My friend that works for AMF said that AMF centers that are being converted into Bowlmor centers want the pro shops out.
He lives on long island and said one of the centers that's converting to Bowlmor wants to kick the pro shop out and convert it into a gaming area.
From a business standpoint, they'll make more money from games than from the rent a pro shop pays, the teenagers will want to come back for the games, and who gives a crap whether the league bowler has to go somewhere else for pro shop products and services. That doesn't affect their bottom line. win-win scenario for Bowlmor, now known as Suck-More.
Problem is, what games are they going to have? Another outdated Dance Dance Revolution? Guitar Hero is outdated, and kids really aren't going to play a zombie FPS game with a plastic gun anymore. Driving games? my current bowling alley has one of each of these, and none get any play. The air hockey table gets more play than that, and I've only seen it used maybe once each night I'm there. So for all intents and purposes, the video arcade is dead; it was put to death back in the mid/late 90s. So unless someone like Namco or Midway or Capcom comes out with some killer upright console game that will have people flock to arcades, I don't see that strategy taking off.
I'm sure they will find some games that kids love to play while they've been "dragged" to a boring Bolwing alley.
They'll lose people on the lack of a pro shop, lose people loyal to that pro shop because of them kicking out that shop, and they won't come back.
Secondly, how would they handle a problem with the alley or the pit or machinery with damaging a bowling ball? As is, bowling centers don't like refunding the money for a damaged ball without letting their pro shop handle it.. What would they do when they don't have one period?
BL.
(Playing Devil's advocate here)
Brad,
Not being sarcastic here at all, but why would you think that BowlMor would even care about these situations, given all the other things that they have done or are planning on doing?
They might lose some league bowlers, but that leaves more cosmic bowlers to use those lanes.
They'll most certainly have a sign that says something like, "Damage to balls is not the management's responsibility. Bowl at your own risk", just like many houses do today.
I think they do not see leagues as part of their bottom line, but as a problem to be done away with. Remember that a large part of BowlMor's corporate experience isa NEw York City (Read: Manhattan) type of bowling center, where there are zero blue collar people to form the basis, the core of the league community. The hard core visitors to their centers are young people looking for a thrill, looking for someone to entertain them. The sport of bowling is not part of the services Bowlmor is looking to provide.
