PrimeTime Amusements was featured in "The Business Journal". We have included the article below and images of the article on the left.


A New Tilt: Video Games at Work
By Stacie Orozco

All work and no play makes Jack a dull employee. So to liven up the job a little, some companies are mixing business with video games. "Today it is very difficult to bring businesses together and boost morale amongst employees and this is a way to get them on a different type of level," said David Goldfarb president of Prime Time Amusements.

No need to head over to the arcade with a wad of quarters. Miami Beach-based Prime Time Amusements will bring video machines to the office. The 8-year-old company provides game enthusiasts with their own private arcade for rent. Formed originally in Orlando as a game room supplier, Prime Time Amusements relocated its headquarters to Miami Beach in 1999 and has thrived mostly on providing video entertainment to business executives and their employees. It began with one call form a guest wanting to rent a few machines for his room at a hotel, Goldfarb said. "Rather than go to Dave & Busters, they wanted their own thing," Goldfarb said. "From there we began to capitalize on this. We cater to people looking for a way to relax on their own turf."

The company owns more than 300 machines in South Florida and more than 300 more in Orlando. Many are leased to arcades at the University of Miami's game room and Blondie's on the Beach in Fort Lauderdale. Prime Time also has machines at Roadhouse Grill restaurants and many of the local ice-skating and roller rinks. Word has gotten out that Prime Time can deliver games just about anywhere through Internet and party production companies. It has taken these games on the road to company functions for Fortune 500 companies such as Nike, Phillip Morris and American Express and has installed a few games outdoors at law firm retreats. The company supplied Gloria Estefan with pool tables during one of her concerts and installed video games backstage for the New Year's Eve Phish concert in the Everglades. Some businesses rent a machine or two for the work day at the office while others rent as many as 25 for hospitality suites during a week-long conference or retreat, Goldfarb said.

A Pricey Retreat

Depending on the game, the machines can cost $400 to $2,000 a day each. Double-driving simulators, one of the company's higher end machines, can cost anywhere between $1,000 to $1,500 and it's Alpine Ski racers run about $1,500 each. Prime Time Amusements also offers packages starting at $1,000 and up. The corporate party trend has swayed away from the once popular casino theme to interactive games, said Catie Walters, a senior account executive with Deco Productions in Hialeah. It works closely with Prime Time in planning large corporate parties. "The companies have to have a fairly good budget," Walters said. "It's only effective if you have [at least] 10 machines." Many times, Walters said she would have two of the same game so players can race against each other on the speed boats or alpine skiers. "People are always looking for something new and different," she said. "With conventions, this is the evolution that's different and new."

© 1999 The Business Journal, used with permision.