As others have alluded to it's not just to play a game it's also a social thing.
I can't think of any other social activity I was involved in outside my home as a teenager. I was shy, quiet, no friends etc. but at an arcade there was a common interest. Watching someone else play or 2 player game with someone you didn't know.
The smell too arcades had a certain smell the plywood cabinets, sweet smells of food, and for a certain period in time cigarettes.
I can't think of any other social activity I was involved in outside my home as a teenager. I was shy, quiet, no friends etc. but at an arcade there was a common interest. Watching someone else play or 2 player game with someone you didn't know.
The smell too arcades had a certain smell the plywood cabinets, sweet smells of food, and for a certain period in time cigarettes.