re:realism (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:realism (Score:2)
Add to that the fact that the game isn't being changed at all from the original, according the article. Surely Taito have redeemed their R&D costs by now.
Re:realism (Score:2)
the electronics surely are just around that 20$, if they're not stupid.
there's no reason why one game would need to be
Re:realism (Score:3, Insightful)
The monitor will run you 3-5 hundred, new. Go price out a 19" standard res arcade monitor at happ. Don't forget shipping, these things dont show up in the mail.
The cabinet will cost you about 100 bucks all told, even if you make it out of cheapo MDF.
Joysticks, buttons, switches, wood-mounted PSUs and iso transformers... Rugged arcade quality stuff ain't cheap, and the cheap stuff is worthless. You ever seen the beating the drunks at the bar put on the Golden Tee Golf machines? Those
Re:realism (Score:2)
though i doubt if these are sold to make money in pure revenue into itself.. rather as attractments. and as a heritage showoff.
Re:realism (Score:3, Funny)
The scary thing is, remember going "Dragon's Lair costs 50 cents to play? SCREW THAT!"
Re:realism (Score:2, Insightful)
Jesus, it's only 50 cents. You can't even buy coffee with that. I'd say $.50 for 3-5 minutes of playtime (and maybe a nostalgia kick on top of that) is a fair trade.
Re:realism (Score:2)
Jesus, it's only 50 cents. You can't even buy coffee with that.
Move to NYC, guy. Every morning, the streets are lined with guys in carts who would love to sell you a cup of coffee for $0.35 to $0.50, and the quality ain't bad, either.
Re:realism (Score:5, Interesting)
True story: So I wandered into Gameworks (Seattle) a few months back. Among the multi-player driving games and VR stuff, at the back in a corner was a row of classics.
There was a 13-year old shooting away on Galaga. I watched him for a moment, and in a pause he noticed me and said "Man, this is the most awesome game ever!"
Man did that restore faith in the youth of today.
Missing the point (Score:2)
The point you are missing though is that your are not paying to play a game. You are paying for a slice of nostalgia.
You didn't play Space Invaders in college, therefore you Aren't The Target Demographic, you young whippersnapper.
Re:realism (Score:2)
Really, look what they did to chess....used to have REAL people and all, now just cheap plastic knock-offs...seems to be a trend.. Look at that silly Monopoly game...same flat board and little metal pices after like 50+ years...
Old games are like that...it doesn't have to make sense...that's why they call it CULTure!
Re:realism (Score:3, Interesting)
That being said, DDR is great, and for 50c I can get 5 songs out of the machine at my local arcade. M
Terrific! (Score:5, Interesting)
Damon,
Re:Terrific! (Score:2)
www.ebay.com
a buddy of mine bought a dead one for $125.00 and a set of working boards for $400.00
$525.00 later plus driving 6 hours to get the game and another $125.00 for reproduction stickers for the sides of the cabinet to make it look better and he has one in his basement.
if you are not electronically inclined... even slightly then you are out of luck and at the mercy of us geeks that took the time to lea
Re:Terrific! (Score:2)
Damon,
Re:Terrific! (Score:2)
Great conversation piece? (Score:3, Funny)
"Hey what's that thing?"
"Oh this, it's my Space Invaders cabinet. Isn't it awesome to behold?"
"Uh, yeah. Neat. How much was it?"
"I got one used for around 500 bucks and it only took around 350 man hours to refinish."
"That's...um, great."
"Did you want to have a game?"
"No...thanks. Um, where can I sit?"
"We have to sit in the kitchen."
"I should get going."
Re:Terrific! (Score:2)
Re:Terrific! (Score:2)
what? (Score:5, Funny)
wow, and back then I though I was a loser...
Re:what? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:what? (Score:2)
Re:what? (Score:2)
50 cents for Space Invaders? (Score:4, Informative)
Personally, I wish they'd reissue MK2 -- I kick *ass* when I'm playing on one of the cabinets. Nobody beatin' me when I'm driving Baraka....
