PrimeTime Amusements® will gladly help you with:

• Traditional Game Arcades
• Family Fun / Lifestyle Centers
• Bowling Centers | Bowling Alleys
• Children’s Entertainment Centers
• Hotel | Resort Recreation Centers
• Amusement | Theme Park Arcades
• Retail Entertainment (“Retailtainment”)
• Family Entertainment Centers (FEC’s)
• College | University Recreation Rooms
• Nightclub | Bar | Lounge Game Rooms
• Office | Factory Employee Game rooms
• Restaurant Entertainment (“Entertainment”)
• Other Location-Based Entertainment Venues

Our services cover every aspect of planning, designing, opening and operating projects, including:

• Site Feasibility
• Market Feasibility
• Financial Feasibility
• Concept Development, Engineering and Architecture
• Site Selection | Site Design
• Brand | Theme Development
• Master Building Plans
• Construction Management
• Landscaping Design
• Equipment Selection
• Equipment Installation
• Marketing Management
• Employee | Staff Training
• Food & Beverage Services
• Guest Experience Management
• Business Management Training

A: Congrats on your decision or contemplation of opening a Family Entertainment Center or Arcade Game Room! We’re excited that you are about to join this amazing and growing industry! Please call us at 1-800-550-0090 or email us directly at [email protected] for a FREE consultation with one of PrimeTime Amusements’ experts.

In the meantime, we’ve also included some suggestions and tips below to hopefully wet your appetite even more! Commercial Arcade Game room and larger Fun Centers and Family Entertainment Centers (FEC’s in industry jargon) are becoming very popular across the world, especially in growth areas such as South America, Asia, and the Middle East, as today’s increasingly hostile environment encourages parents to seek out exciting yet safe, fun and wholesome activities for their children, along with teens and adults seeking the latest 3D video games, sports, redemption and motion simulator games to play.

Smaller arcades under 2,500 sq. ft. are usually easy to plan, design and get up and running in a short amount of time, with the help and assistance of one of our experienced commercial arcade planners helping you to select the correct mix of games depending on your arcade location, space, theme, demographics and budget. Most small arcades can be planned and launched within 4 to 16 weeks, and a good rule for budgeting purposes (for games only) is about $5,000-$7,000 per game.

The typical “standard” arcade ranges anywhere from 1,500 to 10,000 sq. ft., with a complete turnkey budget for a 2,500 – 5,000 sq. ft. facility generally running from about $250,000 to $500,000 + USD, while Family Entertainment Centers start at 10,000 sq. ft., and can go up to 50,000 sq. ft. or more. Of course, these are just two extreme examples of facility costs, and your costs can vary greatly, depending on the complexity and size of your facility, as well as your specific geographical location.

A “good rule of thumb” for budgeting larger arcades uses $200 to $300 / sq. ft. for turnkey costs. A small arcade can be up and running in as little as a few weeks if the facility is already build-out and has power, but launching a large Family Entertainment Center requires much more planning, design and construction time to be successful, and typically takes from 6 to 12 months or more to complete.

Following are the steps that we have outlined to get you started out right:

1) Select the general location for your Arcade / FEC facility: Because an arcade or family entertainment center’s success is mainly dependent on repeat local customer visits, they are usually located near high-density residential areas, schools, malls or high traffic retail and commercial zones. The size and location that is right for your local area depends mainly on the population size and “market demographics” of your area, and of course your project budget, factoring in any “competitors” currently operating in or around your geographical area.

2) Determine if you will build or lease a facility at this location

3) Obtain zoning approval for location from your city, county or state government: Good planning for any sized business is essential, and in the arcade gaming business there are a few basics that must be addressed upfront. Your most immediate concern, outside of your business plan and obtaining financing, is being sure that you can get zoning approval for your facility from your local Zoning Board before you proceed. Although most cities have now relaxed the strict codes of the past that have discouraged some arcades and family entertainment centers from operating, there are still a few cities out there where the location of an arcade is strictly regulated, or even banned in rare cases. Are you going to plan for a small video arcade for teenagers or adults, or a facility catering to children and their parents like a Dave & Buster’s type approach to arcades, with a full restaurant and food / beverage operation catering to young and middle aged adults with liquor and food being served, or perhaps some entirely different or new concept?

