Adam Pratt’s Portfolio

Published Works

As of September 2023, I have self-published two books:

The Arcade Experience: A Look Into Modern Arcades And Why They Still Matter

Arcade Heroes – Arcade & Pinball Gaming Almanac 2018/2019

I am in the process of writing a third book about arcades that covers the history of the arcade industry, stretching back to 1972. I am also working on a science fiction novel that has nothing to do with arcades, although it is on the back burner until the history book is published.

I also have created several Game Recommendations Guides for PrimeTime Amusements. These free guides are used by the sales manager to help prospective clients choose which games will work best for them. Each guide requires extensive work in both writing and graphic design; Each was crafted by myself, without the use of AI. Here is the most recent copy, PDF.

Replay Magazine

Starting in 2013, I began contributing articles to the long-running industry trade publication, Replay Magazine. Writing for their “Endgame” column, I write about the travails of operating an arcade business. Here is one of many articles I’ve written for them over the years; This has been a non-paid position.

Old School Gamer Magazine

I have had several articles published in the independent Old School Gamer Magazine; The most recent of which was a review about a local store in Layton, UT that sells video games for retro and new game consoles.

E-Mail Newsletters

When I was the Operations Director for the DNA Association, I also managed (designed & wrote) the monthly newsletter for that organization. I held that position for a year.

As a part of PrimeTime Amusements, I have launched and directed the monthly newsletter for the company, organizing it using Constant Contact. In addition to crafting, proofreading, and editing all of the copy, I also create the graphics and edit the layout of each letter. I have used A/B testing with the headlines to see which type of headline attracts the most attention.

Writing Samples

Since joining Arcade Heroes back in 2007, I have produced over 4,600 posts, most of which are over 300 words. . This has been done between two accounts; I initially started as “Shaggy”, but then gained ownership of the site in 2010 and began posting as “Arcadehero.”

Here are some recent examples of my writing work:

Bandai Namco’s Taiko No Tatsujin Goes On Test In The USA.  (Word count: 603)

Adrenaline Amusements Is Debuting NFS Heat Takedown At IAAPA 2022. (Word count: 460)

I also occasionally do editing work for guest posts which have been submitted to the site. Kevin Williams is a UK-based consultant and frequent contributor to the site. He recently submitted an article entitled “When Video Ruled The Land.” Below is an example comparing what he submitted to my edit and additions:

PrimeTime Amusements

As noted on my resume, I began working at PrimeTime Amusements in 2016 and through my efforts was able to turn their website from a boring machine sales site into an informative and exciting resource that drives customer action and retention.

When I started, there were around 1,200 product pages – but they were all terrible. They had blurry, low resolution photos and if there was any text describing the product, it was a copy & paste job from either the manufacturer site or from a competitor’s site. There was little there to drive customers to choose PrimeTime over one of their many competitors.

I have crafted original product entries, studying each in detail then writing copy that presents a complete picture of how the product operates. Here are some examples of what their site was like before I joined, and after[click to enlarge]:

A common issue I have to work with is receiving product images where the product has no transparent background. I have had to extract and enhance hundreds of photos that did not come ready for website posting. Using tools like GIMP, Inkscape, and PhotoDirector 365, I elevate them to a professional sales standard. Here is one example of a game cabinet that was only shown on a flyer. What I extracted and posted to the website is on the right:

Since 2016, I have been responsible for adding every new product to their website. This is more technical and sales-focused, aimed at arcade & venue operators who are wanting to learn about the product in a detailed but relatable manner.  Here are a few examples:

• JJ Bot – The Avatar
• Pump It Up Phoenix 2023
• Bop It! Battle
• Duplo Photobooth
• Foo Fighters Pinball

In 2017, I took over PrimeTime’s social media marketing and YouTube efforts. The sales team has received double the amount of annual leads they previously encountered thanks to my efforts in that area. I grew their channel from around 1,000 subscribers to over 8,700. See the Marketing, Graphic Design & Videography sections for more information.

Entrepreneurship

In June 2008, I opened up my own arcade business, initially called the Game Grid Arcade. Operating at the Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, UT, I led the company through the Great Recession of 2008, then through the pandemic lockdowns of 2020.

At the beginning of 2020, we changed our name to Arcade Galactic and opened a second location in Ogden, UT. That location lasted until Dec. 31st, 2022, but due to the worsening economy (plus much higher operating costs at that location while seeing lower revenue than the WVC store) we consolidated it back into one location. I also operate a private break room arcade for Pure Storage in Lehi, UT.

My experience operating an arcade has taught me valuable lessons and skills in business management, marketing, accounting, sales promotions, interior design, electronics repair, and customer service.

Arcade Galactic Ogden, UT, after polishing the floor but before placing games.

Marketing

As a part of Arcade Heroes, Arcade Galactic, and PrimeTime Amusements, I have been responsible for marketing, primarily through social media.

As of October 25th, 2023, I am Certified in Social Media Marketing with HubSpot Academy.

