If you opened an arcade...

[the7k]

If we're just talking a plain old arcade, here's what I'd focus on:

1) Games everyone loves. Get at least one NBA Jam, one Third Strike and one MvC2. More if possible - and if you have the room, one of those massive multiplayer Daytona USA set-ups.

2) Arcade-exclusives. 6-Player X-Men, The Simpsons, etc. These are important, because it actually gives people a reason to come in as opposed to staying home and playing the games.

3) Retro Classics. Frogger, Street Fighter II, Samurai Shodown II. Try not to focus TOO MUCH on Namco games though - considering you can even get them on cell-phones, I don't see them being huge money makers.

4) Current Imports. It's going to be a huge deal when that arcade-only SSF4 update comes out with the two new characters if you have that machine. KOFXIII is another I can think of that could create a ton of traffic. Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown is one on the horizon. The Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune series is a popular racing series that, to my knowledge, has never left Japan. Much like the Arcade-exclusives, these give people a reason to come in and play - however, these will also require some serious bank.

Outside of the arcades themselves, if you don't wanna go the Barcade route, you could instead sell used games and video game related merchandise - like Mario shirts, Yoshi dolls, Street Fighter II anime DVDs, etc.

Another note - If possible, try to place your arcade next to a place that will complement it. Arcades & Pizzerias go together like steak and rice.

Then, to actually keep your arcade alive - tournaments. At least one every month.

[Jrecee]

I do think it'd be pretty sweet to have mario kart set up on an 80" projector screen.

[yomomma1]

Steak and rice?

Well I guess some people like it.

[Hatta]

Steak goes with potatoes. Rice goes with beans.

[slowslow325]

That's the other thing I was going to say, but forgot before I posted it.

Have a little counter containing gaming merchandise. If you have used games, it would take up too much room, but with gaming merchandise you could have just a little rack of shirts and a little glass counter containing items and the cash register.

[CRTGAMER]

There was an older post of this same subject full of ideas, can't find it. Here's mine again.
An arcade Coffee bar, the cappuccino crowd needs to something with the jittery hands.
Doubt it will succeed with competition of WiFi.

[Para]

Everything that has been said already plus weekly tournaments to keep everyone interested and on their toes.

[the7k]

Steak goes with potatoes. Rice goes with beans.

Steak and potatoes are alright, I guess. I've always preferred steak and rice though. Beans can jump off a cliff.

[Flake]

I was thinking of all this, especially the booze.

Yeah, that would create an age limitation but I've pretty much always operated under the assumption that kids don't bring in enough money to pay for the space they take up. If there were a bunch of kids coming in every night to spend their pocket change and then loiter, it'll create an inconvenient atmosphere for adults with money.

So, the kids? Out on their asses come 9 pm.

What would you guys do for floor layouts? Would you just mix the machines around? Or would it pay to have specific, higher profile machines in a centeralized (maybe even raised) area to create kind of an audience situation. Or would that backfire?

[the7k]

What would you guys do for floor layouts? Would you just mix the machines around? Or would it pay to have specific, higher profile machines in a centeralized (maybe even raised) area to create kind of an audience situation. Or would that backfire?

Only if you could have multiple cabs so that some can be in more discreet areas. Imagine if you were interested in the game, but never played it - you wouldn't want your inevitable failures to be seen by everyone. That's how I'd look at it anyway.