It’s a sign of the times as B.C. Ferries begin removing all arcade games from its vessels.
More and more people are now bringing their own electronic devices on board, cutting into revenues from the arcades.
“Usage has gone down significantly over the past five or six years,” said BC Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall. “People bring their own devices on board and are playing on their phones and whatnot, and nobody’s really using the arcades anymore.”
We spoke with 10-year-old, Jaxon Wallace, who travels on BC Ferries often with his did, we asked him what he thought of the impending doom of the arcades, here was his response:
“It really doesn’t bug me, because I usually have my iPad, and most of the time the arcades are out-of-order, and most kids don’t play because they’re old and outdated. There are better games on my dad’s phone, or my iPad.”
“The last time I played an arcade game was at a movie theater, never really have on the ferry. I usually watch TV or use my iPad to play games, or watch for whales with my dad,” he added.
He thinks the space should be replaced with a candy store that sells hot dogs and milkshakes.
The first vessel to have the arcade eliminated was the Queen of Oak Bay earlier this year. The space was turned into an extension of the snack bar area.
The others will start to disappear as the boats come in for their scheduled upgrades next spring. The spaces will be used for more seating or expanding the size of gift shops.
Pay phones will also be eliminated from the vessels as they’re upgraded, adds Marshall.
