Marcus' videogame survey!

[marcus]

So I'm drafting up a rough business plan to create a classic arcade in my hometown. Now we all know with fancy home consoles that arcades are practically dead but the few privately owned ones I've seen still alive have done so because they provide good services. This survey is designed for me to gather input from you, the average "gamer." It'll help me with my economic projections and business assessment.

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On average, how long do you spend inside a video arcade in a single visit?

On average, how much money do you spend inside a video arcade in a single visit?

On average, how much time do you spend with family and friends away from home?

On average, how many alcoholic drinks do you consume in a public location such as a bar, restaurant, or lounge?

If you don't drink, how many non-alcoholic drinks do you consume in a public location such as a bar, restaurant, or lounge?

On average, how many snacks (bag of chips, frozen finger foods, etc.) do you consume when conducting leisurely activities (watching tv, playing games, hanging out with friends, etc.)

On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being "Never" and 5 being "All the time" how often do you access free public wi-fi?

On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being "Never" and 5 being "All the time" how often would you utilize a lounge allowing you to freely play multiplayer games on classic video game consoles?

On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being "Never" and 5 being "All the time" how often would you participate in regular tournaments and competitions that awarded prizes?

Place the following arcade machines in order of importance left to right with left being the most important and right being the least. Beat 'em Up (Final Fight, Double Dragon), SHMUP (Raiden, Gradius), fighting (Street Fighter), sidescroller action (Metal Slug, Ghouls n' Ghosts), top-down action (Shock Trooper, SMASH TV), traditional platformer (Donkey Kong, Bubble Bobble), puzzle (Super Puzzle Fighter, Bust A Move), racing/sports (NBA Jam, Cruis'n USA), first person shooter/vehicle simulator (Area 51, Star Wars), parlor (fooseball, air hockey), pinball.

List your top 10 favorite arcade games.

Out of your list, which games do you play primarily for their multiplayer aspect?

In your opinion, what's the most important aspect of a good business that makes you return?
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If you can't tell, my plan for the arcade is to cater mostly to young adults (18-30) and people who are interested in playing older games. In addition to that service there'll be alcohol, monthly tournaments, a little lounge area with free wi-fi and some of my old video game consoles to play, and it'll be a front for my online business of selling vintage electronics for some extra side money. A finished business plan is about a year off but it doesn't hurt to start early.

[Kefka Jr.]

Re: Marcus' videogame survey!

On average, how long do you spend inside a video arcade in a single visit?
Last time I was in one, a little less than an hour.

On average, how much money do you spend inside a video arcade in a single visit?
Not more than 10 bucks. Paid 50 cents for a few fighters while waiting for the big dollar games to free up.

On average, how much time do you spend with family and friends away from home?
On a good week, about 5 or 6 hours.

On average, how many alcoholic drinks do you consume in a public location such as a bar, restaurant, or lounge?
One. Two if everyone else is getting more.

If you don't drink, how many non-alcoholic drinks do you consume in a public location such as a bar, restaurant, or lounge?
If I don't feel like alcohol, I guess one or two glasses of water, or a coke.

On average, how many snacks (bag of chips, frozen finger foods, etc.) do you consume when conducting leisurely activities (watching tv, playing games, hanging out with friends, etc.)
One or two - a meal if we're catching up. Tend to pick off other people's plates, too.

On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being "Never" and 5 being "All the time" how often do you access free public wi-fi?
2.

On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being "Never" and 5 being "All the time" how often would you utilize a lounge allowing you to freely play multiplayer games on classic video game consoles?
5.

On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being "Never" and 5 being "All the time" how often would you participate in regular tournaments and competitions that awarded prizes?
2... 2.5.

Place the following arcade machines in order of importance left to right with left being the most important and right being the least. Beat 'em Up (Final Fight, Double Dragon), SHMUP (Raiden, Gradius), fighting (Street Fighter), sidescroller action (Metal Slug, Ghouls n' Ghosts), top-down action (Shock Trooper, SMASH TV), traditional platformer (Donkey Kong, Bubble Bobble), puzzle (Super Puzzle Fighter, Bust A Move), racing/sports (NBA Jam, Cruis'n USA), first person shooter/vehicle simulator (Area 51, Star Wars), parlor (fooseball, air hockey), pinball.
BEATEMUP, Fighting, Shooter, SHMUP, Sidescrolling action, Top-down action, Parlor, Puzzle, Platformer, Racing/Sports, Pinball

List your top 10 favorite arcade games.
X-Men, Turtles In Time, The Simpsons, Street Fighter 3, Time Crisis, Virtua Cop, Soul Calibur II, Metal Slug, Ms. Pac Man, and, uh... Crazy Taxi.

