This is my philosophy

Changes in socialism is so evident to us in the Entertainment indusrtry.  Every year, less and less people venture out to see and be seen in social interactive situations.  Part of the reasons Arcades see less traffic as the years go by. 

Interesting article and thoughts there. I can say that one of the biggest "bummers" about owning my own machine is the lack of that "third place" he talks about. Even though the player population up north (specifically at Evergreen Lanes) was never high, I found it relaxing to "get out of the house" once or twice a week for an hour play session. Just the fact that I had a destination to go to and I may or may not encounter familiar faces while doing so was enjoyable. Sure, now I've got a machine at my house, but I never get those chance, random encounters with other community members that could turn into something fun or memorable.

I remember getting to talk to Andyburns and Keby at that 2009 DDR US Championship for what felt like the first time. Most of my friends in this area I met directly through dance games at the local arcade in college. If I didn't have that incentive to get me "out of the apartment", I probably would have far fewer friends than I do now.

Regarding the loss of arcades; I don't know what can be done to combat it. Perhaps suburbia will slow down or reverse in the near future when traffic congestion and travel times to work become too burdensome and people start moving back closer to the city limits, or the city building up more in the outlying areas. Being in architecture, I read about that trend already happening. Despite what feels like "suburbia sprawl", many people are moving into Seattle and most are trying to live as close to the city as they can afford.

I remember when I worked downtown, I would sometimes go to Gameworks after a long work day just to relax (and let traffic thin) before heading home. Same thing is true for Power Play in Bellevue. I worked in Kirkland, but sometimes felt like heading a few minutes South to play some games, then drive trouble-free North back to my house. However, if there's no arcade nearby, it makes these after-work jaunts more of a hassle than an enjoyment. I would prefer it if we had more numerous arcades in the US, but smaller ones. Something about the size of Acme's arcade, located a few miles apart would be great. That way there'd always be a place nearby for kids to go to after school, or people like me to hit up before slogging through the terrible traffic home.

Rant over. That was fun. I hope it all makes sense, because I totally neglected to proof read this.