Arcades are in decline in America for one reason or another, and there are many theories as to why.
However, there is already a thread by someone and an article about that by ponder. **So, this thread is here to discuss your strategies to bring back arcades in America, especially in small, local towns.
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My 2 cents:
For one thing, the old concept of an arcade doesn’tAl really fly anymore.
An old dingy hole in the wall with really good games simply isn’t a good business strategy anymore, because games can now be offered at home. Simply placing games in a building won’t really do anything unless it’s at a kids’ arcade or a center run by a large company, or a place with something else to offer. Also, the old arcades didn’t have gamers as owners/operators or even on staff, and machines were usually pretty beaten up and broke down often, and an outside source had to be called, which cost money. On top of that they were usually extremely dirty, with concrete floors and 20 year old coke stains on said. It was just a complete mess.
Therefore, modern arcades have to tale some initiative and be the complete opposite of this. This means clean, well lit areas run by friendly, knowledgeable gamers with an s grade janitor on staff. It also means that the people there have at least be able to identify and lightly, at the very least lightly, troubleshoot arcade cabinet problems. The staff would ideally be gamers that not only played games but specialized in certain (or even multiple) genres and could actually aid customers in getting better at their games.
But furthermore, the center would aslo have to pack variety. Just fighters alone would not really do, the place would have to have something for everybody, from Ms. Pac-Man to DDR to pinball.
After all, everyone has a favorite. These sections would be neatly organized in rows with signs clearly stating what kind of games that are in each row. An 'expert" on staff would be assigned to each row for assistance.
Also, events, events, events. (Ponder mentioned this too.) The place would most definitely have some sort of tournaments in their games, with regular fliers sent out to customers and passer-byes. This would not only break up the daily monotony but also bring in new clientele- and more importantly, their money. A membership would not be a bad idea either, since people tend to like playing a game more than five minutes before dying. For a fee, a customer could buy a membership to the arcade that would last a set amount of time. This card could also act as a save card for various games, making sure that nobody leaves the joint with their character dead and their psyche dissatisfied. The ideal Arcade would offer tiered cards for different prices. For example, bronze would allow you about an hours worth of default playtime with extra fees associated with extra time spent. Silver would afford two hours, the ability to split your time up with a friend and a newsletter. Gold, being the best, would get you three hours, discounts on amenities, and an advanced newsletter.
In addition the center would also have to pack variety. Just fighters alone would not really do, the place would have to have something for everybody, from Ms. Pac-Man to DDR to pinball.
After all, everyone has a favorite. These sections would be neatly organized in rows with signs clearly stating what kind of games that are in each row. An 'expert" on staff would be assigned to each row for assistance.
So yeah. got anything else?
Also, at the time of this thread’s writing I had been up for thirteen hours, so I was very, very tired. I will edit it eventually so it makes more sense.