Muddclub, just a note that i was preaching from last year. Take a look at all the big arcades in LA. They are only pure arcades ( not lan or anything else ). They are still in business year after year. They are open till 3am everday during the week and 4am on the weekends. All their games are cheap at .25 each game, even for the new games ( not the ddr, or shoot’em up games, the fighters).
So to say dropping the price would not make profit is just foolish. For now the 1 cab per game is ok, but after you start getting revenue you should look into getting 2 cabs per game, thats when business really starts to boom.
You will probably reply with " We arent a real arcade we are a bit of everything " type response. Thats fine, but dont expect to get resulsts from arcades if you wont go the distance, just take them out completely.
Well…now…to their credit, they did promise a surprise if we checked them out. I guess they were true to their word. They’re now surprised that we know what we’re talking about and they don’t.
I really hope they go through with the idea that was proposed earlier about lowering their prices to 25 cents per game on Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th. They’ll get further proof that we know what we’re talking about with pure undeniable numerical data. Hopefully, they’ll see the sign and make that change permanent.
Then, they’ll take their business from average to special. Don’t be afraid of being special, Muddclub!
Ya that would be cool about the 25 cents on fri sat, id be down to go. i just hate waiting in line when its like 15 people or more waiting to play marvel lol
I totally agree about waiting behind 15 people…but if they see that their fighting games are so backed up that 15 people are waiting in line to play, that may motivate them to buy multiple cabinets of those fighting games and/or buy a variety of other games to play while they wait.
The moneymaking potential is quite obvious. I hope they capitalize.
Lol personally i wouldnt listen to “customers” in san diego… people make demands and if the demands are met people will continue to show no support. If its not the prices, then its going to be the fact that there is only one cab. and if its not that then its going to be high prices on drinks, and if its not that then its going to be to far to drive, and if its not that then its going to be that its too hot in there.
With all that said, if research wouldve been done; such as the pricing, location and getting a general feel for what san diego gamers wanted and needed things may have turned out different. Im not sure when you guys hoped on turning a profit, but its seems like you guys were leaning towards short term instead of long term. San diego is an expensive place, most people from daygo would like to save a few bucks.
I think you’d want to change that first statement about listening to customers once you realized just how much some customers know. Lemme give you an example. I’m a Gospel DJ. I have my own production company that specializes in manipulating sound and music. In other words, I’m providing a service…to customers. Whenever I provide that service, I do it for two reasons: I love it…and I profit from it. Now, when I’m DJ’ing, do I play every request? No. Why? Some requests will end up detracting from my overall performance by messing up the flow! When I was new at it, I was much more open to input because I couldn’t really tell who knew what they were asking for. Now that I have some experience and I know my genre better than most people, I’m a little more careful, but I can generally tell who knows what they’re talking about and who doesn’t.
I have my hands in a lot of things when it comes to the DJ thing. I know people. I know trends. I’ve fought hard to get some things going and to have people unite to keep those things going. I know all about the people that are never satisfied. Does that stop me from trying? No. Does that stop me from listening and, at least, considering that some people do actually know what they’re talking about? No. Why? Because I’ve seen what can happen when you finally get your ducks in a row and provide a service that keeps them coming back over and over again while still making a profit.
This subject is no different. We’re talking to a business that has the potential to be something greater than they already may be. We are customers who know fighting games and know the trends regarding pricing and location in San Diego. We’re customers who, just like anybody else, won’t continue to play a game on controls that we know are broken…or at a price that we know is equal or greater than the place down the street. Those are the exact reasons why, back in '95, I stopped going to places like Tilt and went to places like Aztec Amusement Center and Mira Mesa Nickel City. Decent prices, good controls, and excellent customer service. The difference between us and the average joe, however is that we’re connected to a community…which means we have the ability to bring in more customers in addition to ourselves.
I’m not asking for MuddClub to turn into another Mira Mesa Nickel City. I know the demand isn’t that high anymore. All I’m saying is that MuddClub needs to consider what we’re saying by looking at their competition compared to themselves. What are the things that set their arcade apart from the other arcades in San Diego? What can they offer that other arcades in San Diego aren’t offering that would be enough to draw customers away from the other arcades?
The research that you’re suggesting…it’s already been done…by us. We’ve seen it all…and we’re doing MuddClub a favor by sharing it.
Tilt, AFAIK, has all of their MvC machines in San Diego on 50 cents, right? Isn’t it the same for CvS2 and Third Strike? What are the prices on other well known fighting games? List them. Now…how good is the service in those arcades? Do they regularly keep up on the machines? How do they compare to MuddClub? Would it be worth it to make the drive?
This is all Business 101 stuff. When I started out as a DJ, I barely charged anything so that people would have an incentive to give me a chance. As I got exposure, I was able to increase my prices. Now, I’m charging at least market price for my services. Truthfully, I’m holding back on what I can do so that I don’t get too much attention. Just getting married and getting ready to start a family will do that.
