The Siren Call of Arcades: Decoding the Magic of Attract Modes

There was always something magical about the auditory experience of walking into an arcade in the late 80s and 90s. It was a medley of hundreds of unique siren calls, all blended in to one single soundscape that brought joy to those that dared venture in.

To make money, arcade games needed an effective way to capture attention and draw players. Arcade machines would only have a few moments to capture and keep the attention of potential players before they moved on to explore other machines. This window of opportunity led to the development of elaborate ‘attract modes,’ a feature that served as both a game preview and an advertisement. Attract mode is typically a loop of sequences played when a game isn’t in use, including gameplay footage, high score displays and cinematic intros. Each component is carefully crafted, balancing aesthetic appeal with informative content.

The effectiveness of attract modes can be partly explained by several psychological principles. They often utilize bright colors and dynamic movements, capitalizing on the human predisposition to notice novel stimuli, rooted in evolutionary psychology. By showing snippets of gameplay or story, attract modes create an information gap, arousing curiosity. This concept aligns with the Information Gap Theory, which suggests that curiosity is a mental state resulting from the perception of a gap in knowledge. Furthermore, high-score tables tap into the innate human competitiveness, a trait often linked to basic survival instinct and social standing.

For example, Pac-Man showcases simple yet engaging gameplay in its attract mode, providing a direct, unembellished look at what players can expect. Street Fighter II uses close-up character animation in a brief cut scene to build a narrative context, engaging players beyond immediate gameplay. Mortal Kombat takes this a step further with character biographies and a written back story in it’s attract mode. The display of high scores, present since “Space Invaders”, adds a competitive edge, leveraging the concept of social comparison.

Games with novel control systems like “Dance Dance Revolution” reduced barriers to entry by providing a glimpse into how the game is played, making it more approachable to newcomers. The fast paced, catchy tunes used in the attract mode of driving games like Daytona USA and Crazy Taxi exploit the strong connection between auditory stimuli and emotional responses, a relationship heavily studied in music psychology. The use of cinematic elements in games like Final Fight plays on narrative transportation theory, where viewers become ‘transported’ into a narrative, leading to increased engagement. This was perfected by Dragon’s Lair, which is famous for engaging potential players immediately with hand drawn animated cut scenes created by former Disney animator Don Bluth.

In addition to their role in arcades, attract modes have found a new life in modern gaming culture. As arcade games transitioned to home consoles and online platforms, the concept of attract mode has been adapted and evolved. In modern games, elements of attract mode can be seen in splash screens, menu animations, and even in online game streaming, where viewers get a preview of the game before deciding to watch or play. Attract modes are complex amalgamations of design, psychology, and technology. They not only serve to lure players but also encapsulate the essence of the game, offering a glimpse into the digital worlds housed within the cabinets. As such, they hold a unique place at the intersection of entertainment, psychology, and technological innovation.