Re:50 cents for Space Invaders? (Score:5, Funny)
You're lucky. Back then, many geeks (I knew) playing on one of these cabinets would probably have been getting their ass kicked, instead.
Re:50 cents for Space Invaders? (Score:2)
Enough Space Invaders (Score:5, Funny)
25c still the baseline (Score:5, Interesting)
Wouldn't that be roughly the equivalent of playing Pac-Man for a 1980's dime?
As for this game, are they still planning to package it with QIX [namcoarcade.com]? That's one of the old school games I miss. That and my favorite game of all time, Mr. Do! [klov.com]. If anyone knows where a working Mr. Do! is within 100 miles of Dallas, lemme know and I'm there with a roll of quarters!
I gots a Mr. Do! (Score:4, Interesting)
As it turns out, the only thing wrong with the game was that the monitor was blown (and no, I'm not up to re-capping it, thanks
I've been debating looking into the cheap LCD monitors you can get for PSX/GC/XBOX, and basically making the world's stupidest gameboy. The original Mr. Do! board fits almost perfectly into a standard sized briefcase, so it would be a fun luggable to show off.
Anyone know if any of these screens can accept straight RGB inputs? Or are they composite/s-video only?
50c is reasonable -- for their target audience (Score:5, Funny)
Space Invaders is an old, old game and definitely looks it. I'm sure their target demographic are the people who grew up playing this and want to relieve a little bit of nostalgia for old times sake. And those of us old enough to be in this demographic are certainly not hurting for money so 50c is pretty much the same as 25c to us. I'm not going to squabble over a few cents, for chrissake. We just want to relive how we felt in the days when we played videogames in arcades, listened to Journey and got raging hardons everytime Jodi Jackson walked by our desk in 8th grade algebra class. If I gotta pay 50c for that experience, big fuckin' deal! Besides, it's not like we're going to play it over and over all night long. We'll just play it once or twice, laugh, and then get back to drinking with our friends. 50c is a big increase over 25c to kids but I'm sure they wouldn't really be interested in Space Invaders anyhow. They'd probably just laugh at the graphics and repetitive sound effects and say "That's something my dad would have played!" -- and they'd be right!
As for Qix, I'm simply direct you to my earlier post [slashdot.org]. That game really rocked. Big time.
GMD
Re:25c still the baseline (Score:2)
There's a coffee house in Tucson with a tabletop Mr Do.. so whenever you're driving by on your way to california or something you can stop by.. hehe
From the article: (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:From the article: (Score:2)
Inflation? (Score:2, Interesting)
Speaking from an outsiders standpoint, don't arcade games today let you set how much it costs to play? Not to say I wouldn't use it for 50 cents, but why mess with a classic?
For 50 cents... (Score:2, Funny)
No Screen Caps (Score:2, Insightful)
Do yourself a favor, stay away, keep the memories of your youth pristine and unmolested. Do not be a George Lucas.
Re:No Screen Caps (Score:2)
you and your little dog too.
It never had permanent appeal (Score:3, Interesting)
If there was demand for it, it would have been remade, and I haven't seen space invaders in an arcade for 10 years. The only arcade games to be remade and be successful are Mrs. Pacman and Galaga, most of which fell apart after 20 years, with the survivors suffering from horrible screen burn. Some games that used to be ubiquitous, like TMNT and Mortal Kombat II, are now becoming increasingly scarce, but will probably not be remade just because they were popular in the contemporary sense only.
Re:It never had permanent appeal (Score:2)
An analysis (Score:2)
Heh, I'll just just go back to playing my 2600 Space Invaders I got, for, um, $10 bucks (including console).
-Sean
Re:An analysis (Score:2)
Re:An analysis (Score:2)
and you go, and play it 4 times.. for nostalgia's sake..
then you play a few other machines in the arcade, because you happen to be there
it was only played 4 times by you- but you dropped more than $2 at the arcade..
Re:An analysis (Score:2)
Shouldn't that be:
Quick, boring fad gone in 5, 5, 4, 4....
just realized how pricey... (Score:5, Informative)
Taito aims to sell 10,000 of the standalone game machines at $2,772 a unit.
