Today’s bustling arcades are certainly not what they were 20 or even 10 years ago. As culture, technology, and people evolve and connect in new ways, the family entertainment industry has also shifted and evolved. Arcade and FEC operators at the top of their game are those who tapped into the most critical trends that are redefining the industry. As a matter of fact, you’ve probably considered adding a VR attraction to your arcade or wondering what else you might need to create an unmatched experience. To help you make the right decisions, we’ll go into more detail about this year’s top arcade trends below and show you how a smart card system can help you keep up with these trends.
Top 3 Arcade Trends for 2024
1. The Screen Time Snowball – Competing for Your FEC Visitors’ Attention
According to Data Reportal, people spend more than six and a half hours a day in front of screens. This means that more than a quarter of their day is filled with lights, action, information, memes, TikTok videos, games, binge-worthy shows, and all kinds of instant gratification. In an environment where this is the baseline, an arcade must keep up with the rolling momentum and provide more stimulation than ever in order to foster customer engagement.
2. Bigger, Better, More Immersive Experience – Adding Layers of Immersion at Your Locations
Games are becoming more and more immersive with offerings like VR and AR simulators. From stereo sound systems to transmitting hand and eye movements and effecting realistic sensations in real time – the game itself is an other-worldly experience that transports you elsewhere. And when such games become the centerpiece, the larger framework around it must also be juicy and robust.
3. Tech Integration Every Step of the Way – Meeting Visitor Expectations with Technology
Technology is integrated into every aspect of customers’ lives and expectations. It shapes everything from how they communicate, pay for things, schedule their day, define satisfaction, and countless other details. Not surprisingly then, technology is also being brought into classic arcades with cloud-based and data-based card systems, online event booking, and more.
What Smart Arcade Card Systems Can Do for Your FEC
1. Mobile Apps and Customer Connection
Card systems utilize mobile apps to meet customers where their attention is at and seamlessly become a part of the phone ecosystem in which we are all intertwined. Leveraging the trend towards growing screen time helps arcade operators communicate more directly with customers and engage with them more.
These apps not only boost customer convenience and experience, but also provide arcade operators with valuable information about their visitors and help increase spending. All four leading card systems in the US offer a mobile app. Understanding the importance of this trend for closing the loop and maximizing engagement with customers, companies like Nayax’s Tigapo built their products with a mobile-first mindset.
2. Real-Time Data and Live Leaderboards
Card systems also emphasize live leaderboards with immersive data integration. Everyone is talking about data. At entertainment industry events, charts and graphs are the hot ticket items – not card readers, not wristbands, and not those bright neon lights. Operators want data, and card systems are working to provide it.
Data is the key to optimizing arcade operations and driving more revenue. Data helps build live leaderboards, for example, which creates a more engaging experience for players, making it more competitive and fun.
Putting all these trends together, we can see a full picture of the promising and perfect storm out there. We have a discerning population whose expectations have been shaped by extensive screen time and intense game immersion – and they are coming to arcades that are deeply integrated with technology, even including powerful card systems that are trying to catch up and can reinvent the whole experience.
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So, What Are Our Takeaways?
- This is just the beginning.Currently, the industry is going through a critical adaptation and growth phase. We’re going to see more and more changes – both in the type of games available and in the arcade environment itself.
- Technology is the key. Bringing new and creative technology into arcades helps meet customer needs and expectations as well as develop new abilities for arcades. Embracing technology is how arcades will reimagine and reshape themselves moving forward into the future, in the same way that food service has been reinvented with convenient order apps and shopping has been completely overhauled.
- Even a well-established industry has room to grow. Today’s arcade is full of opportunities for entertainment, engagement, and spending that would have never been possible in the classic arcade. Introducing new solutions and innovation will tap into those opportunities and revitalize and grow this already well-established industry. Tigapo by Nayax is leading the way by offering users such things as exciting personal challenges and remote redemption.
To learn more about Tigapo by Nayax, contact us today.
