morbidboy
New member
We originally did a business/financial breakdown that most our games play an average of 3 times an hour (donkey kong plays more per hour, than Defender... but the average is the same) at a play of 25¢ so we did some simple math, upping the cost to 50¢ per play:
50¢ x 3 plays per hour (Avg) = $1.50 x 21 Machines = $31.50 x 10 hours = $315.50 net profit per day, which surpasses our daily min. that we have to make per day to stay in business.
This is what we base on the average of daily totals of having 3 machines in the store, which get constant gameplay for the 10 hours (when we were open as a gift shop).
"So if you build this business model based on 50¢ sales, 3 times a hour, why would you drop it to only 25¢ ?"
Well that was quite easy; it easier for a gamer to spend 25¢ than 50¢ per game, completely upping the volume of quaters collected. Annie and I have been watching gamers play our machines for the last month, asking questions, reading online (why some arcades succeed while other have failed) and reading all of the ideas that we get via emails (we get ALOT!) and realized that when you want to play a 25¢, there's no extra thought to it. You just reach into your pocket, put a quarter in the game and play. 50¢ per game stop the fuildity of that automatic motion...
1) you have to stop and think/find 50¢ in your pocket.
2) You think, "How many more games can I play (Per 50¢) with just the change in my
pocket?"
3) Is this game worth 50¢ more?
4) When do I need to get more change?
Other than first entertaining the idea of spending 50¢ per game ("50¢?... Fuck that!"), these are the questions that are thought by every gamer and would probably hinder their decisions to play for hours or to come back on a regular basis. I personally think of these questions when I spend $1.00 on pinball. Now if we keep all the games to only 25¢, most of those questions just fade away and the fluidity of quarter-play-quarter-play-quarter-play... continues uninterrupted.
But you can't run a business on just games. We will be offering tables and chairs for customers to feel comfortable or for parents to read a book while their kids play. Even though we don't sell food (yet. We will have bagged snacks. We want to explore the possiblity of pizza by the slice), we will have signs clearly marked to let people know that theres a restaurant with full bar next door or a gelato/coffee shop on the other side and they're welcome to come back with their "to go" items and cups of coffee. We'll also make sure to have our restrooms clearly marked... basicly making sure that the customer is always comfortable and have every reason to stay and come back.
Even though we pay a large sum in rent, we are in a high traffic area next to bars, restaurants and other nightlife. We have a good web exposer. We have tons of poeple that can't wait for us to open and I feel that with our heavy foot trafic, people will see all the pretty games and lighs inside and have to spend a couple of bucks before leaving... it's alot eaiser getting quarters than dollars outa vistors. Also $5 for unlimited play (durring slow hours, 12-3pm) is a good idea and a way to maintain afternoon business.
Overall, I LOVE VIDEO GAMES! I own video games. I love hanging out with my regulars, which I consider friends (in and out of the arcade) but my wife and I are running a business and have put in alot of thought and prepwork into this. We really feel that Rusty Quarters is going to work, not only for us financially but for our local gaming community.
50¢ x 3 plays per hour (Avg) = $1.50 x 21 Machines = $31.50 x 10 hours = $315.50 net profit per day, which surpasses our daily min. that we have to make per day to stay in business.
This is what we base on the average of daily totals of having 3 machines in the store, which get constant gameplay for the 10 hours (when we were open as a gift shop).
"So if you build this business model based on 50¢ sales, 3 times a hour, why would you drop it to only 25¢ ?"
Well that was quite easy; it easier for a gamer to spend 25¢ than 50¢ per game, completely upping the volume of quaters collected. Annie and I have been watching gamers play our machines for the last month, asking questions, reading online (why some arcades succeed while other have failed) and reading all of the ideas that we get via emails (we get ALOT!) and realized that when you want to play a 25¢, there's no extra thought to it. You just reach into your pocket, put a quarter in the game and play. 50¢ per game stop the fuildity of that automatic motion...
1) you have to stop and think/find 50¢ in your pocket.
2) You think, "How many more games can I play (Per 50¢) with just the change in my
pocket?"
3) Is this game worth 50¢ more?
4) When do I need to get more change?
Other than first entertaining the idea of spending 50¢ per game ("50¢?... Fuck that!"), these are the questions that are thought by every gamer and would probably hinder their decisions to play for hours or to come back on a regular basis. I personally think of these questions when I spend $1.00 on pinball. Now if we keep all the games to only 25¢, most of those questions just fade away and the fluidity of quarter-play-quarter-play-quarter-play... continues uninterrupted.
But you can't run a business on just games. We will be offering tables and chairs for customers to feel comfortable or for parents to read a book while their kids play. Even though we don't sell food (yet. We will have bagged snacks. We want to explore the possiblity of pizza by the slice), we will have signs clearly marked to let people know that theres a restaurant with full bar next door or a gelato/coffee shop on the other side and they're welcome to come back with their "to go" items and cups of coffee. We'll also make sure to have our restrooms clearly marked... basicly making sure that the customer is always comfortable and have every reason to stay and come back.
Even though we pay a large sum in rent, we are in a high traffic area next to bars, restaurants and other nightlife. We have a good web exposer. We have tons of poeple that can't wait for us to open and I feel that with our heavy foot trafic, people will see all the pretty games and lighs inside and have to spend a couple of bucks before leaving... it's alot eaiser getting quarters than dollars outa vistors. Also $5 for unlimited play (durring slow hours, 12-3pm) is a good idea and a way to maintain afternoon business.
Overall, I LOVE VIDEO GAMES! I own video games. I love hanging out with my regulars, which I consider friends (in and out of the arcade) but my wife and I are running a business and have put in alot of thought and prepwork into this. We really feel that Rusty Quarters is going to work, not only for us financially but for our local gaming community.
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