That is a bit expensive if all you're looking for is nostalgia since you can buy the original for $1295 [american-amusements.com] or maybe off e-bay for $369 [ebay.com] (current bid at time of comment).
Re:just realized how pricey... (Score:2)
http://www.american-amusements.com/am/home.nsf/
Re:just realized how pricey... (Score:2)
Everyone knows about the "furrer" trick, right? (Score:5, Interesting)
I found out about this trick as I met Mr Furrer through work just recently. Basically many a night was wasted in The Bombshelter at Waterloo University (Ontario, Canada) playing that game before he gleamed on the pattern. Last he knew, he had the world record for Space Invaders.
Now he's a J2EE programmer working on Weblogic platforms. Unfortunately playing Space Invaders never turned into a full time career for him.
Finally! (Score:2)
I'm going to rest now. My work here is done.
Bleh (Score:2)
Tempest (Score:2)
I was not co-ordinated enough for Astroids and I really never played Space Invaders much.
I also liked Bagman.
--ken
Re:Tempest (Score:4, Funny)
I also liked Bagman.
So you're the guy. Always wondered who you were.
Re:Tempest (Score:2)
Fifty Cents is the DEFAULT option. (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Fifty Cents is the DEFAULT option. (Score:2)
Or twonies...
16 bucks canadian...that's about 12 bucks U.S.!
Man, puts that whole 50 cents into perspective : )
Rush Tapes? (Score:2, Funny)
Why would I want to listen Rush Limbaugh? I would rather have some of his good drugs while I am playing the game.
Re:Rush Tapes? (Score:2, Funny)
God How I Loved That Game (Score:5, Interesting)
For me, I was a youngster in NYC in late 70's thru early 80's. Penn Station was my playground. They had all the videogames you could think of down there. They even had those old football games with the rollers that you had to smack at with the palm of your hand, which would inevitably get pinched by rolling too far and falling into the small crevice next to the ball.
All games were 25 cents. All of them.
The Penn Station arcades are no longer there. It doesn't seem the same to me.
A NYC slice of pizza and a water down soda, invariably from one of the 50 "Original Rays" would sustain me for hours of game playing. The grease would run down your arm...but you didn't care. It was all about the game. Even now, the smell of a NYC slice takes me back to that time.
Most pizzerias back then had a couple of game machines. Most do not these days.
I remember a small videogame place named Simon's on 8th avenue between 17th and 18th st., if I remember correctly. I'd walk there from JHS 70 and play pacman and asteroids and missile command for hours. I'll never forget the time this guy was playing and left 50 cents in the game for me to play as he left. He was my hero that evening.
It's no longer there. Some hip new eatery has long ago replaced it.
But Space Invaders was my firs love. How I loved that game. Beautiful in its simplicity. When I run into a machine, I have to play at least one game. No matter where I am. It brings me back to fun days. Days not longed by worries about job and mortgages and terrorism. Kids need those days.
I hope this release of a classic will give kids of today memories like I have.
Cellvader (Score:2, Interesting)
Space invaders = B&W Qix=COLOR (Score:5, Funny)
A remake of space invaders is like a remake of ... (Score:3, Insightful)
They are going to have a hard time selling these (Score:2, Insightful)
I think it is going to be hard to sell 10,000 units of a 25 year old video game. There may still be a bit of a market in Japan, but the coin-op market in the US is pretty much dead.
About the only place left in the US that video games still make a buck are family entertainment centers (FEC). In recient years, the trend in FECs has been toward simulators and games with LARGE screens. back in the 80's a 15" screen was the standard. Now-a-days, most cabinets have at least a 22" monitor.
The sad part of thi
Re:They are going to have a hard time selling thes (Score:3, Informative)
Don't you mean...
