unattended arcade suggestions?

dogcow

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I am opening an un-attended storefront video arcade. the nice thing is the lease is based on how much revenue it generates so im not worried that arcades are basically dead.

does anyone have experience in this area ? i am stocking the arcade mainly with prize redemption games i have in my warehouse that havent been located yet (i am a street operator). but ive been considering putting in airhockey and pool but do you think it would even be worth it or too much risk of vandalism? also is doing a rear-load changer like a laundromat the only way to go with unattended or can i get away with bolting down a freestanding changer ?

any tips appreciated

thanks
 
As long as its a well-populated area like a shopping mall, you could probably pull it off. I wouldnt put anything of great value in there though.
 
Check your local ordinances regarding pool tables if you haven't already. Sometimes there are weird rules about them like minimum age and hours of operation. There are also ordinances sometimes about a maximum number of unattended machines in one place.
 
My family is thinking about opening a community arcade so good luck.
We would have to have:
Fix-It-Felix Jr.
Sugar Rush
Ms. Pac-Man
Galaga
Centipede
Dig Dug
Crazy Otto (optional)

etc.
 
does anyone have experience in this area ?

I had some machines in laundromats with minimal staff oversight. They got raped and pillaged and I pulled them within the first 30 days every time. This was in the late 1990s though, so take that for what you will.

Most people are decent and won't ruin your stuff. The same six dirtbags in every city, though, seem to take a sadistic glee in destroying any coin-op equipment they encounter.
 
Be sure you stock up on extra pucks and stuff if you get an air hockey table. I can't tell you how upset I was after loading up $1 to play air hockey at my local unattended mall arcade and then no puck dropped out. I called the OP and he said that stuff gets stolen all the time and he told me where to find his secret stash of extra pucks so I could play.
 
What I learned the hard way:

* Security Bars are a must. Coin door and cash door. Thieves know how easy cam locks are to defeat.

* Put hasps and padlocks on service panels and back doors. They love to crawl behind the games and work, unseen, from behind removing cash and damaging the electronics. Ensure you utilize the carriage bolts with the hasps, as wood screws alone mean they can be pryed off and will yield heavy cabinet damage.

* If it's not secured, it will walk away. Hockey pucks, mallets, pool balls, sticks. This stuff really needs to be in a supervised area. Do not assume people are all decent and sensible.

* A heavy floor model change machine might work. I'd tether it with a chain though.

* Aligning yourself with a nearby business can help. Give them your phone number and hook them up with freeplay. Consider using tokens if you would rather only secure the change machine.
 
Tokens and if the change machine can be installed in the wall, well than even better.

Still bolt down the coin doors though, even if it is just token.

That would stop a lot of stupidity from going on.

You know places like Wal-Mart have unattended game rooms. Problem is in that case folks know they are being watched, and the room is always VERY well lit up.

As for security cameras, check New Egg. You can get a DVR with 8 cameras under $300 and the quality is very decent. I highly suggest reading the reviews and not buying anything which doesn't have 5 or more reviews on the one you choose. Or if you guy it at Amazon they are super good about letting you return it if you don't like it, but same rule applies for reading the reviews.
 
If its unattended definitely stay away from pool tables. Kids will play with the sticks and either get hurt or destroy your games.
 
I worked for a large op who swore off any unattended locations, not because people broke into the machines... but because they *stole* the machines. Several times, several different locations.
 
I have wondered about that many times. What would keep people from wheeling the games out? Most would not think to stop them, or just assume they were the OP, or worked for them.
 
I have wondered about that many times. What would keep people from wheeling the games out? Most would not think to stop them, or just assume they were the OP, or worked for them.

You mean those games arent free? crap,i got some returning to do.

seriously though,theres a traders village flea market around here that has a small unatteneded "arcade",i drop a quarter or two every time i go.
 
You know places like Wal-Mart have unattended game rooms. Problem is in that case folks know they are being watched, and the room is always VERY well lit up.

I had several of these Wally World game rooms back in the day and they are no more protected than a 24 hour unattended laundry-mat. We had more theft from our game room machines than those in the lobby's.

Personally I would never operate any piece of equipment in an unattended location as the risk is not worth the reward. You will have machines broken into for cash, prize redemption machines will be tipped over or the glass smashed to grab the prizes and some of the machines will just disappear (Hell, I had this happened at WalMart with door greeters watching).

And whatever you do, do not operate any game that has consumables (balls, sticks, mallets, pucks) as it will be gone the same day you restock.
 
I worked for a large op who swore off any unattended locations, not because people broke into the machines... but because they *stole* the machines. Several times, several different locations.

