Acceptable prices per play for arcade games.

[the7k]

Just recently went to a Frankie's Fun Park. Overall, I'd say it was a good time, even if it was nothing but driving games, gun games and redemption machines. However, it didn't take very long for me to get my fill - the prices! One of the most fun games in the place was a game called 'Tank! Tank! Tank!', but it cost $2.00 for one round! This is an outrage!

Anyway, I just wanted to know what you guys consider acceptable prices for games these days - ranging from what you consider ideal and what you consider pushing it. Maybe something like:

New Sit-Down Racing game: $0.50 - 1.25
Classic Fighting Game: $0.25-0.50

The first number indicating the ideal amount I'd pay, with the second being the highest I would consider paying. Doesn't have to be in increments of .25 - hell, most arcades these days use cards, so there's no reason they can't charge any amount at all.

Just wanted to know what you guys think. I understand operators need to pay off the machines and make a profit, but there has to be a balance.

[racketboy]

The game would have to be pretty cutting edge for me to play more than $1 per credit.
I'll pay $1 for good light gun shooters like House of the Dead.

My favorite local arcade, Pinball Pete's has $1 marked for the HotD machines, but they usually give you 2 credits for that amount.

I'll pay up to $.50 for a good 2D fighter, but Pete's has most of theirs for $.25

Modern racing I'll do $1.

[AmishSamurai]

I'd pay 50 cents for a good light gun game, 75 cents for a racing game, 25 cents for anything else.

[Czernobog]

I wouldn't be upset by the prices Racketboy quoted or anything, as I think they're fair, but I wouldn't be particularly drawn to the arcade either since they seem to be what I see everywhere around here. The prices AmishSamurai quoted would actually draw me into the arcade and probably get me to spend more time there and more money overall.

That being said, I prefer the system of paying a cover price for the day and then enjoying a whole bunch of arcade games that are set to free play.

[Rear_Bumper]

These are my ideal prices:

50 cents for "peripheral" games that can't be emulated at home (Silent Scope, Ferrari F355 Challenge, Police 911, AfterBurner)

25 cents for classics and games easily ported to consoles (Any fighting game, beatemups, Pac-Man, Galaga, etc.)

With one dollar being the norm these days, practically no one is willing to even dive into the endeavor of beating or mastering the arcade game. I know that's how I feel, especially given the harsh learning curve of an arcade game. All too often nowadays I'll play a game like AfterBurner Climax and have a lot of fun with it, but hold off on the continue upon realizing how much of a toll this will have on my wallet.

A good example of this is when I played Silent Scope 2, priced at twenty five cents. I beat it in about thirty to forty five minutes using just about three dollars. That may not be much considering the time, but it was two more dollars more than I would have spent otherwise. I definately would have returned to that arcade if I lived in the area (probably the next day). I loved that arcade, probably would have mastered every game in it if I had the chance.

[Flake]

I would try to keep everything at 25 cents except for the massive novelty games. Did you ever make the decision on serving alcohol or not? That's where the real profit margin lies in today's arcades, unless you can get the economy of scale some massive arcades have.

[irixith]

I understand operators need to pay off the machines and make a profit, but there has to be a balance.

..and that's the thing, isn't it? If you're buying the machines new (especially the novelty machines), they do cost a fortune, plus what must be an outrageous monthly power bill to keep them on, plus maintenance time to keep them all operational, plus, plus, plus..

The cost of doing business is simply rising with alarming speed with absolutely nothing to offset other than to raise prices to stay alive. I'd love a 0.25c arcade, or a door cover charge with free play machines, but it's not a viable business model unless (as Flake notes) you serve alcohol or have something similar making up the balance.

Heck, I'd love to visit an arcade, but the fact of the matter is I'm at work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week and have no idea where I'd fit it in.

[Hatta]

I'm with Flake. Classic arcade games should be $0.25 per play. Newer arcade games may be more expensive, but they're not twice as fun so I won't pay twice the price.

[Czernobog]

I'd love a 0.25c arcade, or a door cover charge with free play machines, but it's not a viable business model unless (as Flake notes) you serve alcohol or have something similar making up the balance.

Actually there's an arcade by me that charges $15 dollars (iirc) at the door to play all the games for free. They don't serve alcohol, but they do host events, etc. to draw in crowds and have an insane amount of cabinets. They're apparently doing quite well and have been growing. They were planning on adding some sort of game-related merchandise store to the arcade but afaik it hasn't been done yet.

http://www.gallopingghostarcade.com/

I'm not saying it's viable in all situations or anything, but this place seems to be proving that it can be done.

[FerretGamer]

I'd love a 0.25c arcade, or a door cover charge with free play machines, but it's not a viable business model unless (as Flake notes) you serve alcohol or have something similar making up the balance.

Actually there's an arcade by me that charges $15 dollars (iirc) at the door to play all the games for free. They don't serve alcohol, but they do host events, etc. to draw in crowds and have an insane amount of cabinets. They're apparently doing quite well and have been growing. They were planning on adding some sort of game-related merchandise store to the arcade but afaik it hasn't been done yet.

http://www.gallopingghostarcade.com/

I'm not saying it's viable in all situations or anything, but this place seems to be proving that it can be done.

WOW! Thank you so much for sharing that place. I'll be going on a business trip to Chicago in June and I will make sure to check that place out!

I'm really excited about that and I also have a couple retro game stores I plan to visit when I'm there.