The sad part of this is that pinball machines got nixed in the process. Williams (the maker of Bally tables) shutdown their operation in 1999, and the only company realy pouring money into it these days is Stern. (who inherited the Data East/Sega legacy)
Margins on $2,772? (Score:3, Insightful)
Considering the game itself can be played on a cpu less powerful than that in today's cell phones or children's toys, a 20" TV can be had for $69.99 [circuitcity.com], the rest of the cabinet is particle board and laminate, and there are no incremental R&D costs to amortize, why the hell are they charging so much?
Given the state of arcades in the US, I think they'd sell more if they charged $699 (still a robbery) and went after the niche of geeks wanting one in their living rooms.
This is ridiculous.
Obligatory Simpsons Quote (Score:2)
Wiggum: Aw, yeah. That was a pretty addictive video game.
Willy: Video game?
-Tom
Re: (Score:2)
Obligatory Simpsons Quote (Score:3, Funny)
Willy: I'm telling ye, I could nay have shot Burns.
[uncrosses, then recrosses, his legs; everyone groans]
Eddie: [cocking pistol] This is your last warning about that.
Willy: It's impossible for me to fire a pistol. If you'll check me medical records, you'll see I have a cripplin' arthritis in me index fingerrrs. Look at 'em! [holds them up] I got it from "Space Invaders" in 1977.
Wiggum: Aw, yeah. That was a pretty addictive video game.
Willy: [surprised] Video game?
I still got a trick or two up my sleeve! (Score:3, Funny)
Limbaugh fan in da House! (Score:2, Funny)
Now that's just sad.
Namco Class of 82 (Score:2)
Space Invaders wall art (Score:2)
MAME port! (Score:2)
I wonder how long it'll take until somebody ports MAME to this platform - so we can finally play Space Invaders on it.
Oh, wait...
np: Monolake - Tetris (Momentum)
Wouldn't play it for free... (Score:3, Interesting)
Some years later, an arcade in my hometown had a Space Invaders machine running for free. No one touched it. I think I played a couple of games and got bored... I can't help thinking the same fate will follow this venture. Sounds like something no sane arcade owner would buy... more of an executive toy.
Now Donkey Kong, Centipede, Tempest... any of those I would pick up and play with some interest.
Inflation? WTF? (Score:3, Insightful)
While prices overall have roughly trippled since 1978, prices of computers, electronics - almost everything that uses transistors, in fact - have plummeted. The hardware to run Space Invaders wasn't far off cutting edge in 1978, and it was *EXPENSIVE* (hey, it ran at a whole 2 Mhz!). The price of $0.25 was as high as it was because the operators needed to pay off the purchase price. On the other hand, the hardware needed to play Space Invaders is cheap. Hell, a $8 embedded microtroller has enough grunt to do it. With hardware costs so low, I'd expect a MUCH lower cost to play, not just 1/3 lower.
Incidentally, I note it's now selling for $2,772. Anyone know what the cabinet cost when new? I'm wondering how big a price drop that represents...
What, no Futurama References? (Score:2)
Actually, as better link would have been (Score:3, Informative)
Shasta! (Score:2)
Leela: Invaders! Possibly from space!
[Cut to: Outside Lrrr's Ship. He opens a window and pokes his head out.]
Lrrr: People of Earth, I am Lrrr of the planet Nintendu 64. Tremble in fear at our three different kinds of ships!
[Cut to: Outside Planet Express.]
Fry: Alright, its Saturday night. I have no date, a two litre bottle of Shasta, and my all Rush mix tape! Let's rock!
[Scene: Player's Ship. Fry stands at an arcade console
Oh no they are back??? (Score:2)
22-14 (Score:2)
Re:Just not the same... (Score:3, Insightful)
Why don't you just get MAME and download the ROM for Space Invaders and play it on your computer? I have to agree with everyone else.. Space Invaders is definitely not worth $.50 In fact, None of those games from 20 years ago are even worth a quarter to play. Maybe if I was at some place that had free arcade machines I might play it, but why pay for something that you can play for fre
Re:80s 80s 80s (Score:2)
How do you use the box? I always used the arrow (either that or used the big purple square brackets to trap them in walls).
Re:Rush? (Score:2)