Hi, I am currently a business owner so I have experience with the troubles businesses go through. I am thinking of opening a game center and decided to talk to some local owners. I would be around 70 miles away from the people but I do live in their area. They told me that game centers are not a good idea if your looking for big profit. I think they may be worried I am going to open one in the area. Before I go and join for private membership I would like to know if that statement is true. I was told that MOST centers operate at a loss, or break even at best, and it is something you should do only if you are doing it for the enjoyment.

And yes I understand there are factors, but lets say the store was in a dense area with lots of kids, no competition, high income. Just an average would be fine, I don't care about figures yet, I will get all that if I go for a private membership.

The game center forum does not really have number on profitability. Some in this industry are doing very very well, some are very good, some just good, and others not so good. Very few indicate their final bottom line or their financial information. However there is information to help start to put together a business plan by searching the private forum.
As you know, as a businessperson, no business is a guarantee to make a profit. This is a relatively new industry. Your going to have learn the industry, and decide if you feel you can do well or not.
This industry does require an investment in time.

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Peter Shores
Combatex
Houston, TX

An investment in time, loool, understatement of the year, 80 hour weeks are the norm, 100 hours during peak are not unheard of, holdiay days are rare at best..

As to wether there is money to be made. I think yes there is.. BUT I think that there are far easier ways to make money than running a game centre and to be honest for the amount of investment you need to make and the time it takes out of your life there are far easier ways of making cash.

If you really really really like games and can afford to live hand to mouth for 3 years and dont mind the long hours (10am till 11pm 7 days for me) then sure as long as you can manage to survive without pay, but if your planning on raking in the cash or similar then don't bother.

I ask you to look at this thread http://forums.igames.org/showthread.php?t=9343

And since the time of this thread another 10 centres have closed down in that area... this is not a business for teh faint hearted or those looking to make a quick profit.

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Playonet C.B.
Ibiza, Spain.
Open since Dec 2002.
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Igames please offer more to non usa Countries please.

I am not looking for an easy way out. I just wanted to know if there was money to be made. I started my first store working 70 hours a week and being the only employee. We are opening a second store which means I will be working probably 20 hours a week at the exsisting one, and 70 hours at the new one until the guy we hired to manage is properly trained. The new one is 1hr and 30 mins from my house. I understand I have a full plate already, but believe me when I say I have some good plans for being able to suffciently (and legally lol) manage 2 wireless zones and 1 game center. And yes I love video games. I'm not really a guy who cares about only money. I want to do this because I want to be able to "IN TIME" make a decent living and enjoy almost every moment of it. I thank you for all of your advice but I am simply looking to find out if people really believe there is a profit potential before I got and spend 145 dollars for one month of just reading posts in the private forum. I am not worried about the amount of hours I am going to put in, the pay that I'm gonna give myslef that would be equal to minimun wage at best. I expect the store to break even at best for the first 1 to 3 years. I am very young for all that I do, so believe me when I say 3 years is not my the rest of my life. (I will be 20 this month)

[QUOTE=zhardoum]
I ask you to look at this thread http://forums.igames.org/showthread.php?t=9343

And since the time of this thread another 10 centres have closed down in that area... this is not a business for teh faint hearted or those looking to make a quick profit.[/QUOTE]

Thank you for this advice, but the areas I am looking at are completely untouched. Being in the cell phone business I am used to big competitions and extremely saturated markets (Philly /sigh). But if anyone else wants to give me more advice, I'm really appreciating the help.

Our 2 stores have done very well over the years. Myself, my wife and my adult son have no other income save what we get from the stores. We have 6 part-time employees as well. We live a modest life style, have low debt and we are able to buy nice items for each other. God has blessed us.

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Best Regards,

mac

[QUOTE=mac]Our 2 stores have done very well over the years. Myself, my wife and my adult son have no other income save what we get from the stores. We have 6 part-time employees as well. We live a modest life style, have low debt and we are able to buy nice items for each other. God has blessed us.[/QUOTE]

That is the answer im looking for. Basic, yet gets the point to me in such a broad way. Congrats to you, friend. I travel a lot on my motorcycle, I'm going to stop in to your store in the summer time if I am down that way. And good luck for many years to come.

Well, I have kind of forgotten about wanting to do this for a year and the spark has come back. In the mean time I have managed to open up a 2nd Verizon Wireless Authorized retailer, but I still think I may have found a good area. It is the fast growing area in my state. Smack in between about 4 Colleges (within 20 miles) and the closest gamign center is about 20 miles away. The income here is approx 50k per house, with a huge pop that is rapidly increasing. About 40k more homes in the next year or 2. Now I was reading my ealier posts and realized, no1 ever gave me a very good answer. I am not looking for that diamond in the rough get rich quick scheme. I was put under the influence that very few gaming center operators are in it for the money, and that the majority of centers operate at cost at best, now this seems like a farce. I don't care how much passion you have for the industry, unless your other job pulls in so much dough you can afford to live one meal at time and STILL have time to work 80 hour weeks, then it is hard for me to believe this. Any advice would be great.

In the end, we all have the goal of making money, but much of it is making moves and being able to build an establishment. Euph and Mac have had their stores for a few years. Many of us spent a good amount of time building up and now getting to the point where we are profitable. So to answer your question, If done right, you will make money. How much time it will take to make profit? It depends on your plans and what your goals are.

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Mike DeCarolis

The BattleGround Game Arena
378 Kelly Road
Vernon CT, 06066

(860)597-2493

I would say 60% fail, 25% get by, 10% make OK money, and 5% make very good money. I have no statistics to back that up though. =)

[QUOTE=c_hargraves] Now I was reading my ealier posts and realized, no1 ever gave me a very good answer.[/QUOTE]Honestly, most of our members will dance around any issue that is discussed in this public forum. We are much more open about things in the private area.

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jerrybeauchamp at yahoo.com

I would say all the majority of the members that has done the majority of posting in December 05 are still here and in business December 06. A lot more have joined.

If you really want to learn the industry, the private forums is an inexpensive education ( good if you open, and good if you do not open, because you have learned about the industry first)

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Peter Shores
Combatex
Houston, TX

Yes, there's a lot more information in the private forums, however, as a business person you know there is always risk, and it depends on soooo many factors.

You open a lemonade stand on the corner, you only have so much potential. You open a bar, you have more potential. Same said for game centres. You have 4 pcs, you can only make so much income. You have 200, you have potential for a lot more.

All I can say though, is as with any business, Don't do it unless it is something you enjoy. I have passed up many other opportunities that were possible money makers to make my game centre. This is something I enjoy and I know a bit about. I worry about anyone getting into any type of business only for the money.

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MrConsoleX
SPAR Games
Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada

Go big or go home!

Don't do it if you expect to make money. No matter what you do, you will always need to plan for upgrades and other issues that aren't noticable on paper.

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Impact Gaming Center
Fairview Heights, IL
.est 1995
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Games Support Committee
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3 years and I'm out.

And no, I'm not taking the money and running.