Retro gaming as learning
by Hearts and Minds Media
 
After being involved in the golden age of arcades and home computer games in the
80’s and 90’s I felt compelled to write a overview of retro gaming as it exists in the
UK and its resurgence as a method of training and educating a new generation of
gamers and programmers. The 80s provided a unique market and opportunity for
bedroom programmers to become involved at a national level in producing products
which sold eventually worldwide to critical acclaim. Alongside this phenomenon of
business was the arcade industry which started in Japan with space invaders and soon
came to enrapture the world in its potential to draw crowds together chasing the social
experience of high-scores and co-operative gaming.
There has been a wave of interest in events and new business’s offering retro game
collecting and playing across the UK in the past 10 years which suggests that the
popularity of gaming on systems and arcades older than 10 years is set to continue.
The following pages will hopefully rekindle your interest in this fascinating area.

20 Questionnaires returned
20 Interviews
4 Arcade environments observed and reported on