Close Menu
  • CURRENT ISSUE
    • Cover Story
    • Profiles – Companies, Products & People
    • Spotlight Feature
    • VR Spotlight
    • Favorites & Special Reports
    • Bob Cooney Special Reports
    • Editorial
    • Datebook
    • Columns
      • Q&A with AMOA
      • Q&A with AAMA
      • George McAuliffe’s GAMEROOM GURU
      • NOW TRENDING by Howard McAuliffe & Nick DiMatteo
      • Adam Pratt’s ENDGAME
      • Jack Guarnieri’s JERSEY JACK
      • Beth Standlee’s PARTY PROFESSOR
      • Fun Across America
      • Frank Seninsky’s FRANK TALK
      • Tom Fricke’s REDEMPTION & THE LAW
      • Randy White GUEST ESSAY
  • INSTANT REPLAY
  • PODCASTS & VIDEOS
    • Machines, Myths & Legends
    • Podcasts
    • YouTube Videos
  • GET REPLAY
    • Subscriptions
    • Sample Copies
    • Order Back Issues
    • Index
  • ABOUT
    • About RePlay Magazine
    • Meet the Team
    • Cookie Policy
  • LINKS
  • CONTACT
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Trending
  • Oregon Spring Meeting Another Good One
  • Ray Borges Joins Sales Team at Coastal
  • Bandai Namco, Krispy Kreme Celebrating Pac-Man’s 45th
  • Wisconsin Bowling Alley Upgrades with Neoverse
  • Swingers in D.C. Reopens with New Theme
  • Tammy Snodgrass Now President of NCCOA
  • AMOA Regional Tech School in Late June
  • Foundations U: Next Class in Florida
X (Twitter) Facebook RSS
RePlay Magazine
  • CURRENT ISSUE
    • Cover Story
    • Profiles – Companies, Products & People
    • Spotlight Feature
    • VR Spotlight
    • Favorites & Special Reports
    • Bob Cooney Special Reports
    • Editorial
    • Datebook
    • Columns
      • Q&A with AMOA
      • Q&A with AAMA
      • George McAuliffe’s GAMEROOM GURU
      • NOW TRENDING by Howard McAuliffe & Nick DiMatteo
      • Adam Pratt’s ENDGAME
      • Jack Guarnieri’s JERSEY JACK
      • Beth Standlee’s PARTY PROFESSOR
      • Fun Across America
      • Frank Seninsky’s FRANK TALK
      • Tom Fricke’s REDEMPTION & THE LAW
      • Randy White GUEST ESSAY
  • INSTANT REPLAY
  • PODCASTS & VIDEOS
    • Machines, Myths & Legends
    • Podcasts
    • YouTube Videos
  • GET REPLAY
    • Subscriptions
    • Sample Copies
    • Order Back Issues
    • Index
  • ABOUT
    • About RePlay Magazine
    • Meet the Team
    • Cookie Policy
  • LINKS
  • CONTACT
RePlay Magazine
You are at:Home»Current Issue»Editorial – June 2023
Bowlers for Gameroom Guru 0623

Editorial – June 2023

0
By RePlay Editor on June 1, 2023 Current Issue, Editorial

Pinnacle Entertainment’s veteran consultant George McAuliffe has an article inside this issue in which he declares that coin-op is presently living and working in the “Golden Age of the FEC.” Having advised family center startups, as well as seasoned long-timers who’ve been building and running these mini amusement parks for years. George is not only witnessing the robust health of that side of the business but is telling readers why things are so good.

Though his piece hinges on the bowling entertainment center (which goes on stage at its International Bowl Expo later this month), he makes a universal point that game arcades are not the principal domain of the teenage male player like yesterday. Now, with all the food and drink and other bells and whistles, they’re everyman’s sandbox – and everywoman’s, too – from the gray-haired grandparents through middle-aged Millennials to youngsters.

I’m going to share an anecdote I’ve used before that bears repeating. An east coast railroad company which once flourished got its brains beaten in by the trucking industry because it missed noticing that they were in the “transportation” business and not just the railroad industry. Truckers stole the action from those once-ubiquitous freight cars. But rather than adjust to this and start buying up semi-trucks, that railroad stuck it out doing just what it always did without moving with the times.

Our industry is populated by a legion of route owners, many of whom have never dabbled in anything remotely like an arcade much less its big brother, the FEC, or even those scaled-down setups so popular in tons of bowling alleys.

I know it’s hard to change your stripes from running jukeboxes and games on a string of bars, pizza parlors, C-stores and the like, and to take a plunge into something like an arcade of one sort or another. But all I ask is to keep the eye out for the opportunity. It could be taking over the games section of an existing (or brand-new) FEC. Or, look around the territory to see where else besides a bowling center that a mini-cade might go in.

You say you’ve been there in arcades and had to pull out? Nothing’s forever…or as Columbus reportedly advised: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Coin-op games are most often the most profitable part of an FEC, so say research reports. And remember that contempt prior to investigation never got the cheese. Arcades and routes are both part of coin-op. Maybe you ought to think a bit harder about that!

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Previous ArticleFACE Amusement Group Gets “Great Place to Work” Honor
Next Article Stern Team Continues Growth, Adds Ayyad and Astone

Related Posts

The Gateway from S&B/St. Louis Game Co.

Now Trending by Nick DiMatteo – May 2025

Jersey Jack – May 2025

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.







RePlay Logo

RePlay Magazine is a monthly trade publication covering the game center and route business. Since 1975, RePlay has been reporting on the equipment, people and trends that have made "coin-op" a fun and exciting business.

Stay up to date in between print editions with the Instant RePlay email newsletter! It's FREE!

We LOVE print magazines, especially our own, but news doesn't move just once a month. Instant RePlay to the rescue! Sign up and receive newsletters to keep you in the know.

Select list(s) to subscribe to


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: RePlay Magazine. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

© 2020 RePlay Magazine - All rights reserved. For permission to reproduce content, email [email protected].

Copyright © 2014 ThemeSphere. Powered by WordPress.

  • About
  • Privacy
  • Contact

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.