[MMM]

Originally Posted by ArcadeOperator

I am on the west coast, Northern Cali to be specific. Yes arcades are dead here for the most part but a still survive on life support both the west coast and the east coast. Partly due to culture and partly due to mis-management and the lack of interest of arcade operators. I believe I can deliver a better product in a market that is still interested in the arcade venue. Yes, a risky venture, and even its successful it won't make me rich in the slightest, I'll be lucky to break even. But this is something I'm passionate about so I'd like to give it a try.

The bright and clear windows thing is just about making it an inviting places, not a creepy and dark place. I'm in the gaming community and trust me on this gamers don't care about people seeing them in the arcade or the fact that they are spending their Saturday afternoon playing games. They couldn't care less in fact.

Also, about game centers dying in Japan. The only ones that are dying are the ones that catered to little kid games. The more mature ones, from what I understand, are still doing just fine. There are still about 100x more arcades in japan than in the US.

I think you can argue about various reasons that arcades are practically dead in the US but the main reason has to be the rise of the console game.

You talk about the gaming community, but then want to appeal to girls, so I think you need to pick a realistic target and go with it. Gamers may not care if people stare at them in an arcade, but fringe targets, like girls, might.

I am not sure where you get your facts about Japanese arcades, and indeed there are many more arcade in Japan than the US, and kiddy arcades are shutting down, but so are traditional arcades.

Places like Sega World, arcades with arcade rides as well used to charge an entrance fee, but now they are free. Companies aren't investing the money into standup games and the necessary event or group type games that get people into arcades like they used to. No new games=fewer players.

Realistically, you should probably try and appeal to the adult gamers who grew up in arcades as kids. That's why places like Ground Kontrol in Portland work: Retro games, 80s style, beer, live hipster music.