Page 17 - Old School Gamer Magazine Issue #42 FREE Edition

DOC: That was the cornerstone of the Galloping Ghost arcade. We had gone to all these other arcades, and the big thing that we saw
was that the machines weren't being maintained and repaired. Gun games and drivers get played instantly by everybody. They're
the easiest to damage so it's this counter-intuitive thing, they are also some of the most expensive to fix because if you're trying to get a game like Ghost Squad, those guns are like six hundred dollars. It only takes somebody to drop it and if
the front shell cracks, then you're not able to reload or do the cycle stuff anymore. It's a challenge and getting harder because games are getting harder and harder to source, and parts are getting harder and harder to source.
OSG: How much would you recommend a startup arcade to charge as a flat fee per day?
DOC: It depends on how many games, usually if you're under 50 games you have to be less. If you have 100 games, you can charge a little more. If you've got an eclectic collection of games, you can charge more. I've seen places that charge more than us and have next to nothing because it is still a great deal, but if you go to a Dave and Buster's... I think we went there for 45 minutes and spent just under 50 bucks.
OSG: What about membership passes?
DOC: We have weekly, monthly, yearly and lifetime passes and occasionally people get them.
It's very rare, like if somebody's traveling in from out of state to
do their vacation here, they'll get
a week pass. We have somebody who’s traveled in from California right now and they are staying for
a month. They bought a year pass, two months ago for a week and then now they're back now for a month and it is a good offer.
HERE ARE DOC MACK’S TOP 10 TIPS FOR STARTING AND RUNNING AN ARCADE.
1. Game Maintenance – you must make sure you have your game is playing properly and looking like it did back in the day.
2. The Game Lineup – “What games should you have?” – A big diverse number of games.
3. The business model – Tokens? Redemption games? Alcohol? These are not necessary, you can just be an arcade and it will work.
4. Location – Walk in traffic helps. Sometimes it doesn’t matter, they will come to you. Location could be expensive too.
5. Hours of operation – Weekend only is nice, but you are missing out if you aren’t open 7 days a week. It’s not for everyone, but families want to play on weekdays and holidays, so it’s nice to be open.
6. Employees – Family is nice, but you also need people who have knowledge
of the games as well. It helps keep the gamers interested and coming back.
7. Streams – Must stream video of the arcade. People do not know about things unless you get the word out and streaming is the best way to do so.
8. Building a community
– Huge element. Making people a part of the arcade and feeling like family. Will bring more people in and want to also be a part of it.
9. Expanding the Arcade - Does take financing, but it is really important to keep the player base coming.
10. Evolving – This hurt the early days of arcades. Moving away from tokens and quarters. Be aware and try new things and somethings that were not tried before.
BONUS TIP: Try to find businesses around that are beneficial. Food, bar, hotels, etc.
SEPTEMBER 2024 • WWW.OLDSCHOOLGAMER.COM
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