A typical '80s arcade was not a "nerd" hangout ...

[savit4l8r]

A lot of them were, and they did indeed have that reputation, which is why some locales banned them. I think any public place that is dark, noisy, and has little supervision; is a recipe for "shadiness". With arcades, that all happened naturally; the darkness was for better viewing of CRTs, the noise was from the attract modes and gameplay (and often a jukebox), and a high level of supervision wasn't deemed necessary because the machines were "self-serve". People could be more rowdy than in typical public places, and get away with it. It also made for an obvious place for drug deals.

I'm not saying they were like a biker bar out of a B-movie, but they weren't exactly the library either.

Yeah I see your point. The nerds could have easily flown beneath the radar...

 

[MaximRecoil]

I still don't understand who "they" is that's perpetuating this so-called myth about arcades.

People I have talked to or have otherwise seen or heard what they had to say.

If you mean something like "King of Kong," that's like saying watching an episode of "Happy Days" represents the understanding of the late 50's in America... a stupid generalization based on a single source.

Said people may or may not have seen King of Kong. It is possible, perhaps even likely, that if someone watched King of Kong, and was never in an arcade in the '80s, they would get the impression that arcades were mostly a nerd hangout. But regardless of the reason for their misconception, it is in fact, a misconception.

 

[Spunkmeyer]

Said people may or may not have seen King of Kong. It is possible, perhaps even likely, that if someone watched King of Kong, and was never in an arcade in the '80s, they would get the impression that arcades were mostly a nerd hangout. But regardless of the reason for their misconception, it is in fact, a misconception.

Tell "said people" they're full of shit, and move on. They have no idea what they're talking about. This is not complicated.

This is my last message on this thread.

End Of Line.

 

[MaximRecoil]

Tell "said people" they're full of shit, and move on. They have no idea what they're talking about.

I've argued with people about it before. I don't tell people they're "full of shit" on any topic without supporting arguments.

This is not complicated.

You've got that right; neither is it relevant. If I ever start a thread asking what to do when someone says that arcades were a nerd thing, I'll let you know.

 

[Phetishboy]

Max, suffice it to say I know exactly what you are getting at. I remember when the sign in my arcade read:

"Must be 16 to smoke"

and believe me, anyone who was 16 did. There was one 16 year old high school drop out that hung there for the pinballs and to play Berzerk and Robotron. He had a thin John Waters mustache and rolled his cigs up in his sleeve. One night he was telling the owner and some other dudes some tough guy story and I kinda sneered at whatever asinine claims he was making. He proceeded to throw me up against the snack counter and got ready to punch me. I was 12 at the time but outweighed the little rat by 25 lbs. I went into a berzerk mode of my own and knocked him on his ass. I proceeded to get the hell out of there while I still could. No time to gloat. No nerds woulda survived in that joint. I've been to auctions and CAX in the last few years and yeah, both environments were nerd central for the most part. I had to check my ticket stub to make sure I wasn't at a Star Trek convention. I'll bet not 1 in 20 showers before these events, and not 1 in 10 uses deodorant. Times have changed Jack.

 

[horseboy]

I'll bet not 1 in 20 showers before these events, and not 1 in 10 uses deodorant.

I keep hearing this, and I don't understand it. Why?

 

[MaximRecoil]

Max, suffice it to say I know exactly what you are getting at. I remember when the sign in my arcade read:

"Must be 16 to smoke"

and believe me, anyone who was 16 did. There was one 16 year old high school drop out that hung there for the pinballs and to play Berzerk and Robotron. He had a thin John Waters mustache and rolled his cigs up in his sleeve. One night he was telling the owner and some other dudes some tough guy story and I kinda sneered at whatever asinine claims he was making. He proceeded to throw me up against the snack counter and got ready to punch me. I was 12 at the time but outweighed the little rat by 25 lbs. I went into a berzerk mode of my own and knocked him on his ass. I proceeded to get the hell out of there while I still could. No time to gloat. No nerds woulda survived in that joint. I've been to auctions and CAX in the last few years and yeah, both environments were nerd central for the most part. I had to check my ticket stub to make sure I wasn't at a Star Trek convention. I'll bet not 1 in 20 showers before these events, and not 1 in 10 uses deodorant. Times have changed Jack.

Yeah, I was in a couple of "altercations" at the arcade too. In fact, I nearly got in a fight with Lawton (the guy from the picture I posted) at school (I was in 7th grade) the morning after I beat his Super Punch-Out score for the first time. He walked up to me and gave me a shove and said, "You beat my score!" He was a year older, and had a few of his cronies with him, but I had friends with me too (a couple of whom loved to fight). I don't know how it would have turned out; a teacher put an end to it.

I remember those "Must be 16 to smoke" signs. Now I want one. There must be a couple of them still kicking around somewhere.

I remember when you could buy cigarettes at 16, which is why they had smoking areas in high school back then, because half the kids in high school were 16 or older. They changed it to 18 in the mid-'80s I think, which was before I turned 16. You could also buy alcohol at 18 back then; you could in my state at least.

