Arcades were in vogue
You are too young if you are unaware of this reality. Pinball was previously outlawed in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago until the 1970s. Isn’t that an odd prohibition?
Fortunately for these young people, the ban did not extend to England, and they were able to spend their afternoons at a fantastic arcade. In London’s Soho, about 1979, this is The Video Battle Centre, an arcade on the corner of Rupert Street and Brewer Street.