alt Hacker News> Fifteen years ago World of Warcraft was at its peak.
Sixty years ago the model was you go to an arcade cabinet, and you get charged every time you died (Credit: https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2026/07/03/returnal-3).
Ideally, they want cabinet in every home, you pay electricity for it, you buy overpriced Bluey skins, you buy your lives, you buy ads, and pay them every second for the pleasure, while not owning even the cabinet.
Replies
Elzair • today at 3:36 PM
I think you mean 50 years ago. 60 years ago you were largely limited to SPACEWAR! and Tennis for 2.
Telaneo • today at 12:37 PM
Heck, even 60 years ago, you could still buy that arcade cabinet! Sure, it costs a fortune, but it was at least possible.
> the model was you go to an arcade cabinet and you get charged every time you died
Worse, some arcade games drained your health continuously while you played so no matter how good you were you'd have to keep plugging quarters into the machine.