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Story: Arcade, computer and video games

Space World, Auckland, 1982

Space World, Auckland, 1982

Spacie parlours, such as Space World in Auckland, were regular haunts for children and teenagers in the 1980s. Though the games were largely played by individuals or two players at the most, spending time in the arcade was a social experience because lots of other people congregated there, playing, watching and talking.

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How to cite this page

Kerryn Pollock, Arcade, computer and video games – Video arcades and gaming: 1970s to 2000s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/39312/space-world-auckland-1982 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 3 December 2012.

Comments

Captain Lemur Eyes
05 May 2015
Arcades provided a social opportunity to act cool. In the novel Modem Stud, the arcade was often used as an office for Apple II+ pirates to trade wares, meet other pirates, or excel at something such as the Pacman pattern. Today kids video game, sometimes sitting next to each other, but largely on their own. It is too bad arcades are not what they were in the early 80s.