I plan on having a Summer of Shmup. Since I haven't played one in over a decade and am rusty as hell, I'll be starting with some games that are oft recommended as easier. I have Space Megaforce/Super Aleste, Blazing Star, and Batsugun Special lined up for that. I'd also like to get to Gradius Gaiden, Progear, Thunderforce 3, Darius Gaiden, Raiden Fighters Jet, Battle Garegga. But the first three will probably be enough for a season if I take them seriously. I've bought Ikaruga twice, but it doesn't hold my attention outside of its aesthetic.
No it's not, you're just putting your perception of arcades as the norm, which it isn't.
Here's a UK arcade early 80's, pretty packed out and it was very often...
Just because your area wasn't doesn't mean others weren't. You could barely get on machines in places like Skegness and Blackpool during peak seasons. My mates dad ran a roller disco with an arcade section too, and he's always said it was his single most profitable part of the business.
Maybe it was because I was in the suburbs of a major metropolitan area, but it was an embarrassment of riches in the 80s and early to mid 90s. Within half an hours drive time we had Showbiz Pizza, Chuck E Cheese, Enchanted Castle, Funland, Par King miniature golf course, Haunted Trail mini-golf, North Pier mall arcade, Super Just Games ( a big Capcom oriented arcade with all their latest cabinets), Fun Zone, Aladdin's Castle, Dennis's Place, Galaxy World (went there the day SF3 came out and some guy from EGM was dominating with Alex). And those are just the one's I got to go to, there were numerous bowling allies that had small arcades in them, but I was never into bowling.
I don't remember if they were ever as packed as that picture, but there's a reason it was nice to go during odd hours. And I never claimed they were jumping all the time, I said it was a good time, a lot of competition among game makers, varied demographic attendance, etc. Within the context of video game culture itself, I'd say it was a thriving or healthy branch. Of course, when you can have Soul Calibur at home and it looks and sounds better than the arcade, it's only a matter of time before the sun sets. But considering the low-tier dreck that makes it on these lists, the large absence of arcade/arcade-type games is suspect. Shadow Over Mystara shits on Banjo all day, every day.