Silver Mine. He knows that kids
need a place to gather, and be-
lieves that providing them with
such a place helps keep them
occupied, off the streets, and
out of trouble. In addition, Jim
feels that the "word-of-mouth"
advertising by the players is in-
valuable. "When Silver Mine
first opened, I sent out 25,000
flyers to local residents. Unfor-
tunately, I received less than
1 % response. The problem was
that instead of reaching the
players, the flyers were opened
by parents who threw them
away." Jim then began walking
around at Silver Mine, talking to
the players, giving them cou-
pons for free games, and letting
them know that he wants them
to have a good time. He also
set all of the games on 2 plays
for a quarter. "I can remember
what it was like to be a kid,"
ject a wholesome image, a
place where the entire family
can have a good time.
Jim says the formula for suc-
cess in operating a family
amusement center is 50% de-
cor and atmosphere, 50% ma-
chines and promotion. Silver
Mine began as a basic arcade
with a pool table and some
games. Jim then realized that
players will stay longer if they
feel good about the atmo-
sphere, if it captivates them. He
put a lot of time and money into
decorating Silver Mine, making
it a unique place that invites
players and makes them feel
welcome.
Silver Mine has approximate-
ly 20 machines-90% video
and 10% pinball. Jim leases his
games from Winner's Circle on
a 50-50 split basis. Winner's Cir-
cle provides 24-hour servicing,
and rotates the games once or
twice every four months. First
games that are losing popularity
are replaced with new pieces,
then all the games are rotated
within the location. This gives
Silver Mine an entirely new
look. "Players come in and no-
tice the change. They get excit-
ed, " explains Jim. "In addition,
regu lar players will find a new
piece where their favorite game
used to be placed. They'll
notice the new game and try it
out. ''
Jim feels that the number of
games is less important than
the quality of the games.
"Some operators think that if 20
games are earning well for
them, then 40 games will earn
twice as much. Th is isn't neces-
sarily so. The important thing is
to have 20 good, strong games,
not 40 games that include medi-
ocre or broken down machines'. '
Jim 's major problem has
been battling the old connota-
tions about game rooms, the
negative image of "smokey pin-
ball parlors'' that faces the en-
tire industry. For instance, the
shopping malls in his area are
against letting an arcade open
within the mall. The local news-
paper has given support for al-
lowing mall arcades, espousing
their merits as a babysitter for
shopper's children, as well as
providing a place for teenagers
and adults with free time. Jim
has tried to convince the malls'
management to accept games.
"I've explained that the location
management is the key, that
control is a major factor. If the
management sets feasible rules
and abides by them, an arcade
can be a great benefit to a
shopping mall." Still, he has
had no luck in renting space in
a shopping mall for a family
amusement center.
Jim is very people-oriented
and has developed an excellent
rapport with the players at
Jim reasons. "These kids don't
have much money, and I want
them to know that I'm looking
out for them. With the games
set on 2 plays for a quarter, my
players really feel that they' re
getting their money's worth."
This communication with the
players and promotion from
within have contributed greatly
to the success of Silver Mine.
Jim uses what he's learned
from the players in choosing
new games. " I try to relate to
the kids and what they would
want in a game. First I look at
the game play and ask, 'Is it
challenging? Can both the no-
vice and the expert player enjoy
the game?' Next, I examine the
appearance of the piece. My
players like colorful, eye-catch-
ing graphics both on the cabi-
net and the screen, so these
factors are important. "
Tournaments and promotions
play a significant part in Jim's
operation of Silver Mine. He
currently holds a high-score
tournament every week, with a
first prize in the $25 - $30
range. According to Jim, offer-
ing high quality prizes almost
guarantees a successful tourna-
ment. He also advises, "Never
hold a tournament on a Friday
night during the school year be-
cause you'll be competing with
football games and other school
functions. Tournaments held on
Saturday or Sunday night will
have much higher participa-
tion." In addition to the weekly
tournament, Jim holds a "Hall
of Fame" competition every six
months. The local press is invit-
ed to attend this event. The win-
ner receives a trophy, and his
picture is added to the Silver
Mine "Hall of Fame."
Jim highly recommends com-
munity involvement as an excel-
lent means of promotion . He
presently participates in the City
District Associate Program of a
local newspaper, the "Arizona
Republic Gazette." Every
month, each route manager at
the newspaper awards coupons
for free plays at Silver Mine to
the carrier who brings in the
most new subscriptions.
How does the future look for
Silver ·Mine? "When I first start-
ed in the coin-op business,'' Jim
says, "I thought it might last for
maybe two years. Now I know it
will be permanent. But an oper-
ator can't just sit back and ex-
pect the games to do all the
work. If he learns to deal with
the public and get out there and
hustle, he can have a very suc-
cessful business." Jim Killgore
has done just that. He obviously
knows his business, enjoys the
work, and can expect many
more years of success for Silver
Mine Family Amusement Center.