Once you have determined the location/size of your facility and obtained zoning approval, and have also completed your initial business plan (including all startup and construction costs, along with initial first year operational and marketing costs), the next step is to set a “game budget” to assist you in the “floor planning” of your arcade, and then determining the proper “game mix,” which will be largely dependent on both the local demographics of your market, your marketing plan and the type of facility you want to create, with the game mix primarily being determined on the age range you are planning to appeal to.

4) Create a business plan and budget for startup and ongoing operational expenses.

5) Obtain bank, investor, private, family and/or personal financing for your facility

6) Create the theme, design and floor plan for your facility: Learn more about this crucial process that too many locations forget or miss out on here: PrimeTime Theming.
7) Purchase equipment, furnishing and games for your facility: After completing all of the above, your final task is to actually purchasing your games and related arcade equipment. Depending on the type and size of your arcade, this could include anything from the actual games to prize booths for ticket redemption, back-office computer systems, plus you will need to determine how your customers will pay for their games, either change, tokens or the newer “card swipe” readers that eliminate the hassle of token collection and give you real-time data on the profitability of your game mix (for arcades with at least 30 games or more). All of this will depend on the actual size of your arcade, your budget, your theme and what games you ultimately select.
8) Marketing and Advertising Your Facility: Finally, once you have completed all of the above steps and are preparing to open up for business, the next crucial step is getting the word out to the public. Successful marketing of your new arcade or family entertainment center is paramount, and there are all types of marketing tools and ideas to choose from. Among these choices, some of the most effective can be direct advertising, i.e.; display ads in your local weekend entertainment guide or local newspaper, radio and cable ads, yellow page advertising, offering discount coupons through your local print media, etc., as well as creating a high-quality website that showcases your game room, or partnering with local non-profit organizations, schools, churches, youth centers, charities, and finally, creating a high-quality brochure about your arcade or family entertainment center, complete with pictures, driving directions and operating hours.

A: When purchasing or renting arcade games, looking for a partner to help operate a Family Entertainment Center, or searching for a consultant to help you from start to finish – it is important to work with an established, reputable and dependable company. PrimeTime Amusements® offers its customers two decades of experience; expertise in the gaming industry – including refurbishing equipment, designing game room facilities, and more; great customer service in English, Spanish and Portuguese; and the confidence of having trust in your business partner.

“Other companies have great websites; we have great games.”

Contact us at 1-800-550-0090 or email us at [email protected] to learn more!

Do you have a paper catalog?

Paper catalogs used to be a great method for showing off product, but with the advent of the internet, have fallen out of favor. Apart from the associated costs of printing a catalog that would showcase well over 1,000 products, keeping our online catalog up-to-date is much more cost effective and useful to you. Paper catalogs have limited space for details; our online catalog offers the most detail on the products we carry than any of our competitors, replete with videos, manuals and brochures (when available).

Click here to browse products be manufacturer / Click here to browse products by Category

Looking for our top recommendations? Click here for our 2019 guide!

A: The cost of an arcade game varies considerably and depends on a number of factors, including but not limited to: condition; new vs. refurbished; game popularity; title, design and technicality, etc. The majority of games available at PrimeTime Amusements® range from just a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. Prices for the same game title may vary by several hundred dollars from
dealer to dealer due to the presence of (or the lack of) game return policies, game warranties,
qualified technical support technicians, etc. The current market price of the game and most
importantly the machine condition (if pre-owned) also affects the actual price of a game. Another plus of purchasing from PrimeTime Amusements® is that we refurbish our own games in our own warehouse facility. That means we can keep costs lower, we can guarantee quality, and we can brand or personalize a machine (for example: put your company’s name on the side of an air hockey machine or something else). Other factors that may determine the cost of a game include:

• New or pre-owned game
• Number of simultaneous players
• Type of game cabinet – Standup (Upright) Large/Sit-down or Cocktail table)
• Monitor (screen) size, Type (CRT or Plasma) and number of monitors used.
• Current market value (pre-owned games)
• The cosmetic and mechanical condition of the game (for pre-owned games)
• Current game popularity, game rarity and / or game collectability factors
• Current supply and demand of the specific video game you are looking to purchase