Out of your list, which games do you play primarily for their multiplayer aspect?
The Beat-em-ups, of course.

In your opinion, what's the most important aspect of a good business that makes you return?
Smiles!

[Manji]

Re: Marcus' videogame survey!

On average, how long do you spend inside a video arcade in a single visit?

•at least 1 hour or slightly more. maybe 2.

On average, how much money do you spend inside a video arcade in a single visit?

•probably about $20?

On average, how much time do you spend with family and friends away from home?

•not very much.

On average, how many alcoholic drinks do you consume in a public location such as a bar, restaurant, or lounge?

•none, i don't drink alcohol.

If you don't drink, how many non-alcoholic drinks do you consume in a public location such as a bar, restaurant, or lounge?

•1 or 2. maybe 3 if im there a while.

On average, how many snacks (bag of chips, frozen finger foods, etc.) do you consume when conducting leisurely activities (watching tv, playing games, hanging out with friends, etc.)

•i have the occasional snack or meal during those activities.

On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being "Never" and 5 being "All the time" how often do you access free public wi-fi?

•1

On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being "Never" and 5 being "All the time" how often would you utilize a lounge allowing you to freely play multiplayer games on classic video game consoles?

•3. depending on the game selection. its hard to find people who play the old games i still like, especially multiplayer ones.

On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being "Never" and 5 being "All the time" how often would you participate in regular tournaments and competitions that awarded prizes?

•3. depends on where these tournaments are being held and if they are accessible and closer to home.

Place the following arcade machines in order of importance left to right with left being the most important and right being the least. Beat 'em Up (Final Fight, Double Dragon), SHMUP (Raiden, Gradius), fighting (Street Fighter), sidescroller action (Metal Slug, Ghouls n' Ghosts), top-down action (Shock Trooper, SMASH TV), traditional platformer (Donkey Kong, Bubble Bobble), puzzle (Super Puzzle Fighter, Bust A Move), racing/sports (NBA Jam, Cruis'n USA), first person shooter/vehicle simulator (Area 51, Star Wars), parlor (fooseball, air hockey), pinball.

•SHMUP, Beat 'em Up, Sidescroller action, First person shooter/vehicle simulator, top-down action, racing/sports, traditional platformer, puzzle, pinball, parlor

List your top 10 favorite arcade games.

•Samurai Shodown II, Dungeons and Dragons, Final Fight, Shock Troopers, X-Men, TMNT, Metal Slug, Time Crisis, Daytona, Pac-man


Out of your list, which games do you play primarily for their multiplayer aspect?

•mainly any fighting games or games that allow more than 2 people.

In your opinion, what's the most important aspect of a good business that makes you return?

•that is a big question. if you're talking about an arcade, i would say it should be well maintained and clean, offer a variety of choices, positive attitude towards the people/customers who are essentially financing the business, employees who know what they are talking about

[marcus]

Re: Marcus' videogame survey!

Well I'm already filing for bankruptcy

Most of Kefka's opinions are dead close to what I've observed personally. The average person spends about an hour in an arcade and gets $5-10 worth of change. I plan on specializing in older games and I just can't charge something like a dollar to play them. My pricing plan is 1 quarter for all machines and 2 quarters for pinball machines, 3D games, and any game that requires a bunch of external parts for upkeep. I noticed the cheaper the game is the more people continue putting quarters into it and the more arcades they try out personally.

Your taste in coin-ops is also pretty spot on. I really, really like Neo-Geo machines because their boards let you swap out cartridges. Capcom and Konami's later machines also let you swap games out so this will save a ton of space. I'm trying to limit big and bulky games like OutRun but that's a classic and needs to be in. I like X-Men but that thing went up to 8 players or something and takes up massive amounts of space.

I estimate I'll need about a $50,000 loan to start up. Leasing in my hometown is stupidly cheap for prime locations (about $5 per square foot). Gotta do more planning.

Edit: Manji posted while I was typing. Damn, man, $20. You'll be my valued customer.

[John Mora]

Re: Marcus' videogame survey!

If you do this, it's required you include Point Blank.

[Manji]

Re: Marcus' videogame survey!

