Arcades have always had fun and interesting titles that never see much of a release outside of arcades. Perhaps the most prominent example of this are light gun games. They may see a release outside arcades as spin-off titles but don't tend to get many ports. With the current climate of the world making it harder to visit arcades, it may be time to bring these classic light gun titles to a platform like PC so they can still be enjoyed and experienced without having to endanger oneself to do so.
Obviously, there are several hurdles to this, not least of all being that traditional light gun technology isn't necessarily compatible with newer HDTVs, just like the issue with the NES Zapper. The options for bringing them out of arcades are slim, meaning PC might be the best (if not only) option for home ports. Games like House of the Dead or the Rambo arcade title would make a ton of money if given a wider release, and PC is perfect for reaching a large number of gamers and ensuring nothing gets left out. There's another big thing PC ports would do, which would be gaining a whole new audience.
Despite having been in arcades for years, there are still scores of gamers who have never experienced any of the classic light gun games. These titles have a long history, and bringing them to PC would not just allow the legacy they hold to continue while also offering an opportunity to revamp them, extending their legacy to a new generation. Being in the arcades only goes so far, but it brought these games massive success. However, the current world crisis, coupled with fewer arcades, means experiencing them is even harder than it used to be. It also has the potential to create new experiences.
Often, light gun games have a station where players sit or stand with a plastic gun to fire at enemies on screen. Some, like Time Crisis, feature innovative mechanics such as being able to take cover, which is done via a physical pedal that players would step on near the machine. While it may seem like light gun games work wouldn't be conducive to a platform like PC, in reality, it's one of the best platforms they could be brought to. Mechanics like the cover mechanic or firing off-screen to reload would sound hard to implement, but a simple button push could replace these functions and allow everything to be kept intact on PC.
Of course, the games aren't dead yet. Companies like SEGA still make new titles in their light gun series. The House of the Dead 4 got a release in arcades, but it also received a small release on PS3, which utilized the PlayStation Move to replicate the light gun experience. This particular game was released on an arcade engine very close to what PC offers, meaning that it could very well be released on PC with minimal effort. The limited means of playing these games only hurts them in the long run since so many will never get to experience them like people did when arcades were more prevalent.
Arcade-only releases for these games may have worked back when arcades were everywhere and easy to get to, but now, this release structure only serves to hinder the player base, so fewer people end up playing them or even seeing them aside from videos online. Not only are the controls pretty easy to translate to PC, but it gives them the best chance at being ported faithfully and looking great. Their legacies would continue even longer should this idea come to reality, and more people could experience them than ever. It's clear why these light gun games need to make their way to the PC.