100 Yen: The Japanese Arcade Experience Page #2

This would represent the first major

paradigm shift for arcades.

The reason I like fighting games,

is it's such a fresh concept.

it's not simply a physical challenge,

the mental aspects

known as Yomi, which involves

"reading" your opponent

didn't exist in games before this.

I thought, hmm... This is

a thinking mans game

and that's what really

attracted me to fighting games.

That and I thought if I could

make some friends when

playing these games, it would

become even more interesting.

Basically, if you think about Fighting Games

as a communication tool

you won't be far off.

I've been playing games for so long...

I don't know if you can call it

a hobby anymore.

The first time I played games

was at a video rental store.

It was there, when I went

with my sister to rent a movie

that I had my first experience

with arcade games.

From the age of fourteen until twenty...

About twenty-two, I was playing

pretty much non-stop.

From twenty-three through to

twenty-seven, I ddin't really play much.

With the release of Street Fighter 4

I returned to playing very frequently.

In 2D fighting games, without a doubt

the best player is Daigo Umehara,

He has a long storied career

in fighting games

and has travelled overseas

for many tournaments.

How can I say...

He has one of the best records

in fighting games

and is universally considered one of

the best players in the world.

Without a doubt, for 2D fighters

Umehara is the best.

The social interaction

between two people

is what this is really all about.

It's not about the

Artificial Intelligence of a computer

I think that's the most interesting

aspect of fighting games.

It's hard to say for sure

what makes me a good player

but I'm sure it has something

to do with an innate understanding

of these types of games

since I was very young.

That's really the sense of a pro gamer.

That being said, natural ability

only gets you so far...

It all comes down to playing these games

and putting in the time,

the repetition, the practice...

That's where I feel professional

level skill comes from.

In one month... When I was younger,

at the arcade...

I'd spend about $600 a month.

When I was playing the most,

in one week,

I would go to an arcade... Everday.

When I was younger I

would get really nervous,

my hands would shake from nerves

and it would really affect my gameplay.

But by the time I turned

about... Seventeen...

Once I was around that age

I really didn't get nervous.

Even in big tournaments,

I could perform fairly well.

Now in tournaments or whenever,

I'm really not nervous at all.

Right. If I watch a tape

of myself playing a match,

sometimes if I watch my...

When I'm playing if you watch my face,

people often comment that I look scary.

Why...

Why is that?

When I was a kid,

I didn't really show my emotions...

I was the type of kid who

doesn't show their emotions.

So I guess that just kind of

carried over into my playstyle as well.

Daigo Umehara is well...

He's not necessarily better

than others at these games,

he's better at working hard,

to become the best.

It's that quality that makes Umehara

a unique and strong player.

To become a skilled player,

practicing at the arcades is your best bet.

The reason I say this

is the fact that each game in

an arcade costs you real money.

Because of this,

you treat the game differently,

you consider things more,

you try harder.

Whereas with console games for example,

you can lose and it doesn't really matter,

you don't really care, I think.

You won't see that type

of mindset in an arcade,

people take it a lot more seriously.

For those reasons

practicing in an arcade

is more serious as well.

Japanese homes are very small.

So you can't make noise or

party without getting complaints.

It's much more common for

friends to meet up at arcades

where you can let loose and have fun.

Japanese arcades are loud,

but I mean that in a good way

loud and exciting.

The people that I hang out with,

they of course love to play games,

but mostly come to arcades

to be with their friends.

There's regular groups of people

who all come to the arcades,

which gives them a chance

to meet up more often

and I think that's true for

most people who frequent

the arcades in Japan.

I imagine that, that is

one of the main differences

between Japan's and

foreign countries' arcades.

When I was working at an arcade,

well, at that time...

arcade friends... What I mean to say is...

Friends I made by playing games

together at arcades,

are people that you become very close with.

And... Well... Actually...

I married my best friend that I met there.

The arcades that I've seen the most of,

the ones with a serious

fighting game atmosphere...

They really serve many different purposes.

For example, they are a place to meet friends

and play together, a social place.

They are also a place to

find stronger players regularly

and try to beat them to improve your game.

Not only that, but they hold lots of events

and if I want to practice,

it facilitates that as well.

There are just so many

different purposes to these arcades.

To put it simply, if you like attending

events and want to socialize,

to make new friends...

Or more specifically what we call...

Fighting game friends,

your training partner for these games

then it's really all about

connecting with other players.

That's the kind of atmosphere

you can expect in an arcade.

It can be a fairly hardcore atmosphere...

Around things like

UFO catchers or easier games,

maybe not so much...

Around fighting games,

and other challenging games,

at least around me, it's definitely

a more hardcore atmosphere.

A little more serious I think.

I work for Sega as a sound designer.

My name is Hiro.

I'm in charge of creating the

music for various arcade games,

Most of the titles I'm known for came out

about 20 years ago.

Games like Hang On and Out Run

or Afterburner and Space Harrier.

But anyways...

Large cabinet games that you

sit in which move as you play,

these types of games were

the ones I made the music for.

Recently a new genre of game has come out.

Until now, arcades were mostly

fighting games or driving games,

but now there is a new genre

that is popular in arcades.

With music being the main

gameplay element for the genre,

it creates a whole new aspect to gaming...

A fresh and exciting take

on the arcade experience.

My real name is Tomoyuki Mori,

my gaming alias is Akudaikan.

The game I'm playing most now is DDR

That and more recently

a game called Horse Riders.

That's what I'm enjoying

currently in the arcade.

At the time... I didn't know anything

about DDR, but had seen

a game called Beatmania

which was really taking off.

When I tried it for the

first time I was like...

Ahh this is pretty interesting!

But my friend was like, just wait

until you see this other game

and that other game

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