Arcade video game

A video game designed for a dedicated arcade machine, typically offering coin-operated play through controls built for public use.

Arcade cabinet: A housing that contains an arcade game's display, controls, computer, and associated electronics. Its layout turns a game's controls and screen into a durable public-use machine.
Penny arcade: A venue offering coin-operated amusements, often including mechanical games and novelty devices. It established the public, pay-per-play setting that later housed video games.
Beat 'em up: An action game genre centered on fighting groups of enemies through stages, often with multiple players. Its cooperative cabinet play made shared action a defining arcade attraction.
Pac-Man: A 1980 maze game by Namco in which Pac-Man eats dots while avoiding four ghosts. Its characters and maze-chase play became defining icons of arcade culture.
Home video game console: A consumer electronic device designed to play video games on a household display. Home consoles shifted play from coin-operated public venues to private living rooms.
Coin-op: A machine or service activated by inserting coins or tokens. Coin-operated access made each play session a discrete purchase.
Computer Space: A 1971 arcade video game that adapted Spacewar! for a commercial coin-operated machine. Its release marked an early attempt to sell a dedicated video game in public venues.
Light gun shooter: A shooting game controlled by aiming a light-sensitive gun at targets on a screen. Dedicated guns and screens made aiming part of the physical cabinet experience.
Space Invaders: A 1978 arcade shooter by Taito in which players defend against descending alien formations. Its popularity helped drive arcade expansion and established a durable shooter template.
Personal computer game: A video game designed to run on a general-purpose personal computer. Unlike dedicated arcade games, PC games use multipurpose hardware and personal ownership.

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