PLAY METER
METER
PLAY
ARCADES:
IS THE MAGIC
? •
BACK
BA
CK ?
BY RUSTY
RUSTY STORBECK
STORBECK
BY
WINNERS
customers, on
on the
the
When industry
industry
When
customers,
other hand,
hand, have
have
revenues plunged
plunged a a
other
revenues
less money,
money, and
and
few years
years back,
back,
less
few
therefore fewer
fewer
arcades were
were hit
hit
arcades
therefore
choices. The
The re-
re-
hard. Now
Now that
that the
the
hard.
choices.
sult? Lamberson's
Lamberson's
industry is
is in
in a a
sult?
industry
arcade is is often
often
recovery phase,
phase, how
how
arcade
recovery
jammed until
. until 4 4
are the
the arcades
arcades
jammed
are
A.M. on
on the
the
A.M.
doing? Play
Play Meter
Meter
doing?
weekend
with
decided to
to take
take the
the
weekend
decided
with
several hundred
hundred
industrfs tempera-
tempera-
several
industry's
customers.
ture, as
as it it were,
were, and
and
customers.
ture,
Does Lamberson
Lamberson
find out.
out. We
We talked
talked
find
Does
advertise? Does
Does
with arcade
arcade opera-
opera-
advertise?
with
he do
do promo
promo-
tors around
he
-
tors
around the
the
tions?
Absolutely
country, and
and asked
asked
tions?
Absolutely
country,
-
Although there
there have
some exceptional
exceptional pins
pins introduced,
introduced, few
few arcades
arcades consider
consider them
them a a not.
not. He
He just
just
them how
how they're
theyre Although
have been
been some
them
major
asset.
major
asset.
doesn't need
need to.
to.
doing and
and how
how they
they
doesn't
doing
He simply
simply keeps
keeps
do it.
it. Here's
Here's what
what
do
He
the arcade
arcade open
open 24
24 hours
hours a a day,
day, seven
seven days
days a a week,
week, 365
365 days
days
tch--the
survivors--told
us.
they
-- the survivors
-- told us.
the
a
year.
And,
he
says,
he
prices
his
product
"in
the
range
of
ecil Lamberson
Lamberson opened
opened the
the Fun
Fun City
City Arcade
Arcade in
in a a small
small
a year. And, he says, he prices his product "in the range of
ecil
my
customers."
Most
of
the
games
in
his
store
are
a
quarter
shopping center
center in
in south
south Memphis
Memphis in
in 1974.
1974. It's
It's on
on
my customers." Most of the games in his store are a quarter
shopping
play. He
He says
says he
he gets
gets a a lot
lot of
of repeat
repeat customers.
customers.
busy thoroughfare,
thoroughfare, but
but it's
it's within
within a a few
few blocks
blocks of
of
a a busy
a a play.
Lamberson
likes
the
new
games
that
are
out
("I'm different
different
8,000
low-income
apartments.
At
first
glance,
Fun
City
would
8,000 low-income apartments. At first glance, Fun City would
Lamberson likes the new games that are out ("I'm
from
my
contemporaries").
He
says
he
finds
them
fairly
seem
hard-pressed
to
live
up
to
its
name.
Lamberson
doesn't
from my contemporaries"). He says he finds them fairly
seem hard-pressed to live up to its name. Lamberson doesn't
priced,
and
the
variety
allows
an
operator
to
be
selective
and
mince
words
about
it:
"It's
a
ghetto
location."
If
he
senses
mince words about it: "It's a ghetto location." If he senses
priced, and the variety allows an operator to be selective and
get
good
pieces.
some
well-intentioned
concern
on
your
part,
however,
he'll
set
some well-intentioned concern on your part, however, he'll set
get good pieces.
Like many
many arcade
arcade operators,
operators, Lamberson
Lamberson has
has a a route,
route, and
and
you straight.
straight. "I'll
you
"I'll tell
tell you
you what,"
what," Lamberson
Lamberson says.
says. "If
"If you
you gave
gave
Like
me
an
arcade
in
some
of
the
more
affluent
parts
of
the
city,
his
arcade
doubles
as
a
warehouse.
He's
able
to
rotate
his
me an arcade in some of the more affluent parts of the city,
his arcade doubles as a warehouse. He's able to rotate his
equipment
regularly.
Lamberson
buys
new
equipment
for
the
with
no
rent,
I
wouldn't
take
it."
Why
not?
A
lot
has
to
do
with no rent, I wouldn't take it." Why not? A lot has to do
equipment regularly. Lamberson buys new equipment for the
with economics--his
His collections
are up.
up.
arcade every
every two
two or
or three
three weeks,
weeks, he
he says.
says. He
He prefers
prefers new
new
with
economics -- his and
and his
his customers'.
customers'. His
collections are
arcade
He
explains
it
this
way.
games
over
kits,
and
he's
able
to
get
his
money
out
of
games
He explains it this way.
games over kits, and he's able to get his money out of games
Kids in
in the
the more
more affluent
affluent areas
areas of
of Memphis,
Memphis, Lamberson
Lamberson
fairly quickly
quickly at
at the
the arcade,
arcade, because
because there's
there's no
no commission
commission
Kids
fairly
says,
just
don't
seem
to
be
interested
in
the
games
anymore.
split
to
cut
into
collections.
says, just don't seem to be interested in the games anymore.
split to cut into collections.
They have
have more
more money,
money, which
which translates
translates to
to more
more choices.
choices. They
They
Eighty percent
percent of
of Lamberson's
Lamberson's games
games are
are videos,
videos, because,
because,
They
Eighty
can
get
$5
to
go
to
the
movies,
or
wherever.
Lamberson's
in
his
words,
they're
a
"lot
easier
to
operate."
A
video,
he
can get $5 to go to the movies, or wherever. Lamberson's
in his words, they're a "lot easier to operate." A video, he
C
12 PLAY
PLAY METER/June
METER/June 1987
1987
12