3 Continues = $1 (A theory)

[noiseredux]

This just dawned on me. So many console games of the classic 8 and 16-bit generations gave you a standard "3 continues." I just realized that this would be the equivalent of putting one dollar in an arcade cab back then. The first quarter being starting the game, and then the three continues. I wonder if this is why three continues became the sort of standard. What do you guys think?

(disclaimer: It's like 90 degrees and I like a lot of beer.)

[dsheinem]

(disclaimer: It's like 90 degrees and I like a lot of beer.)

Ah, I think I shall be joining you soon. Maybe we should engage in some drunken IRC later.

[o.pwuaioc]

I like a lot of beer.

Yeah you do. Anyway, doesn't sound implausible, but also recognize that three is perennially a "special" number, although I think more so in the West than in country's under Buddhist tradition, where four (cf. four-fold path) is prevalent.

[flojocabron]

thats if you're a good player.

if you were a little kid or sucked at games.....

then you had a quarter muncher machine on your hands.

now heres another question for you.

how much would your parents give you to play games?

Whenever I went to arcades as a kid, all I got was $2 bucks. that was all. I couldn't ask for anymore.

I had to choose what games to play and hope I didn't blow it all on one game.

I would still blow all the money on one game now.

[Flake]

Back in the day game design was not that complex - it was basically 'get arcade games to work at home' and get it to market. Though I do like your beer induced conspiracy theory.

[dsheinem]

When I was a kid the bulk of my arcade playing money came from redeeming report cards for tokens at Showbiz Pizza/Check E. Cheese's. There probably couldn't have been a better motivator to bring home A's and B's