When the construction industry that had been the Myers' family career for 20 years fell victim to the lagging economy, the longtime Scottsdale business owner sought a backup plan. After getting the thumbs-up from her mother last May, the two started Party Punks LLC, a mobile video game party company. "I gave her the idea and she said, 'Let's do it,' " Myers said of the reaction from her mother, Bonnie Pelkey.
Party Punks gave Pelkey, a school-bus driver, a summer job. It gave the Myers, who had owned trucking and excavation companies since 1999, a safety net when they started losing money on construction jobs, including one that cost them $40,000. "You just couldn't get paid. we kept chasing (payments)," Myers said. "We had worked really hard, but we needed to get into some other kind of business."
Her three sons' love for video games inspired Myers to research the mobile side of the video-gaming industry, a field that appeared to thrive despite the economic climate. She noticed how much money families spent at traditional arcades and the high prices at restaurants that feature gaming options. Myers believed she could provide a less pricey option that was family-friendly.
"There are not that many opportunities for kids above the age of 7 to have good clean fun," Myers said. Myers felt she could succeed by bringing the arcade to people's homes and charge by the hour, not the round. A minimum two-hour session costs $275. There are seasonal price specials, and up to 34 children can play at the same time.
There have been as many as 50 children inside Myers' 1999 Peterbilt semitruck, which is 48 feet long and more than 8 feet wide. There are flat-screen TVs inside the truck and on the sides of its exterior. Separate sound systems allow the TVs to have their own sound, and an interior stage is used for karaoke and playing Rock Band. Movies can also be shown.
A questionnaire filled out by customers tells Myers which games are desired, the age of players and what kind of celebration the party is. Although she does mostly children's birthday parties, she has done adult parties. Myers is preparing to install satellite systems to accommodate tailgate or Super Bowl parties.
"We've had bookings that started off at three hours and we ended up staying for five, mainly because of the parents. Parents get in there and play Rock Band or start singing," Myers said.
The gaming area is completely self-contained and accessible to the disabled. Myers has recently added a full restroom inside the truck and rents tables, chairs, popcorn machines, inflatables and other party equipment. Party Punks also cleans and repairs DVD's, CDs and games during parties or by mail.
Closed-circuit video inside and outside the trailer captures every moment, which can be broadcast to an exterior screen for parents to watch. A copy can be made as a memento. Most of Myers' business is through referrals and word of mouth. She estimated each party generates two bookings. The truck is an entertainment center on wheels so the usual stress of setting up and dealing with the aftermath is practically nonexistent. "We're running a family business, and that's where we want to stay. We enjoy kids, and it's a lot of fun," Myers said.
