The earliest Arcade Machines that I remember

I guess it was the very late 70's - maybe 1979 or so and I remember we were on vacation and had found this new thing called a game room or arcade in our hotel. There was this big machine (I think I had to stand on a little box or something to see the screen.) The game was asteroids. It was captivating. It captured probably 75 cents of my money as I started to get the hang of turning and shooting and the like.

That was really probably the first computer game I recall playing. I know along that time there was also Space Invaders and I spent more than a few quarters on that as well. The Sears store at our local mall even had an arcade in the center of the store. I think they had a few pinball machines in addition to maybe 3 or 4 arcade game machines as well. I remember being crushed when they closed down that arcade, but overjoyed to find that a complete storefront down the mall was opening up with arcade games.

These days, the arcade at the mall doesn't seem to be the big draw that it was. I don't know, maybe with all the home gaming systems these days it just doesn't draw in people willing to shell out quarter after quarter. It's a shame in a way, there was somewhat of a community around the arcade at the local mall that it's hard to replae with an internet connected game machine in the home. (Plus it gave me a place to go while my parents were shopping as a kid.)

I'm still fascinated with game machines though, I remember thinking that one day I'd have my own arcade of sorts. (I think I had in mind winning the sweepstakes or something and buying up my favorite machines....) Who knows, someday I may yet do that. I've found places that sell new AND used machines from as little as ~$400.

So, could you still make money off of arcade machines? I think so, they're probably not the cash cow that I suspect they once were, but in the right place I think they would still do well. (Who knows, maybe that's the way I'll be able to own one by buying it and placing it in service somewhere...)