Arcades in Serious Decline

[Johnny's Amusements]

As arcades up & down the country are getting less & less customers and are closing down RAPIDLY, What can be done to reverse this decline ? At this rate there will soon be no arcades left. Comments please!

[KasinoKing]

Well I should think it's fairly obvious - the fruit machine makers have shot YOU in the foot by making them just far too damn expensive to play.

I can remember a time no so very long ago when a tenner could last 20-30 minutes on a fruity - these days it's more like 20-30 seconds! 50p & £1 per spin = possible to lose £10 - £20 per minute easily. People simply do not have sort of money to spend on such a short times worth of entertainment.

I was playing a £70 JP fruity in the pub on Friday - I don't want to say how much I wasted on that piece of shite - but I reckon I could have bought EVERYONE in the pub about 3 or 4 drinks EACH! I wish I had of done now - it would have been more satisfying.
The other thing; when I glanced at the front panel I saw the payout was set to 70%...
70%??? That should be illegal!

KK

[Johnny's Amusements]

Well I should think it's fairly obvious - the fruit machine makers have shot YOU in the foot by making them just far too damn expensive to play.

I can remember a time no so very long ago when a tenner could last 20-30 minutes on a fruity - these days it's more like 20-30 seconds! 50p & £1 per spin = possible to lose £10 - £20 per minute easily. People simply do not have sort of money to spend on such a short times worth of entertainment.

I was playing a £70 JP fruity in the pub on Friday - I don't want to say how much I wasted on that piece of shite - but I reckon I could have bought EVERYONE in the pub about 3 or 4 drinks EACH! I wish I had of done now - it would have been more satisfying.
The other thing; when I glanced at the front panel I saw the payout was set to 70%...
70%??? That should be illegal!

KK

Anyone who sets any machine on 70% should be shot. Talk about killing the gaming industry.....!

[Obey69r]

yeh there are less customers but to be honest most of the customers we get are on some kind of benefits lol arcades will close as in the boom years of the 90s the arcade owners wanted MORE MORE MORE so opened up lots of arcades on credit....
Now the boom years are over they are cutting their losses and behold instead of 10 arcades within 1 mile you have the original 4 which get ALL the customers and ALL the income.
So yes you will see less arcades, casinos, bingo halls, businesses BUT they will return one day.

[aaamusements]

Incredibly, in my home town a few years back someone took the bold move of opening a new, independent AGC arcade - not in the town centre but on a busy, very "multicultural" main road.
It's a tiny place and they can't have space for many machines.

Even more surprising is the fact that it's still open. Don't know what their secret is but good luck to them!

[Johnny's Amusements]

Incredibly, in my home town a few years back someone took the bold move of opening a new, independent AGC arcade - not in the town centre but on a busy, very "multicultural" main road.
It's a tiny place and they can't have space for many machines.

Even more surprising is the fact that it's still open. Don't know what their secret is but good luck to them!

Glad to see it surviving. Best of luck to the owner!

[samdmartin]

I live near worthing. There are 3 arcades + a bowling alley here which sounds good enough. But about a year ago now one of the arcades was robbed- all machines smashed up including b3's. Never opening again I thought, but 2-3 months ago they bought lots of new machines... I thought great, on the road to recovery but I went down last weekend and there's a sign saying to let on the door. Really, really, odd. I would of thought they wouldn't of bothered opening it up again or at least tried for another month or two when the summer season is in full swing.

Seafront boring for tourists - Worthing Today

Interview with the bloke who owned the arcade here. Kins of sad, but they put their machines at rock bottom percentage as well, so no wonder they didn't get enough customers.

[margie_r]

Is this because of the rapid increase in online arcades too?

[Johnny's Amusements]

Is this because of the rapid increase in online arcades too?

Could be. Arcades are just not as attractive as they were in the 70s, 80s & 90s. Computers have taken over !

[margie_r]

Could be. Arcades are just not as attractive as they were in the 70s, 80s & 90s. Computers have taken over !

True. Sometimes technology, even though it is real good and cool, can make us miss the good old times.