My suggestion for MuddClub is this…treat your computer section and your arcade section as two different businesses. Get the best games and provide the best service that you can to both. From there, look at what your competition is doing in each section. What are other online gaming places doing? What are other arcades doing? Where are they located in relation to you and your prospective customers? How can you set yourselves apart from them (remembering that gas is more expensive than it’s ever been)?
These simple questions, once answered truthfully, can lead to some people abandoning the places that offer weaker service and more expensive pricing for a place with the best service and reasonable pricing.
Well…let’s see. I’m 5’11", brown-skinned, and I was a horridly skinny 145 pounds in those days. From 1994-1997, you could find me at Aztec Amusement Center just about every day before 4 p.m. and I was at all but one of the Midnight Madness events they had, playing in at least one tournament at each one. (Until about mid-‘95, I was stylin’ a Jheri Curl and a 49ers parka. Thank God I woke up from that nightmare!) The highlight of those tourneys: I lost the semi-finals of Marvel Super Heroes to the guy that won…the guy I trained, incidentally. The low-light…I lost a game of SFA2 to a girl!!! Apoc’s girl!!! I still beat her Chun Li with my Chun Li for the match, though.
I played at Mira Mesa Nickel City until it closed down, usually on Friday and Saturday nights about 7 p.m. until closing. (The last game I remember playing there was Second Impact.) I took a hiatus from the arcade around '99 'cause I found out I could sing…and DJ. After that, around…oh…2003 maybe…I started making random Friday night appearances at Mission Valley Dave & Buster’s (before I realized that there was no competition there). I reappeared at Golden Token on random Friday nights until that closed.
I haven’t been to any Tilt more than maybe 5 times since I started revisiting the arcades and I know that were most of you all go. Who knows? If things go well with packing (I’m moving back to my old 'hood, Spring Valley) and MuddClub behaves, I might show up there. Otherwise, if you see me, it’ll be on a Friday night when you all gather at Chula Vista Tilt or something.
I think I’ve mentioned the people I used to hang out with…
SDSU: Harry Chang, Greg Clarke (a.k.a. GEESE!!!), Todd (a.k.a. Todd-1, tall black dude about 6’4"), Don (I wish I could remember his last name), Rico (who still shows up at Aztec Bowling Center), can’t forget about Tong and Wei.
A.g.sf2 alumni crew: Bob “Kuroyume” Painter, Milo Cooper, Mark Zedaker, James Romedy, Terry Cox, Eric Koda
I can’t remember any of the guys from Nickel City, though.
So…maybe that will help, but don’t look for a skinny guy anymore. My wife calls me “muscles” for a reason.
Not sure if any of you are aware of our other specials but we have been offering $5 Mudd bucks to people bringing first time guests. There is a minimum purchase of $5 from both the guest and the existing member.
We have been actively monitoring this thread and will continue to do so. We will also be updating you on any new offers here as well as our website at www.muddclub.net. Also feel free to post suggestions on our forums.
just make the FIGHTING games 25 cents, problem solved and you will have the best arcade in san diego.
why is this so hard for mudd club to understand? Everyone who plays fighting games pretty much posts or watch these boards, and every one said make the games 25 cents and they will go.
i dont own an arcade business, nor do i pretend to, but seriously mr. mudd: All the good arcades left in america charge 25 cents for fighting games. Do some research… Family Fun Arcade, Arcade Infinity, Regency Fun Center, James Games. Up in nor cal we have Sunnyvale Golfland, and Milpitas Golfland. Every single one charges 25 cents for fighting games.
25 cents for the fighters, and if crowds start getting big enough where its 20 people waiting for the next match, maybe get another cab at that point? more profit, twice as fast. but thats later. for now, 25 cents will bring more heads. lets see it happen.
Sigh…looks like I won’t be visiting Muddclub next Friday. You seriously want me to drive up there and spend $5 when I can get a whole lot more for my money at Tilt, Boomers, or even Dave & Buster’s?! Please. You’re acting like you’ve established yourselves as the premier arcade in San Diego or something. The customer is the judge of that…not the management.
25 cent video games. That’s the only way you’ll see me there. Dios wrote out the gameplan you need to implement. Make it happen.
I think you’re talking about Boomer’s in Vista. The one I visit is on Clairemont Mesa Blvd…and they don’t have Third Strike, sadly. In fact, they used to have Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and some new version of KoF a while back, but now…they’re gone for some strange reason.
Anyway, when I actually have a free Friday night, we’ll see what’s up. Tonight’s a no go. Like I said before, I’ll probably go to Chula Vista Tilt before I drive waaaay up north.
The low-light…I lost a game of SFA2 to a girl!!! Apoc’s girl!!! I still beat her Chun Li with my Chun Li for the match, though.