The Evolution of Impulse Gaming - What Changed and What Stayed the Same

Flashback: It was the early 90's. The Internet as it is today was still a very young idea. Cars would drive by with windows down, blasting Ace of Base for everyone to hear. Kids would spend most of their summers outdoors. The air was dewy sweet. I remember it like it was yesterday.

Back then, before I knew I would be developing video games for a living, I would spend a lot of my time playing them. I didn't just play them at home, however. Sometimes my friends and I would spend 30 minutes riding our bikes to the mall or the convenience store to drop precious shiny quarters into arcade cabinets for a few glorious minutes of bliss. The sensation was overwhelming. The sound of the coin being accepted, the loud noises that would emanate from the machine, and the subsequent adrenaline rush I felt while beating Shredder's foot soldier minions to an animated pulp.

This was a defining moment of my youth.

I remember one glorious afternoon at the movie theater, when my friend and I took our positions at the popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game armed with enough quarters to do some serious damage. We picked our characters and started playing and were quickly joined by a couple of other guys who we had never met before. The four of us must have blown a good chunk of change, but we made a great team and no amount of our weekly allowance was going to get in the way of us finishing the game. Before we knew it, there was a small crowd of people watching us, and the feeling was indescribable. We did end up beating the game that day, and after some well placed high fives, we all went our separate ways, our wallets never lighter, our heads never higher.

Fast forward almost 20 years. North American arcades are nearly a memory, and a lot of people are getting their impulsive gaming fix for free online or by dropping a buck or two on their mobile devices. Gone are the days when kids would actually get some exercise by traveling great distances to their local arcade. Just a few clicks here and a few swipes there and you've literally got games at your fingertips. 

Angry Birds. So much fun for so little $$$.

Angry Birds is the poster child of the new age of gaming. For less than the price of a coffee, you can enjoy countless hours of entertainment anywhere you go on your mobile device. Games like Angry Birds, which has been downloaded millions of times, show how impulse gaming has taken a stranglehold on the entertainment industry. 

Similarly, for a few extra dollars, you can get your hands on downloadable titles for your home gaming console that often times rival the $70 games you can buy off the shelf, all without leaving the warm, loving embrace of the ass groove on your couch.

Making that ass groove is hard work. Reward yourself with some well deserved impulse gaming!

The changes between then and now are quite evident, but you know what they say. The more things change, the more they stay the game. While a lot of people are spending less and playing more, there is a relatively new phenomenon sweeping the gaming world...micro-transactions. Playing a racing game and want to get a jump on your competition? Dropping a dollar to get an upgrade for your car can help. Want to give your virtual farm or city a much needed face lift? Buy some Facebook credits and get yourself that perfect decorative piece. 

"All your dollars are belong to us!" (An old gaming inside joke, for those who are not aware)
Reference included: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_your_base_are_belong_to_us

While it may not seem like a big deal for most people to spend a dollar here or there, the business of micro-transactions is big business indeed. So the next time your kids beg and plead for that $1.99 iPhone game that all their friends have, think back to your glory days in the arcade before tossing them a quick no. And hey, at least it will keep them quiet for a few hours. ;-)