I know this is all very high tech, but there's gotta be some sort of sensor you can put on a machine that would trip an alarm if it moved too much while active. Of course it would be a lot easier to just be in a good area with high visibility, as well as have cameras with several, "You are being watched!" signs around. It wouldn't be hard to setup the cameras on a network so that you could view them real-time remotely.

And I would agree that pool cues would be too much of a liability in an unattended arcade. Kids are much more likely to do something bad when they aren't supervised (obviously). Just imagine if one of them got hurt because they were swordfighting with them or something.

By all means though, give it a shot. Sounds low risk with your rent arrangement. I fully support people opening arcades. Just keep the liabilities to a minimum (no pool tables) and ensure high visibility with cameras, lighting, unobstructed windows, etc.
 
thanks for all the great advice guys, i actually was not so sure if
anyone would even reply!


I had some machines in laundromats with minimal staff oversight. They got raped and pillaged and I pulled them within the first 30 days every time. This was in the late 1990s though, so take that for what you will.

Most people are decent and won't ruin your stuff. The same six dirtbags in every city, though, seem to take a sadistic glee in destroying any coin-op equipment they encounter.

i am a street operator, i specialize in laundromats. ireally havent had any problems
with unattended more than attended. you have to take extra precautions but the main
thing is people trying to unscrew anything with a screw and jamming up the coin mech



Check your local ordinances regarding pool tables if you haven't already. Sometimes there are weird rules about them like minimum age and hours of operation. There are also ordinances sometimes about a maximum number of unattended machines in one place.

GREAT advice thank you, i did not know that. based on the other posts i may
skip the pool table , altogether.

Lots of surveillance cameras even if they're non working ones that you order off eBay and just place them along the ceiling.

ill be installing a camera system. fake cameras are a bad idea , its actually a liability
if someone gets robbed, raped, etc.. and you had fake cameras you can be sued because
you created an "expectation of safety" its actually better to have no cameras at all
than fake cameras at least from a liability standpoint. But i will be installing a camera system.


What I learned the hard way:

* Security Bars are a must. Coin door and cash door. Thieves know how easy cam locks are to defeat.

* Put hasps and padlocks on service panels and back doors. They love to crawl behind the games and work, unseen, from behind removing cash and damaging the electronics. Ensure you utilize the carriage bolts with the hasps, as wood screws alone mean they can be pryed off and will yield heavy cabinet damage.

yeah i bulletproof my equipment since most of it is in laundries or places like that
or in flea markets where nobody is really watching it.

* Aligning yourself with a nearby business can help. Give them your phone number and hook them up with freeplay. Consider using tokens if you would rather only secure the change machine.

thanks great idea. i will be using tokens only, not only because i can secure
the changer better, but also because i want to get the whole dollar. also theres a laundry
next door i dont want them making change in my machine because the changer is out
if they break a dollar i want them to spend thru that entire dollar at the arcade.


I worked for a large op who swore off any unattended locations, not because people broke into the machines... but because they *stole* the machines. Several times, several different locations.

yeah i was planning to bolt down everything especially prize redemption. you really have to
or people will shake the crap out of them. Also a lot of the stuff is too big to fit through the door anyway.
 
I had several of these Wally World game rooms back in the day and they are no more protected than a 24 hour unattended laundry-mat. We had more theft from our game room machines than those in the lobby's.

Personally I would never operate any piece of equipment in an unattended location as the risk is not worth the reward. You will have machines broken into for cash, prize redemption machines will be tipped over or the glass smashed to grab the prizes and some of the machines will just disappear (Hell, I had this happened at WalMart with door greeters watching).

And whatever you do, do not operate any game that has consumables (balls, sticks, mallets, pucks) as it will be gone the same day you restock.


yeah i plan to bolt the redemption machiens i do at all my locations, im a little worried about the barbercut lite my thinking is i may just put empty boxes in it with a note saying to call me and ill bring over the prize being that i live only about 5mins away from the location. i do vending in the laundry next door and have not had any problems (knock on wood) nobody even smashed my snack machine yet. thanks though very good advice everyone


in the general sense any advice on the build out? i was gonna paint the interior black with florescent murals and put in some effects lighting
 
I have wondered about that many times. What would keep people from wheeling the games out? Most would not think to stop them, or just assume they were the OP, or worked for them.

i know its crazy when i come service locations especially at odd hours nobody even questions it. i have hauled machines off at big locations and no one even asks if im supposed to be there i guess they assume if i got the keys to it im supposed to be there. that is one reaosn i generally wear a shirt with the company name when i go to service, not that it seems to make any difference. in vending (soda/snack) people were a lot more suspicious if you werent uniformed.
 
There is a thread here about an operator that had a bunch of equipment stolen by guys that just walked off with it. He said nobody at any of the locations questioned anyone about taking the machines. Crazy, crazy, crazy.
 
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