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Feasibility of opening an Arcade
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DaOld Man:
I asked this question in the mame legalities thread, but I thought I would back out (slowly, watching over shoulder..) of that thread and re-start the topic here.
 Soooooo..............

What do you think of the idea of opening an 80's style arcade today?
Do you think it would make enough to support itself and you?

(I can retire from my job in about 3 years, been looking for something to keep me busy after that. My love for arcades is drawing me like a moth to a bug zapper...)
severdhed:
i would like to think that this would be a good idea, but there arent any arcades around for a reason...nobody makes any money running one. THere are a few cabinets here and there in my area, but only two places have any quantity of them.  one is CHuck E Cheese, and the other is this localy owned place.  it is similar to chuck e cheese, indoor play area, lazer tag, redemption games, and some arcade games.    sad thing is that they have 20 to 30 arcade games, and not a single one of them has a joystick.  they are all light gun and racing games.  when you go in there, the arcade section is relatively empty.  THey make their money on food and other things.


kids today don't have that same attraction to arcade games like we used to.  so that makes your target audience people in their mid twenties and higher...most of us have kids of our own, so we can't afford to go hang out at the arcade anymore, or we don't have time.    and since our kids want nothign to do with the games, taking them there is not really an option.

i would love it if there was an awesome arcade around here with some classic games, but at the same time, i couldn't go there very often even if there was one.  This is why there are no arcades.  and this is why i have a mame cabinet in my basement.  i can get my classic arcade gaming fix, even when i have very little time, and no money.

Kaytrim:
A few questions to ask yourself...

Will you be depending on this site for income?
Are you located in a medium to large metropolitan area?
Are there other arcades in your area including those at bowling allies, movie theaters and restaurants.
Will you be able to operate at a loss?
Do you have several machines or have the finances to purchase several machines to get started?  This includes more modern machines like Dance Dance Revolution and driving games.

There are other questions I am sure but this should get you thinking.

TTFN
Kaytrim
shardian:
As an income, it has a very, very small chance of working. There are several arcade/ museum types that are fairly sucessful, but it is more of a love affair than a true moneymaking venture. Here is a thread detailing the Arcade 1984 in Missouri.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=68068.msg692439#msg692439
They say they make good money. That is VERY rare nowadays.
It is also a huge investment of time and money.

If you really want to tinker in the hobby and make a little money, you're best bet is to learn the trade of repair well, then work at a local arcade as a techie, or do your own in house techie work.
bluevolume:
Here's how you make it profitable:

1. Have an all-you-can-eat buffet included with admission.
2. Have the game-win tickets be redeemable for energy drinks.
3. Have a caged pit where kids can actually fight each other after they've grown bored of doing it virtually.

Ok, I'll end the sarcasm.  I think the problem with opening an arcade these days is that there's just no market for it.  You have to keep in mind that teens and pre-teens today are much, much different than those of the "arcade" era.  There is a media-overload geared towards them; there's no time to be bored with the countless entertainment options available.  Remember when you used to wait for the release of a band's CD/tape, being excited for that Tuesday when you could hit the record store?  That concept is completely lost on a kid today.  We used to call a friend and talk for hours after school; they are texting a dozen different friends throughout the entire day.  Attention spans have become so short, I don't see any hope for an arcade past the first month it was open.

BUT, if you went for something like a Jillians or Dave & Busters, now that might work.  Have an arcade geared toward adults with drinks, food, etc.  There's definitely a draw for places like that, and you're going after a demographic with some significant disposable income.
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