ABSTRACT
With the rising cost of arcade games and near-identical graphics and sound on home consoles, many gamers began to choose the convenience of playing games at home. Video game rentals became increasingly more popular and retail sales continued to rise. This shift boosted the home console market, but resulted in a sharp decline in arcade gaming revenue throughout the end of the decade. The Wall Street Journal reported that arcade revenues in the United States dropped all the way down to $1.33 billion in 1999 (Henry, 2001, p. 3). Consequently, many small arcade venues (such as those found in malls) began to gradually disappear.