 

[TransAmFan]

By the way, these guys were all regulars at the arcade after school:

LOL

The third from the left is Lawton, the best all around arcade game player I ever saw. I competed with him for high score on Super Punch-Out; and it is the only one I ever beat him at.

The first one is Dave Mustaine, and the SECOND one is Cliff Burton, before they ditched the other two arcade "nerds" and started hanging out with Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield...

 

[josie]

I was also in the class of '81, and I lived in an area surrounded by trees, so it was fun to drive the half hour to a town with an arcade, a bowling alley and a skating rink!

There was definitely a wide cross section of kids there. The jocks, the degenerates, the normal kids, and girls... looking for guys of course! My friends would find a guy and look over his shoulder while he played and ooh and aaah his every move. I couldn't see doing that, I would rather play on my own. I don't really remember seeing any of what were then the stereotypical nerds there... they had homework to do and strict parents.

The bar I went to most often had a Ms Pac machine, and I would go and smoke and drink and play the game. It annoyed me to no end to have some guy try to pick me up when I was playing... I mean... didn't he know that the game had priority??

It was a great era to grow up in!

 

[RandyT2]

The reason I keep going back to the "inner nerd" thing is because I feel that the avid arcade player, then or now, has to have one. Everyone is different, and there were a lot of people who hung out at the arcades. The ones that weren't there selling dope, or loitering because they could, were there for the games. The loiterers and dope sellers weren't keeping the coin boxes full, so someone had to be.

We all had friends who were just as into the games as we were, but we also had friends who just weren't. They tried to be, but it didn't do anything for them. And there were lots and lots of people who were like that! We saw the people in the arcades who were arcade-goers. It's like asking how many dead people are in a cemetery .

So again, there is something different about the folks who reveled in the bleeps and bloops of a 100% electronic simulation of something they had to use every bit of their imagination to enjoy, and often did alone. Those who couldn't wait for the next new game, or next trip to the arcade, were definitely not the same as those who wandered in on the way to a movie and might have dropped a quarter in a slot. And that something different had nothing to do with whether they were a stoner, a preppie, a greaser or a jock. Or even the "nerd" types Max has been describing. So if you want to say that the arcades were not full of "nerds", with the glasses and pocket protectors and high-water pants, who stayed home and played the piano and studied (not that there is anything wrong with that) then that's fine. But that thing that was common to us all was certainly "nerd-like", and I say that with nothing but affection. And it's a not a giant leap to associate that thing I am calling the "inner nerd" with avid gamers of today. But they have taken it to a whole other level, most likely because they could.

 

[MaximRecoil]

I was also in the class of '81, and I lived in an area surrounded by trees, so it was fun to drive the half hour to a town with an arcade, a bowling alley and a skating rink!

There was definitely a wide cross section of kids there. The jocks, the degenerates, the normal kids, and girls... looking for guys of course! My friends would find a guy and look over his shoulder while he played and ooh and aaah his every move. I couldn't see doing that, I would rather play on my own. I don't really remember seeing any of what were then the stereotypical nerds there... they had homework to do and strict parents.

The bar I went to most often had a Ms Pac machine, and I would go and smoke and drink and play the game. It annoyed me to no end to have some guy try to pick me up when I was playing... I mean... didn't he know that the game had priority??

It was a great era to grow up in!

It's interesting to hear a female perspective. I didn't see many girls in arcades back then, and the ones that I did see were like how you described your friends (i.e., "My friends would find a guy and look over his shoulder while he played and ooh and aaah his every move.")

I do remember one girl that was part Asian and cute as hell, and more than a little promiscuous. She never spent a dime in there; not of her own money anyway. She would ask guys for quarters and then reach into their pocket to get them herself (lol). Needless to say, she was never short on quarters.

 

[josie]

It's interesting to hear a female perspective. I didn't see many girls in arcades back then, and the ones that I did see were like how you described your friends (i.e., "My friends would find a guy and look over his shoulder while he played and ooh and aaah his every move.")

I do remember one girl that was part Asian and cute as hell, and more than a little promiscuous. She never spent a dime in there; not of her own money anyway. She would ask guys for quarters and then reach into their pocket to get them herself (lol). Needless to say, she was never short on quarters.

Did she stick her hands in your pockets??

 

[MaximRecoil]

Did she stick her hands in your pockets??

[Bill Clinton mode]It depends on what the meaning of the word "in" is.[/Bill Clinton mode]

 

[Bootleg]

I can relate to the OP somewhat. In my area every arcade had their own types. Some were strictly little kid hangouts like Chuck E Cheese/Major Magics, some were a mixed crowd, some were very family friendly but not kiddish, and then there were the seedy ones with the drug dealers. I hung out at them all, even the seedy ones.

People knew which were which too. And so did my parents. They didn't like me going to the seedy ones but I did anyway.