A: This is a more personal question for you, your facility and your business partners. As far as the style of game, we suggest that you buy the one that you like the best, judged on the game’s looks, theme, colors, rules, number of games (for multi-game video games) and by what kinds of people (kids, teens, adults, mixed) will be using the video game. Some people buy games based on a “theme” (movies, sports, celebrities) and others to recapture their youth by purchasing a game they remember playing when young. Some people buy a game strictly because it is brand new or highly-collectable (a game that grows in value), or because the game closely matches a certain color or decor in a given room.

When looking for a video arcade game, consider the following:

• How much money are you willing to spend on your video game purchase?
• Will your game be used by family and children or teens and adults? Will it be in
  situated in a business or retail establishment or just be used by yourself and friends?
• If for family and children, what are the ages of the children who will be using it?
  Will the game be easy enough to play? We have many game titles specifically
  geared to, and appealing to, most kids (and usually to most adults as well!)
• Where will the game be located? A centerpiece for your home or your garage?

That all said, we’d love to advise you and provide our recommendations as to games (in our experience) make the best addition to a professional game room. We can also help you understand which games provide the best Return On Investment (ROI), which games are more interactive and draw a larger crowd of bystanders, and which games will be the hottest sellers and most attractive to your customers. As not only arcade game sellers and renters, but as game room operators, PrimeTime Amusements has the knowledge and experience to make the process easier and more enjoyable for you!

What if I want to see how a particular game plays and looks?

Our primary suggestion is to subscribe to our YouTube channel! We have the largest collection of arcade videos on the internet, with over 1,000 product videos available to enjoy. This is the quickest way to potentially experience what a game has to offer. We also post more details than anyone else about the products that we sell, allowing you to understand what you are getting for the purchase.

If you happen to be in the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami, FL area, Primetime Amusements is headquartered inside of the premier Family Entertainment Center (FEC) of South Florida called X-Treme Action Park. In operating the arcade there, some of the titles that we sell are available there to see and to play.

A: While most new game orders ship out from our South Florida-based warehouse facility within just a few days, some can take upwards of three to four weeks on average to be produced and readied to be shipped out to you after placing your order with us. General shipping times can be found for most products we sell within our website, or if you have a more specific question shipping question, visit our shipping page or contact us anytime! It is important to note that PrimeTime Amusements makes no guarantee, expressed or implied, on the delivery time of any products sold. Any estimates given are subject to change and are dependent on time and method of payment, product availability, and turnaround times of shipping companies.

All of our sales are final, so please take your time in making sure that you wish to purchase any particular product.

We provide three different shipping options to accommodate any need and budget. PrimeTime Amusements® will provide shipping quotes within 24 hours after a deposit has been received. If the game(s) need to be carried up or down a flight of stairs, the typical charge is an additional $100 per flight per game. Please give us a call to specify this service at the time you place your order.
3 types of shipping options:
1. Terminal Pickup or Business Delivery — lowest cost (3 – 5 business days)
These two shipping options are for items shipped by common freight carrier. For the lowest cost you can either pick the item(s) up at the local trucking terminal or have them delivered to a business address with a loading dock.
2. Standard Curbside Residential Delivery (5 – 7 business days)
With this option, the game(s) will be delivered to a residential address with a lift gate typically included. The freight company will call you when the item(s) arrive at the local trucking terminal to schedule delivery to a residential address. For heavier items this service will include a lift gate which is a hydraulic lift that lowers the items down to ground level. The driver will back the truck as close to the home as possible. Once the game(s) are lowered off the truck, it is the customer’s responsibility to get them inside their home.
3. Inside Delivery — “White Glove” (7 – 14 business days)
This shipping option ensures that a customer will not be burdened with bringing the item(s) inside their home. We use North American Van Lines, ABF Turnkey and R&L Carriers for this service.
Shipping costs: All freight charges will be paid when the item is shipped so the consumer will not be charged any shipping charges when the item(s) arrive. This will allow our customers to take advantage of our large commercial discounts on shipping charges and a reduced delivery time.
What if my items/games are delivered damaged?
Less than 1% of products shipped are damaged during transit. Hence, the odds of any damage during transit are unlikely. Customers need to inspect all shipments when they arrive for damages before accepting the items and signing the bill of lading. If any item arrives damaged the customer simply must refuse the shipment and another one will be sent out immediately as a replacement. If the item is accepted damaged it is up to the customer to contact the freight company and file a freight claim for any damages.
Do you offer a warrantee program?
Our 90-Day Limited Warranty covers telephone diagnosis and repair, as well as replacement of defective parts on refurbished items for the first 90 days after your game is shipped to you. This warranty does not cover any abuse or misuse or any item moved or repaired without authorization by PrimeTime Amusements. Coin-mechanisms are not covered by warranty.

