Arcade machines deliver some of the highest revenue per square meter in any venue — but genre choice decides payback speed. A genre-by-genre breakdown:
1. Mainstream Arcade Genres
| Genre | Representative Machines | Audience | Payback (reference) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Racing simulators | Twin-seat racers, motorbikes | Male, high repeat rate | 6–10 months |
| Music / dance | Dance machines, drum games | Young women, social sharing | 8–14 months |
| Fighting / classic | Fighting cabinets, retro arcades | Core players | 10–18 months |
| Pushers / ticket games | Coin pushers, capsule machines | All ages, long dwell time | 4–8 months |
| Family / kiddie | Kiddie rides, basketball | Families | 8–12 months |
2. Key Inspection Points When Buying
- Board & system: original licensed system or assembled compatible one? This affects game count and stability;
- Mechanisms: steering wheel force feedback, joystick feel, button lifespan (1M+ presses);
- Voltage:110V/220V must match the destination country — confirm in writing;
- Shipping: fully assembled vs CKD/SKD (knocked-down). Knocked-down saves ~half the sea freight volume but requires local assembly.
3. Venue Mix Suggestion
Small venues (100–300 sqm) should combine “traffic drivers + dwell machines + redemption”: 1–2 large racing/dance machines to draw crowds, 5–10 mid/small cabinets for dwell time, and pushers/ticket games for repeat play. Test the category mix small first, then scale up.
Deep-dive reviews by genre are coming — stay tuned.