Edit: Manji posted while I was typing. Damn, man, $20. You'll be my valued customer.

yea i miss going to the arcade. ever since the dance dance revolution thing and too many people mucking up the arcade into an artificial dance club.

neo-geo cabs are definitely the way to go. you can get a 2, 4 or 6 slot board, save on space and offer more games. the mvs carts go for pennies to the dollar of the home carts, so not only are the best games affordable, they're damn fun too. a shooter like Blazing Star or a quality fighting game like Mark of the Wolves are well worth their price. and as you mentioned, to change games, it's as easy as swapping the carts out.

[Sampson]

Re: Marcus' videogame survey!

I plan on specializing in older games and I just can't charge something like a dollar to play them. My pricing plan is 1 quarter for all machines and 2 quarters for pinball machines, 3D games, and any game that requires a bunch of external parts for upkeep. I noticed the cheaper the game is the more people continue putting quarters into it and the more arcades they try out personally.

I've only come across one arcade that operated successfully like this.

It's called Pinball Pete's. They only remain successful because their operating costs are next to nothing (they generally only have a single person working at a time) and they're in a great location. They're located in the main area of campus next to a bunch of bars and restaurants, so they always have people walking by.

I think if you are shooting for an older style arcade you'd have to find a location with a lot of foot traffic. I can't see people driving out to something like that.

there'll be alcohol

I have no idea what the liquor laws are like in Washington, but here they are a nightmare. If you want to sell alcohol, looking into the laws surrounding that should be your primary concern.

[1ce]

Re: Marcus' videogame survey!

I've been spending a lot of time in the arcades for about a year. So, here's my ever-so humble opinions.

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On average, how long do you spend inside a video arcade in a single visit?
1 to 2 hours

On average, how much money do you spend inside a video arcade in a single visit?
Varies. Usually between 2 and 5 dollars.

On average, how much time do you spend with family and friends away from home?
5 or so hours.

On average, how many alcoholic drinks do you consume in a public location such as a bar, restaurant, or lounge?
Almost never. Just don't enjoy them.

If you don't drink, how many non-alcoholic drinks do you consume in a public location such as a bar, restaurant, or lounge?
1 or 2 drinks.

On average, how many snacks (bag of chips, frozen finger foods, etc.) do you consume when conducting leisurely activities (watching tv, playing games, hanging out with friends, etc.)
1 or 2 snacks.

On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being "Never" and 5 being "All the time" how often do you access free public wi-fi?
1, Never.

On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being "Never" and 5 being "All the time" how often would you utilize a lounge allowing you to freely play multiplayer games on classic video game consoles?
Just a guess, but I'd say 4.

On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being "Never" and 5 being "All the time" how often would you participate in regular tournaments and competitions that awarded prizes?
Just a guess, but I'd say 4.

Place the following arcade machines in order of importance left to right with left being the most important and right being the least.

Sidescroller action, puzzle, traditional platformer, parlor, beat em up, SHMUP, top down action, pinball, fighting, racing/sports, first person shooter/vehicle simulator

List your top 10 favorite arcade games.

In no particular order:

Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram
Virtual On
Sunset Riders
House of the Dead 2
House of the Dead 4
X-men
Bust a Move '99/3
Final Furlong
Donkey Kong
SoulCalibur 1

Out of your list, which games do you play primarily for their multiplayer aspect?

Sunset Riders, HotD, and Final Furlong

In your opinion, what's the most important aspect of a good business that makes you return?

For any business, it's customer service. If the employees treat me with respect and enjoy seeing me come in and do what they can for me, I usually come back. If the customer service is excellent, I keep coming back!

--

A word of advice, if I may.

Have lots of redemption and ticket giving machines. It's probably not what you'd like to have, but they sell well. Consider this: one of my arcades caters to the family with lots of bumper cars, birthday parties and mini-golf, and they get really busy during the weekends. The other arcade near me does just arcades, and no one goes in there (there are a variety of reasons why, but this is probably the most important).

And please, please, please have lots of spare parts ready when something breaks down. The biggest turn off for me to an arcade game is one that's not working correctly. I hate broken stuff. It's even worse when a company is either oblivious to it or doesn't seem to care about it. There's another reason I hate the second arcade near me; the machines are always broken, and it really makes me mad that they do nothing about it.

[Caciss]

Re: Marcus' videogame survey!

I'm not gonna fill that whole thing out but you need some Virtua On, f'sure.

[Czechs Mex]

Re: Marcus' videogame survey!

I think you should really play up the high-score list for each game, or high-scores for players across games. Like advertise the "best" players in the arcade.

