Old school arcade-gauging interest

[polak]

I'd suggest trying to convince a bar to let you operate some games in their place and just see how much use they get. Give the bar most of the profit if you need to but you'll see if this is even remotely viable.

Aiming at families won't work. Kids don't want to play 8-bit Mario when they have a PS4 at home.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by polak

I'd suggest trying to convince a bar to let you operate some games in their place and just see how much use they get. Give the bar most of the profit if you need to but you'll see if this is even remotely viable.

Aiming at families won't work. Kids don't want to play 8-bit Mario when they have a PS4 at home.

Agreed. I think, one of the issues my buddies and I were discussing is that perhaps everyone wants to go from 0 to full scale and fizzling out or balking at the set up costs. Maybe a test bed is necessary first?

See if a bowling alley or bar or equivalent has one of those "party rooms" that gets barely any usage. Remove everything inside other than a pair/combo of pinball or arcade machines and a table for a beverage. Individuals can rent the room for $20-30 an hour. See if there is any interest?

If that works, then maybe seeing if you can book those barely used party rooms at a Cinema or maybe a stall/cubicle in a mall and do the same?

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by polak

I'd suggest trying to convince a bar to let you operate some games in their place and just see how much use they get. Give the bar most of the profit if you need to but you'll see if this is even remotely viable.

Aiming at families won't work. Kids don't want to play 8-bit Mario when they have a PS4 at home.

I think this would be a terrible idea because I don't think the games actually generate a lot of revenue/profit. The money comes from the food/beverage business.

Some rough numbers:
$2500 machine (assuming that is about average)
$1 per play and assume each play is about 10 minutes. That generates $6 per hour ($12 if it is a head to head game.)
At 4 hours of constant play per day (assuming that is a standard evening 6-10pm) that would be $24 or $48 per day. $168 per week or $336.
I don't see a lot of room for profit sharing because this doesn't even include maintenance on the machine, possible rent cost for the room, utilities.

[GirlySports]

are there pinball machines and foosball tables in bars? or mostly just pool tables? What do pool tables cost to play? $10 per hour?

I admit i don't go to bars as much anymore (last 5 years)

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

are there pinball machines and foosball tables in bars? or mostly just pool tables? What do pool tables cost to play? $10 per hour?

I admit i don't go to bars as much anymore (last 5 years)

I believe Mike's Billiards (for instance) is $12 an hour. There's also a coin option for $4-5 per game. Such tables I've also seen in other bars. $4-5 games usually last round 5-15 minutes depending whether someone accidentally sinks the 8 ball.

I haven't seen a pub with foosball or arcade games etc in a long time.

But I've seen a few electronic dart boards. I believe those are around $4-5 a round, but I am not sure because I haven't played in a while as those boards are usually busy.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

are there pinball machines and foosball tables in bars? or mostly just pool tables? What do pool tables cost to play? $10 per hour?

I admit i don't go to bars as much anymore (last 5 years)

National on 8th has ping pong and foosball. I don't recall pool tables or pinball/video games.

[Sr. Mints]

Wasn't there an arcade in Northland Village Mall ~10+ years ago, where the Tim Hortons is now? As soon as I read a DDR comment further up, a flashback popped in my head of [presumably] high school kids gathered around watching people go nuts on that thing. I think it was an arcade, I never actually went in.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Sr. Mints

Wasn't there an arcade in Northland Village Mall ~10+ years ago, where the Tim Hortons is now? As soon as I read a DDR comment further up, a flashback popped in my head of [presumably] high school kids gathered around watching people go nuts on that thing. I think it was an arcade, I never actually went in.

That was a Ruckers, and it was an arcade/party place with mostly redemption ticket games and some real arcade games. As it was one of the best DDR machines in the City, it got people even from the University going over there to play it.

Yes...I played a lot of DDR when I was younger.

EDIT: As a point of reference, a DDR machine would make about $8-10 an hour. If there was a larger group there then two players would play together and you could double that.

[DoubleK]

Who's in for a CP pinball tournament? I can organize.

[Fire]

I prefer pinball machines over arcade games but whenever I play a pinball machine it seems something is always at least a little broken. So I can understand maintaining those things could be a nightmare. I would think if you were starting one of these places you would partner up with some people that know how to fix pinball machines so you could lower your costs.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

I believe Mike's Billiards (for instance) is $12 an hour. There's also a coin option for $4-5 per game. Such tables I've also seen in other bars. $4-5 games usually last round 5-15 minutes depending whether someone accidentally sinks the 8 Ball.

I haven't seen a pub with foosball or arcade games etc in a long time.

But I've seen a few electronic dart boards. I believe those are around $4-5 a round, but I am not sure because I haven't played in a while as those boards are usually busy.

Maybe prices are different in Calgary now but usually around $2 is the norm for pool.

As for pinball machines, they are all over Vancouver. Usually 3 plays $2. But yeah I imagine the profit margin is low. The popular machines cost around $10,000. The typical model is a guy, who knows how to maintain them, operates them and takes all profit. The bar allows it as it draws some people in. Some bars own their own, but those machines are usually run down and less fun.

There's the arcade downtown, which either signed a 50 year lease or is a front. It's very shady and typically empty.

