Giorgio Peroni recounts Italy’s arcade history at vintage-cabinet bill event

Giorgio Peroni, described as the creator of Italy's first arcade video game, spoke about the origins of the Italian arcade industry at a presentation in Rome of DDL 2038, a bill on the protection and promotion of vintage arcade cabinets. The event was held in the Sala Caduti di Nassiriya at Palazzo Madama, the seat of the Senate of the Republic, according to the account of the presentation.

Peroni placed his own work on the project around 1975-1976, a period he described as decisive for the spread of the first arcade machines. He said the project achieved commercial success, with production reaching numbers he described as significant for the time, and that the machines developed through the experience also reached Japan.

He recounted that his first encounter with an American electronic device let him see the commercial potential of the technology, and that he proposed his own solution to some operators in the sector. The idea initially met scepticism before becoming a concrete opportunity, he said, and the result led to economic recognition of the work and to continued collaboration with the operators involved.

Peroni described early production methods as different from those of the current industry, with design often carried out through technical drawings and direct experimentation in small workshops or craft spaces, including work in domestic environments and basements. He cited Antonio Nati, founder of Arcade Story, for work on conserving and presenting vintage cabinets at fairs and events.

The presentation linked the historical value of the machines to DDL 2038. According to the account, recognition of the historical value of vintage cabinets could support their conservation, including machines otherwise destined for disposal, and the work of collectors and operators involved in recovering the equipment.