Be a Video Game Arcade Savior

As a child of the late 70s and early 80s, I have a lot of memories tied in to video game arcades. I was fortunate enough to get an allowance, and when I wasn't spending my money on baseball cards (my earliest investment portfolio) or junk food, I was feeding quarters into machines such as Dig Dug, Galaga and Pole Position. In fact, just this past June, I ventured over to San Francisco's Musee Mecanique and ended up playing Moon Patrol for the first time in probably 20 years. Pure bliss.

That's why coming across this PR Newswire press release about Save the Arcades hit so close to home. It's a nationwide campaign by Stride Gum ("The Ridiculously Long Lasting Gum") to stop arcades from disappearing across this great land of ours. The company recently gave Philadelphia-area arcade Challenge Arcade $10,000 to stay afloat, and now they've targeted four other arcades they're trying to save — and you can help.

By going to SaveTheArcades.com, you play the game Zapataur (which the company, tongue-in-cheek, calls "the most highly anticipated game in the history of time for video gaming enthusiasts"). Rack up as many points as you can and then choose which of the four arcades to award those points to. Whichever arcade gets the most points will be given $25,000. You can choose from Arcade UFO in Austin, Texas; Game Galaxy in Nashville, Tenn.; Starbase Arcade in San Rafael, Calif.; or Star Worlds Arcade in DeKalb, Ill.

Just think about a world without video game arcades. If you grew up playing in them, wouldn't you want your kids to know what it was like? Of course you would, so do the responsible thing and help save the arcades.

Photo courtesy of ilovemypit, via Flickr