But yeah, I'll echo the sentiment, that you'll need to sell good and booze to be profitable. The cost of setting up a restaurant is huge. Many start of in debt then go under.

[Violator]

If you want to model your business after a place i suggest this place from back in Abbotsford BC

http://www.castlefunpark.com/

You need more than video games to succeed

[CaramonLS]

Although it isn't completely relevant to the conversation, Arcade culture is still alive and well in Japan. Most cities will have one every couple of blocks downtown and they are absolutely massive. Some of the things they have that drive traffic to them:

1) New and innovative arcade games - they've got really cool card games that you can play on those machines, VR type games, linked games (play a game of street fighter against someone else in Japan on another machine and your high scores go into online rankings). They have some really cool Gundam games which make you feel like you're a pilot with the cockpit and control layout. Lots have old school games as well.

2) Prize machines everywhere - for every arcade game, they have another prize machine. Generally filled with anime items (like posters and figures) that you can really only find in these prize machines.

3) You can drink in them. Bring some beers you bought at a local convenience store and hang out with your friends and just play video games.

If the university closed down their arcade, I feel arcade culture has little hope of coming back in any way. I barely even glance at the stuff in the airport now or at the theater.

[Pizza]

Originally Posted by dino7c

5-10 quality pinball machines would make more money than anything in the place...trust me. Have weekly tournaments or something. Stern is still making quality pinball machines and there is a following in Calgary beyond "hipsters"

oh, make sure you have a super chexx or two

Very unlikely pinball would make money. You'd be lucky to break even.

Modern Stern Pinball machines dont come cheap. Last time i looked, they're selling in Canada for $7,000 each. 5-10 of them would mean $35k - $70k.

Pinball is essentially a tiny physics based game using tiny physical moving parts, they are fragile and can be damaged easily. Everything has to be in working order or the demand in playing them will drop dramatically. Knowing how a typical pinball fanatic plays, no doubt they'll shake and bump that machine lots.

Which means you'll have to have them maintained and fixed frequently. That doesnt come cheap as pinball repair guys arent plentiful in this city

Charging $1 per play for say 5-10 min of play per machine would not generate enough revenue. Even having tournaments wouldnt help much. Pinball is only catering to such a niche market, it's not worth it if you're looking to make any kind of money

[Pizza]

Originally Posted by Misterpants

Man, if Laser Tag can survive, then this has a chance. The only thing you'd have to cultivate is the right balance of atmosphere. Too much to the adult side and it'd be a skidsville hangout for gangsters like Red's at the West Edmonton Mall. Too much to the kids side and there would be not enough profit from liquor and food sales.

Laser tag pulls in more revenue in one prime hour than pinball would in one prime day. Not to mention that Laser tag has a much broader appeal to both kids and adults

[Pizza]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I think this would be a terrible idea because I don't think the games actually generate a lot of revenue/profit. The money comes from the food/beverage business.

Some rough numbers:
$2500 machine (assuming that is about average)
$1 per play and assume each play is about 10 minutes. That generates $6 per hour ($12 if it is a head to head game.)
At 4 hours of constant play per day (assuming that is a standard evening 6-10pm) that would be $24 or $48 per day. $168 per week or $336.
I don't see a lot of room for profit sharing because this doesn't even include maintenance on the machine, possible rent cost for the room, utilities.

this is probably the most pragmatic post in this thread. Everyone is assuming everything, so i like the fact that you're estimating the profitability.

just to tweak one number... costs for machines would be way more than $2500

A new pinball machine would set you back $7000.
Those vintage box gaming machines (table pacman, galaga, golden axe) are $3000- $4000
Depending on how big the machine, a modern gaming machine are in the range of $5000-$10,000

not to mention you have to hire staff to watch over the place too.

Unless you're a bored multi millionaire who wants to live out his fantasy of owning an arcade, it's definitely not worth it if you're looking to make a profit out of this. You'd see many others going this route if there was money to be made in arcades

[Sliver]

Pizza, I think you missed the part where basically everyone has said alcohol is where the money would be made. It's not like we're telling him we think it's a good idea to open a theatre but not sell popcorn and soda. And even with alcohol is on the menu, it's been well acknowledged in here that this is a huge risk with enormous upfront costs. The conversation just kind of carried on for fun with those realities accepted.

Not that your post wasn't contributive or relevant, but I just wanted to defend the rest of the collective intelligence in here.

[Pizza]

I'm just weighing in on more of the start up and maintenance costs as it seems like everyone here is underestimating it

i got the alcohol sales discussion and everything else,

Schanks is pretty much what this is, but as people have already said here, the food isnt that great and the arcade there is poorly maintained

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Pizza

I'm just weighing in on more of the start up and maintenance costs as it seems like everyone here is underestimating it

i got the alcohol sales discussion and everything else,

Schanks is pretty much what this is, but as people have already said here, the food isnt that great and the arcade there is poorly maintained

My counter argument is that Schanks basically isn't that great, and seems to be making it...

Of course, every time I've gone there during the day there is an air of desperation surrounding the folks doing off track betting, and I think they have VLTs, so they may be making it on that.

[NuclearFart]

Might want to hold off on your plan as Cineplex is going to be opening a Rec Room near cross iron mills in early 2017. Unless you really undercut yourself, its going to be hard for you to compete with the equivalent of a Dave & Busters.