ARCADE WATCH

Keeping an eye on the coin-op gaming scene

Traditionally a way of grabbing the attention of passers-by, arcade attract modes are now being used to push Covid-19 safety messages to players. TouchMagix USA, maker of redemption games such as SpaceWarp 66 and Drift ‘N’ Thrift, is the first company to roll out a public safety awareness campaign in this manner, with ‘Play safe and stay safe’ messages displaying vital steps to help limit the spread of the virus among arcade-goers. These 30-second screens urge players to sanitise their hands before they commence play, respect social distancing, wear a mask to cover coughs and sneezes and ensure children are supervised at all times. It’s not the first time public service announcements have been implemented in arcade attract mode screens – most memorably, a ‘Winners don’t use drugs’ message was to be found on arcade machines in the 1990s. But TouchMagix’s initiative is timely and could prove hugely effective. The messages can be shut off in the operator settings once the pandemic is over, but in the meantime it’s a forward-thinking strategy which we’d like to see adopted by more manufacturers. Alongside measures such as providing masks and maintaining distances of six feet between machines, keeping safety at the forefront of players’ minds will help limit the spread of the virus in arcades and reassure visitors that arcades can still function even through the most adverse of circumstances. With the pandemic likely to have an effect on the confidence of visitors to arcades around the world for some time yet, it’s heartening to see the arcade industry taking positive, proactive steps to reassure the public that they can stay safe and still ‘insert coin(s)’.