A: The majority of our pinball machines and video games are designed to fit through most “standard-size” American doorways; however, a few large and sit-down type video games may not fit through a standard doorway. A good rule of thumb is to have at least 1″ clearance on each side of a passageway, but most games can be moved carefully through doors with as little as 1/2″ clearance, if on a flat and level surface.

A: Yes! But 100% of the games we sell online use a standard 110V three-prong outlet that you just plug in and play like you would any other electrically powered item. A few very large (and expensive) games may require a special outlet to be installed that can be done usually for less than $150 by your local electrician. For our international customers, some games come with a dual voltage option (110/220V) standard, and most can be ordered with the voltage that is right for your country. Please email us for more information

A: Speaking in general, the “average” amperage / wattage usage on most standard upright video arcade and modern electronic pinball machines is: Amps : 2.0 Amps Min   | 10.0 Amps Max   –   Watts : 300 Watts Min  | 1000 Watts Max

Almost all of our standard upright video arcade and modern electronic pinball machines can be plugged in and played straight out of the box on any standard home or commercial electrical system. When thinking of adding 4 to 5 or more games on one circuit, it may be necessary to have a local electrician make a simple upgrade the breaker in your circuit box, which typically runs from $75-$175, depending on where you live in the country or world. Please, however, contact us directly so that we fully understand your needs and can answer your questions appropriately. Contact us at 1-800-550-0090 or email us at [email protected].

A: No… and Yes! The majority of our coin-operated games ship with a “free-play” option, which allows you to play your game without the use of coins or tokens. If the game you select is coin-operated and does not have this feature, we can arrange to install a “credit” or free-play button on the coin door for you at a slight additional fee. As far as charging people to play, almost all of coin-operated games allow this, and you can set the pricing anyway you like (usually from $0.25-$1.50, sometime more) Some of our customers have actually paid for their games by charging their friends and family to play!

A: Please contact us via phone or email at 1-800-550-0090 or [email protected] with your request and we will do our best to locate it for you as soon as possible if you are serious about purchasing one.

A: We accept the following payment options:

• Checks / eChecks
• Money Orders
• Wire Transfers
• Cashier’s Checks (required for purchases exceeding $10,000)
• Cash

A: Yes! One of the many benefits of working with PrimeTime Amusements® is our talented and experienced team of equipment manufacturers and technicians, who can fix, refurbish and even add design elements to games.

A: Most new games we sell are ready to play right out of the box, or require about 5 to10 minutes of “setup” time at worst. (In these cases, all instructions are provided via game manuals and/or on our website.) Refurbished games are ready to go when delivered. Some games like new foosball tables, new air hockey and new bubble hockey machines, new popcorn machines, new pinball machines and new sit-down driving games require a bit more assembly time (from 5 to 60 minutes) using standard household tools. We cannot be held responsible for any damage to items due to improper setup. Unless otherwise specified, we assume no obligation to install any products sold or to place them in working order at the purchaser premises. Some products on our web site do require some minimal to extensive setup. In the event that setup is provided by PrimeTime Amusements or our authorized representatives, we assume no responsibility for damage to the item or the premises in which the items is being delivered. This includes damage to walls, doors, doorways, flooring, and any other places where such damage might occur during deliver and setup.