Desire for recognition and a competitive environment could be a pretty good incentive for people to spend their money.

Maybe do it by age group or something, so everyone can be competitive.

[John Mora]

Re: Marcus' videogame survey!

Yeah, I would always get excited when I got high scores on arcade machines. Then I realized the scores were cleared out every day.

[Jehuty]

Re: Marcus' videogame survey!

I never ever play arcade games. Its a waste of money =X

[Vanilla Iced Tea]

Re: Barcus' bideobame burvey!

On average, how long do you spend inside a video arcade in a single visit?
About an hour and a half.

On average, how much money do you spend inside a video arcade in a single visit?
I would usually go in ready to spend about five to ten dollars on games.

On average, how much time do you spend with family and friends away from home?
Maybe 10 to 15 hours a week? It can vary a lot, so it's kind of hard to estimate.

On average, how many alcoholic drinks do you consume in a public location such as a bar, restaurant, or lounge?
At a bar, maybe four to six. At a restaurant or lounge, I'd say two on average.

If you don't drink, how many non-alcoholic drinks do you consume in a public location such as a bar, restaurant, or lounge?
If I'm driving or something, around two.

On average, how many snacks (bag of chips, frozen finger foods, etc.) do you consume when conducting leisurely activities (watching tv, playing games, hanging out with friends, etc.)
One snack, I guess.

On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being "Never" and 5 being "All the time" how often do you access free public wi-fi?
3.

On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being "Never" and 5 being "All the time" how often would you utilize a lounge allowing you to freely play multiplayer games on classic video game consoles?
3.

On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being "Never" and 5 being "All the time" how often would you participate in regular tournaments and competitions that awarded prizes?
2.

Place the following arcade machines in order of importance left to right with left being the most important and right being the least.

Fighting, Beat 'em up, Sidescroller action, Traditional platformer, Top-down action, Racing/sports, First-person shooter/vehicle simulator, SHMUP, Puzzle, Parlor, Pinball

List your top 10 favorite arcade games.

X-Men
Final Fight
Soul Calibur 2
TMNT: Turtles In Time
Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes
Area 51
NBA Jam
Virtual On
House of the Dead 2

Out of your list, which games do you play primarily for their multiplayer aspect?

X-Men, Final Fight, Turtles in Time

In your opinion, what's the most important aspect of a good business that makes you return?

I frequent places that have the things that I want. To be completely honest, not a lot more than that goes into my decision to return.

[Alzar]

Re: Barcus' bideobame burvey!

There's one in Portland, OR called http://www.groundkontrol.com/

It's pretty popular. It's right in the heart of downtown and near enough to the college, so that helps its popularity quite a bit.

Personally, I hate it, cos it's loud as **** and super crampt. It's a video game bar where like you describe. That website has a list of their games and stuff. My guess is they make their money on the booze and not so much on the games. They're still quarter operated.

[marcus]

Re: Marcus' videogame survey!

I've only come across one arcade that operated successfully like this.

It's called Pinball Pete's. They only remain successful because their operating costs are next to nothing (they generally only have a single person working at a time) and they're in a great location. They're located in the main area of campus next to a bunch of bars and restaurants, so they always have people walking by.

I think if you are shooting for an older style arcade you'd have to find a location with a lot of foot traffic. I can't see people driving out to something like that.

Yeah, I know a few inner city colleges and I'll be setting up in Virginia where leasing is cheap all around. Virginia's a control state but beer and wine can be sold with an ABC license on premises until 2am seven days a week. I only plan on hiring a single full time worker and a bunch of part timers but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Yeah, I would always get excited when I got high scores on arcade machines. Then I realized the scores were cleared out every day.

I always hated that **** and I'll be sure not to erase the scores. I might even do a Wall of Fame where a picture is taken of the dude with the highest score. Drum up some competition.

Personally, I hate it, cos it's loud as **** and super crampt. It's a video game bar where like you describe. That website has a list of their games and stuff. My guess is they make their money on the booze and not so much on the games. They're still quarter operated.

I mentioned this earlier and the place isn't bad around mid-day. They have about 70 machines in a tiny little area not counting the second floor. It gets really terrible in the evening when all the vampires came out and there's a studio a block over where Slayer and other bad bands bring out the undesirables in droves. I'm sure it helps their business but **** if I can stand it.

I'm kind of surprised people like Virtual On, I hated that game. I know someone selling the two player sit down version for about $500.