Gaming community may see X-cape go extinct
By Derek Lipkin
May 22, 2006 9:00 p.m.
With the humming of air vents above, Monday afternoon was a slow
day at the X-Cape arcade, as the white noise and flashing screens
combined into a seizure waiting to happen.
At around 3:30 p.m., two gamers were playing their 50 cents in
different machines. When one gamer left, another seemed to
automatically fill his place.
The X-Cape arcade, which has been relocated to the Viewpoint
Lounge in Ackerman Union, has a regular community of students who
come to play the video games for a few minutes a sitting, a few
times a week.
Moved from its former location on the A-level of Ackerman in
late February, to make way for the newly opened Jamba Juice, the
arcade may possibly be removed by the Associated Students UCLA
Board of Directors if they find it is not financially
successful.
Some ASUCLA officials have referenced the increasing popularity
of home entertainment systems as a factor in the classic
arcade’s decline.
But even though use of the machines may be infrequent according
to some gamers, some see the arcade as a place for gamers to come
together.
Saul Wyner, a third-year cognitive sciences student, said there
is a community of students who, while they might not know each
other by name, enjoy playing together in a face-to-face
setting.
He said these gamers get to know each other by playing during
their breaks, and appreciate the face-time they get with their
opponents, which is lost in online multiplayer console games.
“I hope that there will be an arcade as long as I am at
UCLA and into the future,” Wyner said, adding that he usually
plays between 50 cents and $1 during one sitting.
ASUCLA officials could not be reached for comment on Monday on
the current status of the decision, but other students have similar
sentiments regarding the arcade.
“It’s a nice thing to have,” said Jake Salk, a
second-year business economics student.
Salk said “Time Crisis II” is his typical game of
choice, along with “Silent Scope EX,” a game where
players use a simulated sniper rifle to eliminate terrorists
attacking everything from major airliners to cruise ships to desert
convoys.
As Salk has over an hour and a half of downtime between classes
on some days, he said he plays occasionally at X-Cape, estimating
between one or two visits a week, spending about $1 in each
visit.
And that’s if he wants to beat the entire game.
When John Yu, a second-year psychobiology student, approached
the “Time Crisis II” machine in the X-Cape arcade
Monday, he used two words to describe his skills when playing the
machine.
“I suck,” he said, as he dropped in his 50
cents.
But as Yu fired his bright blue gun at on-screen enemies, he
completed the first part of the game with ease.
Yu said he only plays before he goes home from campus or in
between classes.
Raziel Sanchez, a fourth-year Chicana/o studies and Spanish
student who uses the arcade infrequently, said $1 is his usual
expense while playing in the arcade.
Even so, his fingers moved across the buttons of the
“Street Fighter II 3rd Strike” machine with a finesse
unlike any typical novice.
As Sanchez fought against his computer-controlled opponent, he
stood victorious after two straight matches, only to be defeated in
a third.
“When I get a chance, I’ll come here,” he
said. He said he prefers the “X-Men vs. Street Fighter”
machine, a game he has been playing since his days in middle
school.
Sanchez said his gameplay has not increased since X-Cape’s
move from its previous location, and even though he does enjoy the
roominess of the new location, he appreciated the old location for
its darker game setting.
He also added that, at times, there were lines in the middle of
the day to play on some machines at the new location, especially
the fighting games.