1) Buying Outright – This is the most popular option for acquiring arcade and vending machines, as it entails the least amount of time and effort, and you can get delivery of your far faster than other methods. In addition to start-ups that already have their funding in place, many vending, arcade, bar, restaurant and retail shop owners choose to use their existing cash or savings, bank lines of credit or home equity loans, or in some cases, even very “low-rate” credit cards to fund their purchase, as this generally, but not always, costs a bit less than the finance charges incurred from lease financing.

2) Equipment and Lease Financing – Financing is very popular option for purchasing arcade games and vending machines, as it does not tie up your cash or existing credit lines, but unlike buying, leasing and financing equipment does cost a bit more than outright purchasing in the long haul, and requires a “fair” or better personal FICO credit score (above 550), plus a small down payment in some cases.

Financing or leasing arcade games instead of buying them outright in a commercial setting can sometimes make more sense than outright buying. Financing gives you financial flexibility, helps you meet changing technology needs quickly and easily, and may offer tax advantages, too. Financing is a great way to add games to an existing commercial arcade, restaurant or bar game room business.

The Financial Advantages of Equipment Financing and Leasing vs. Purchasing include:

• Financing can improve your cash flow and working capital. With equipment financing, your payments often are lower than with other types of financing. In fact, they are just a fraction of the total purchase price, and may even qualify as a pre-tax expense. And financing leaves your existing lines of credit complete untouched and intact for other business uses.
• Predictable expenses and an inflation hedge. With the lower, fixed-rate payments of an equipment loan, you’re protected against inflation. You can budget and forecast with greater confidence, too. Not only that – the equipment you use today is paid with tomorrow’s dollars!

A: Absolutely! We work with a few different lenders that assist you in that need. You can read more details about our financing options here.

A: Most games and game tables weigh between 150 and 650 pounds each and can be very difficult to move into some areas or up / down stairs due to their weight and size. Several things should be considered when you are choosing a game for your location and having it delivered. Please use the checklist below to ensure that all preparations are made before we deliver your game:

• Measurements – Most pinball games and classic arcade games were designed to be small enough to fit through most standard size doors. But some games may be too large to it through certain doorways, hallways, stairways, or in rooms with low ceilings without additional assembly or disassembly. Be sure to take measurements of these items into consideration and compare them to the game dimensions listed on our site before choosing a game for your location
• Delivery Path – Please make sure you have a clear, safe path made to the area where your game will be placed. This includes removing any necessary doors from doorways, exterior sliding doors, clearing stairways (including tops and bottoms of stairways), moving furniture or other items/equipment, and any snow, water, ice, or mud removal. Please remember that most games weigh approximately 300 pounds, and can be very dangerous to persons and property if obstacles are in the way.

• Keep your game away from windows and direct sunlight if possible – Direct sunlight and/or ultraviolet (UV) light can fade the colors and artwork on many games over time.
• Keep your game away from objects that can get loose and possibly break the glass on the game (glass on some games like the Pinball 2000 series can be irreplaceable or very expensive to replace).
• Always keep your game indoors. Games can be rendered inoperable or malfunction over time if left in extreme hot or cold areas. We recommend 68 degrees Fahrenheit or greater in your game room area.
• Try to keep your game away from water and very moist or very humid areas or air sources, such as around greenhouses, hot tubs, etc. Moisture can destroy the artwork and can cause cabinets and playfields to rust, warp or fade over time.
• Always plug your game (s) into a quality electronic surge protector to protect your games against lightning strikes, power surges, power brownouts, etc. You game is very similar to other sensitive electronic devices like TV’s Stereos, Personal Computers, etc. and should be treated and protected like such.
• When not in use, to prolong the life of your games light bulbs, display monitors, hard drives, and internal circuitry (depending on game) you should never leave your machine on for extended periods if possible. Although you are buying a commercial quality unit that can be on 24/7, it is in your best interests to turn the machine off when not in use.
• Please make sure to TURN OFF THE MACHINE USING THE MACHINE’S POWER BUTTON and not the power switch on the surge protector or a wall switch in order to preserve your game’s power supply for maximum life.
• NEVER CLEAN YOUR GAME WITH ANYTHING OTHER THAN A TOWEL AND WINDEX Using solvents, abrasive cleaners or acids can destroy your game’s cabinet and side art.

