Arcade game machines see significant revenue boosts during school vacations, often increasing by 30%. Machines placed in entertainment hubs consistently outperform, averaging $3,000 monthly. Regular updates to game selections improve customer engagement, driving an 18% revenue uptick.
Location Relations
In large shopping malls, each game machine earns an average of ¥15,000 every month, with as many as 20,000 people passing by daily. Research shows that machines near elevators or main corridors could increase the overall revenue by 40% if they are used about 150 times per day, compared to only about 50 times on secondary corridors. To learn more about beginner-friendly options, visit this guide on arcade game machines.
In a fast-food chain across Japan near the location of the school, game machines rake in ¥5,000 to ¥8,000 every month. Statistics point out that 4-6 pm slots had a 60% increase from other times of the day.
In airport waiting areas, the average monthly revenue per machine is over ¥20,000, reaching ¥30,000 in peak airports like Beijing Capital Airport. Research shows that the average waiting time is two hours, with each passenger spending about 20 minutes on entertainment. The average mean time between failures (MTBF) for the machines is up to three months.
In community-based convenience stores, every machine generates ¥2,000 to ¥3,000 in monthly revenue. Some operators develop promotional bundling strategies, boosting turnover by 15%.
Data shows that machines set up in cinemas make at least ¥10,000 in a month; during weekends and holiday periods, volumes double compared with the average performance.
Game machines placed near shopping malls’ underground parking lots could only rake ¥1,000 to ¥1,500.
Income for the game machines in the shopping mall increases by 50% during the Spring Festival compared to regular periods. Research shows that the holiday flow lasts about 7 to 10 days.
Theme parks are also a great place for the operation of game machines; some international theme parks have reached ¥35,000 per machine every month.
In busy subway stations, each game machine generates about ¥8,000 every month. Only 15% of daily traffic occurs in non-peak usage. Some subway stations have collaborated with game machine operators to provide game coin return services, which increased the overall revenue by 20%.
In small community parks, the monthly revenue generated by each game machine is about ¥3,000. Operators attract more users with free trial activities and increase the rate of new user conversions by 25%.
Popular Models
The average monthly revenue of one claw machine is ¥12,000; popular machines, such as the “Strong Claw Series,” generate 20% more revenue compared to older models. Also, 70% of players are children and teenagers. To see how arcade machines impact attendance, check this event-related arcade guide.
The racing simulation machines can generate up to ¥18,000 every month. Data indicates that male users account for 65% of players, with an average playing time of 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, music/dance machines such as “Dance Revolution DX” rake in as much as ¥15,000 a month. In addition, mini competitions and coupon offers raise attraction rates by as much as 30%.
Other puzzle machines include “Stack-Up” and “Reaction Master.” These types can gross around ¥8,000 a month. 60% of the users are families, half of whom replay once they win small prizes.
The profit of shooting game machines is about ¥20,000 every month. According to research, if a two-player battle mode is added, the profits increase another 15%.
The monthly income of boxing simulators from a famous brand, such as “Peak of Strength,” is ¥11,000. According to statistics, 80% of the customers are males, and most of them play this machine repeatedly with several players.
Classic arcade machines make ¥5,000 to ¥8,000 per month.
The VR machines, including the “Virtual Battlefield Pro,” reap ¥30,000 per month; while it is necessary to invest ¥200,000 in a start-up, its return on investment period is 6 to 8 months.
The Mini claw machine’s profits range from ¥3,000 to ¥5,000 monthly; and its user demographics were recorded as 70% female.
Each sports simulation machine rakes in ¥14,000 monthly; and the teens/young adults population makes up about 85% of all users.
Player Preferences
Arcade games directly relate to player preferences and machine usage frequency, hence the revenue. Learn more about how arcade machines work through this detailed breakdown.
Children: claw machines and simple puzzle games. In claw machine users, 60% are children under 12 years old. Puzzle games such as “Stack-Up” generate up to ¥8,000 per month per machine.
Teenagers like competition-type and music/dance games. Research shows that teenagers play music and dance machines at a rate double that of other segments, and the “Dance Revolution DX” type generates ¥15,000 per month per machine. Theme park and arcade racing simulation and shooting games have a return customer rate of 40%.
Young adults prefer immersive and interactive games. According to statistics, 75% of players between 25 and 34 are willing to pay a premium for high-quality VR experiences. Example: The average price per game “Virtual Battlefield Pro” is ¥40; 70% of players are willing to play repeatedly.
Family users prefer to choose the family-friendly game machine. It can be seen from the data that more than 50% of family users repurchase, and 80% of family users participate in parent-child games.
Male players have a fascination with speed and strength-related games. Data shows that 65% of male users are playing racing simulation machines, with an average game-playing time of 12 minutes. Male players are 75% more participatory compared to females.
Female players prefer claw machines and fun, casual games. Studies show that female users account for 70% of claw machine players. In shopping malls, offering aesthetically pleasing plush toys or practical small prizes can increase female return rates by 30%.