Arcade Galactic – 100% of the marketing for this business is B2C. My promotions have included:

• Organic & paid ads on Facebook/Instagram/YouTube/X
• YouTube posts & videos (both long form and shorts)
• Blog posts on the website
• Local radio ads
• Printed flyers
• Printed coupon book ads
• Printed sports calendar ads
• Groupon & GetOutPass coupons
• Token giveaways for schools & charity events
• Highway digital billboard ads
• Local tournaments
• Birthday parties

Most social media posts have been organic, as I have found some limited success with paid ads.

These efforts have become a little more of a challenge due to the multi-million dollar competitor that is setup within the same mall property. As a result, I have learned to switch my efforts from ‘education’ to ‘differentiation.’

Arcade Heroes – Where this is a blog, I share the story links on a variety of platforms (Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Discord). This is a WordPress site and I have had to learn SEO principles to maximize the impact that stories can have when involving niche subject.

As creator, director, editor and promoter of all Arcade Heroes content, I’ve grown the brand on YouTube to over 17,500 subscribers. I’ve also managed a membership section for the channel. I’ve also pursued alternative video hosting sites to further grow the brand.

PrimeTime Amusements – I am the Chief Marketing Officer for this company, which has involved handling all of their marketing needs. This includes social media marketing, product marketing, filmography, graphic design and more.

They use a WordPress based website, designed to drive customers to contact the sales rep via email or phone. After posting a new product, I will promote it on PrimeTime’s social media channels.

I also serve as the videographer for the company, shooting, editing, posting and promoting videos of hundreds of products. I have occasionally, when authorized, used YouTube ads here to promote a particular video. This has also included some graphic design work and sales ideas.

Visit PrimeTime’s YouTube channel here. Everything published there since the end of 2017 has been my work.

Thanks to my efforts, I grew PrimeTime’s YouTube subscriber base from around 1,000 subs, where it had been lingering for years prior, to over 8,000. As soon as I took over in 2017, growth went from anemic to strong, even remaining steady during periods where there was no new product videos to post, as I found ways to drive growth by posting new content from old products in a unique way. Growth is mostly seasonal, based upon new product launches that occur at tradeshows in March and November. I also created and managed a YouTube account for their Elev8 Fun chain of entertainment facilities which are located in the state of Florida.

I have also recently begun using HubSpot as a part of Elev8 Fun’s marketing efforts.

Videography

In each of the companies above, I have learned to stage, light, and shoot video about arcade products or doing things “podcast-style.” All being self-taught, I still have plenty of things to learn about this but here are links to the channels and a few examples. For PrimeTime, I took over their videos in 2017. I do most of this work using CyberLink PowerDirector.

Arcade Galactic YouTube

Arcade Heroes YouTube

PrimeTime Amusements YouTube

Graphic Design

In addition to shooting videos, I create the thumbnail graphics and other promotional graphics for each company. In the case of PrimeTime Amusements, I have created game recommendation guides, social media promo images, print advertisements, game art wraps, art wraps for tradeshow props (tables, banner ads, wall art) and anything else needed. I work with tools like GIMP and Inkscape. Here are a few of many examples; I also have created and sold designs on sites like TeePublic.

Here is a design I created using AI tools within CyberLink PhotoDirector and modified using GIMP, to promote a new game that was made available by UNIS:

Teaching & Training

I have a natural talent in for leading a classroom environment. My first experience with this was gained while serving as a volunteer missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Minas Gerias, Brazil. I was there from 2001-2003 and learn how to teach to people 1-on-1 as well as in large group settings.

In 2004, I joined the training staff for Alorica Inc. There, I was tasked with training new hires on a 2-week course, which primarily focused on how  computers work and operate, along with elements of customer service. I crafted the course material based upon existing ones, and added my own flare to help students pass the course exam, which they needed to do before being hired for phone work. I always focus on practical application over theory, so I would use my own experiences from working on the phones and doing the same technical work, as well as having students deconstruct a PC and put it back together. It was a rewarding experience that was fun to do.

While most of my professional work has not involved teaching, from 2018-Jan. 2024, I was a teacher at my local church for a “Gospel Doctrine” class. This involved teaching groups of adults (anywhere from 30-90 people) about religious subjects. I prepared each lesson from scratch and created my own custom slideshow. I can provide referrals from anyone who can vouch for my teaching ability from these classes.

Photography

Within the realm of these three companies I have also had to learn about photography and develop skill using that. I don’t have any really good equipment in that regard however so I’ve had to make do with a 4K camcorder and my smartphone:

Also outside of the arcade industry, some personal photography:

Technology & Consultancy

Ever since my parents bought a Texas Instruments 99/4A computer into our home at the end of 1984 (I was two), I’ve been fascinated by technology. I taught myself DOS, Windows 3.1 – Windows 11, CyberLink Power Director, GIMP, Inkscape, CRT monitor repair.

I received my A+ Technician Certification in 2004 from Salt Lake/Tooele Applied Technology College; In 2023 I received an HTML certification from W3Schools.com and have been studying subjects like CSS and Python through their available courses.

Being deeply involved in the amusement industry has given me the opportunity to use new concepts in VR/MXR/AR (sometimes collectively referred to as XR), such as what I filmed here:

I have also been sought for consultancy on developing new products, such as Food Flight by Gesture Art & Design. This game uses Azure Kinect sensors to detect one or more people within a space to play the game.