A: In early 2012, PrimeTime Amusements® launched its newest division – PrimeTime Theming. PrimeTime Amusements is now able to create custom themed environments, large format items, foam articheture, props, specialty signage and more. As an extension of PrimeTime Amusement’s near two-decades of experience in the arcade sales, rentals and operations business and more recent foray into Family Entertainment Center (FEC) consulting, theming or prop creation was the next logical step for the company.

The PrimeTime Theming division is headed up by an art designer and team of sculptors with a combined 50-years plus experience. The statues are primarily constructed from foam (which keeps them light weight) and hard-coated with (which strengthens and seals the items from weather damage). As a result, the finished products are lightweight and easy to transport, yet waterproof with the ability to be kept indoors and outdoors. PrimeTime’s team creates the pieces using a combination of CNC 3-D Cutting machinery and hand sculpturing. Customers are also given the opportunity to have pieces made-to-order. PrimeTime Theming will also offer sales and rental options.
“Theming” includes the following: signage, advertising/marketing props, interior design, fake/imitation parts for automotive industry through toy industry, 3D models, architectural design, in-store design and creation, statues, bronzing, concrete molding, and molds. Via PrimeTime’s Theming division, we can now create kids-themed environments, churches, museums, hotels, amusement parks, malls, outdoor spaces, and more. Our clients have ranged from individual homes to sports and entertainment theme parks as well as retail and corporate environments.

A: The Theming industry has been gradually evolving from primarily hand sculpted projects to a full digital process. Thanks to the Frog 3D and other software packages, everything from the sculpting and design to scaling is digital. No longer are art designers required to do clay sculpting. The digital process is better because it is more exact and precise with detail as well as scaling. Additionally, you can now make changes before the sculpting/manufacturing process begins which makes a project less expensive. The ease of making changes makes end-result better as well as faster and less expensive. Clients can also now see their final piece what it will look like before it is sculpted. Finally, through digital scanning, art designers an also laser scan in any existing items/statues/buildings, scale them to your preferred size and finally build them.

A: It’s an in-depth and individualized process between our Art Director and client. Here is a brief overview of the process:

• Client meets with PrimeTime Amusements® Art Director (via phone and/or in person) and shares ideas and concepts of what they want, are thinking, etc.
• Sit down meeting between Art Director and client where two parties hone in on ideas and figure out what client is looking for specifically. Example space theme, underwater, animals, etc.
• Art Director then looks at facility or building’s space; Creates diagrams and draws out thumb nail sketches of theme and layout scenes. Artist will draw the broad area but also create close-up drawings with details.
• Art Director then presents look of theming to client in 2D on paper. Following client approval, artist gets go-ahead.
• Artist starts laying out the room in 3D by graphically building/creating/designing models in software program. Additionally, artist utilizes architectural layout of room and determines where pieces will be positioned. Ultimately, the artist is working towards a 3D walkthrough of the facility space in the computer. It’s important to get approval from client once again because 2D to 3D transition can be drastic or different than anticipated.
• Depending on piece, PrimeTime Amusements® will then use CNC 3D cutting, Hot Wire Machine (2D profiles), and/or hand sculpting to create statues, props, etc. After cutting, art director and his team take pieces and glue them together; fine tune by sanding in detail; and hide the seams.
• Finally, hard coating (plastic coating) of pieces is done. This is followed by primer, painting and clear coating.
• Piece is complete and shipped off to final destination. 99% of time PrimeTime Amusements will do installation of pieces in space/facility. Additionally, depending on size of piece – we will sometimes do final gluing and seaming together on-site.

Visit our Theming Gallery here!

A: Average cost of projects $700 to $1,000 per linear (widest part of piece) foot – also depending on detail. A simplified & smooth statue resembling the academy awards Oscar trophy will be cheaper than a life-like statue of a human being with wavy hair, extended arms, facial features, etc. Time is the determining factor when quoting the final price for a custom sculpture or themed environment. Please contact PrimeTime Amusements at 1-800-550-0090 or [email protected] to get an exact cost/estimate for your theming project.

Do you have more questions or are you ready to buy?

Call our friendly sales staff for more information or email us here!