Back in the 1980's and 1990's, most family entertainment centers (FEC) were mostly profitable by arcade games. However, the FEC industry changed in the 2000's. Many new family entertainment centers open in the past few years are learning diversified play like bounce houses, inflatable castles, obstacle courses, water slides and a myriad of other fun games. The inflatable equipment are playing a more and more significant role in the new FEC boom. If you are considering to enter the industry of family entertainment center, you may want to know why inflatables are the new trends in this business.


Why are arcade games no longer popular?

We know that the arcade games were so hot in the 1980's and 1990's, but they are rarely seen on the street now. When did this start? The arcade games started to die out in the 2000's because they are no longer economically viable for the family entertainment centers. These machines still can generate dependable revenue streams but the operation costs are too high. A modern arcade machine can cost you thousands of dollars to purchase. And the maintenance and electric costs are not included yet. In order to be profitable, you have to charge more than the old model of charging a solitary quarter. The players suddenly feel that their money can't be played as long as they used to. With the development of video games and mobile games, they are more willing to spend money on the home console and play it on the sofa.

FEC's are learning revenue diversity

Many family entertainment centers that failed to diversify their revenue streams are now dead. The survivors aren't relaying on arcade gaming as much as they used to. The future family fun centers must lean revenue diversity by earning as many income sources as possible to succeed. The indoor playgrounds are more than just arcade games and video games now. Many play centers feature rock climbing walls, go karts, bumper cars, rope courses, trampoline parks, ziplining, VR rides and commercial inflatables, which have been rapidly growing in popularity in this business.

Inflatable rides can fulfill all FEC needs

You may wonder why these commercial inflatable bouncers are so popular in family entertainment centers. The first reason is that they are perfect games and attractions to draw in crowds. The benefits of inflatable play structures include: safe and fun for both kids and adults; durable to withstand daily commercial use; pay for themselves in a reasonable amount of time; easy to set up, take down and move around; minimum maintenance and operator training requirements; cost-effective and low operation costs. These features are highly desirable for a family fun center. Bounce houses weren't nearly as popular in the 1980's and 1990's as they are today, which is why most family entertainment centers never invested in them back then.

How are FEC's profitable with inflatables?

Unlike arcade games, the inflatable play games have another income model for a play center. You can charge admission fees and grant open access to all of the inflatable attractions and other games for a full day. Or you can charge for each attraction or game individually. Like other pay-per-play games, a bounce house can be charged for time. Most guests will get tired after 15 to 20 minutes of jumping on the inflatable bouncers. So general admission models and day passes work great for covering bounce house access.

Why inflatables make your play center stand out?

The indoor play centers have learned from the mistakes of those that came before them. Arcade games and popcorn sales can be a good start, but the various inflatable play structures include inflatable obstacle courses and large inflatable amusement parks can help you stand out from local competitors. The inflatables not only provide customers with lots of options and different ways to enjoy their time, but also a great way for parents to tire out their kids and provide them with exercise in a constructive way. Although entertainment centers that embrace attraction and ride diversity aren't guaranteed success, but companies that aim for diversity will almost always prevail over those that don't.

Contact Sunjoy Inflatables and see what we can do for your entertainment business.