Core players focus more on game difficulty and technicality, with players aged 30-40 making up the largest proportion of this group.
Scene preferences also influence player choices. Data shows that airport passengers’ game participation frequency is twice that of regular entertainment venues, but each game session lasts only about 5 minutes. In theme parks and arcades, players prefer immersive and interactive games, with single-session durations often exceeding 15 minutes.
During the Spring Festival and Children’s Day, claw machine usage increases by 50%, while shooting game participation rates rise by 30%.
Peak Hours
Arcade game machines exhibit excellent performance during peak hours. Discover tips for selecting the right home arcade setup in this guide on arcade machines.
The peak hours for malls occur between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. on weekends and holidays. The above data indicates that the usage frequency of the game machines increased by 60% compared to non-peak hours and can generate revenue double that of the weekday average every day per machine. For example, on weekends, the frequency of using a claw machine reaches 30 times on average every hour, while working days see only 12 times. During longer holidays, such as Spring Festival and National Day, overall revenue growth rates reach 45%.
Fast-food restaurants near schools have their peak hours between 3 and 6 pm on school days. According to studies, machine usage density in this timeframe could go up to 20 times an hour, constituting 50 percent of daily usage. Revenue per machine on Fridays is also reported to be 30 percent higher than that on Mondays. Some operators also introduce “after-school specials,” increasing the students’ participation rates by 25 percent.
In the waiting room of an airport, the rush hours fall within 8-10 am, 4-6 pm, and 9-11 pm. In airports with dense international flights, every hour the utilization number of the game machines can reach as high as 40 times per hour, with hourly revenues exceeding ¥200. Passengers who have layovers over two hours are more likely to participate in amusement activities.
Entertaining places have peak hours from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., when the arcades can make 70% of the day in machine usage. Evidence indicates income from racing simulation machines reaches ¥500 per hour, three times during this period compared with non-peak time.
The peak period for amusement parks is on weekends and holidays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Every hour, each game machine is played 50 times. Of this peak period, the revenue earned accounts for 60 percent of the day from some machinery, such as music and dance machinery.
Community parks and squares have peak hours between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on weekends, where the usage is 50% higher than weekdays, bringing in as much as ¥600 per day per machine.
In cinemas, peak hours are within 30 minutes before and 20 minutes after movie screenings, with three times the frequency of use during these periods. Machine revenue may reach ¥300 per hour before and after movie showtimes.
Holiday-specific peak hours have obvious seasonal characteristics. For instance, during the Spring Festival holiday, the usage of game machines in shopping malls increases by 50%, and the peak periods of theme parks are extended from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Studies indicate that such extended holiday peak periods will increase the growth rate of single-machine revenue by more than 30%.
The peak hours of late-night venues usually take place from 9 pm to 2 am, with up to four times more frequency per hour recorded with boxing simulators. The hourly income can amount to ¥400.
Furthermore, in the seasonal peak periods of shopping malls and theme parks, revenue can rise by 40%, with participation rates among teenagers increasing by 30% over usual periods.
Promotion Effectiveness
This implies promotional events help substantially to increase revenues of arcade machines. Learn more about creating an optimized game space in this home arcade space guide.
In a large shopping mall, during the “Recharge ¥100, get ¥30 free” event, the daily game machine revenue increased 40% within the promotional day. The single-player average recharge amount rose from ¥50 to ¥80, with game session frequencies also increased by 20% on average.
The event entitled “Win three times to exchange for premium prizes” sent weekly machine revenues up 50% at one amusement park. Figures show that big prizes bring a 35% rate of returning customers.
For an entertainment facility, the event called “Half-price game tokens from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.” brought a 60% increase to use frequencies within that time period. Hourly revenues for a car racing simulation game went from ¥200 to ¥320.
An arcade promoted a “Spend ¥100 to earn 10 points, redeemable for tokens or gifts” strategy. According to the data, 70% of users who joined point redemption returned, and their average spending increased by 25%, raising daily machine usage rates from 65% to 80%.
In the Spring Festival, a “New Year Battle” event in a shopping mall increased the machines’ daily revenue by 60%.
Family Entertainment Center: “Family Package: Recharge ¥200, free family play 10 sessions” raised the rate from 45% to 70%.
Another arcade gave one free trial for each person for new VR machines. In that way, 60% of people tried and then bought it, and the machine generated 35% more in weekly revenues.
For example, the “Like to get free game tokens” social media campaign brought in more than 3,000 new players for one arcade. There was a 50% increase in customer traffic, with a ¥10,000 daily revenue rising to ¥15,000 during the event.
The “Recharge ¥300 to become a member and enjoy 20% off each game” event in a big arcade resulted in members who spent 40% more every month than non-members. According to data, members’ average frequency of play was twice that of non-members.
A shopping mall’s “Spend ¥500 to receive ¥50 in game tokens” promotion increased overall customer dwell time by 20%, boosting daily game machine revenue by 35%.
