east valley
Volume 4 Issue 22 Mesa, AZ
December 12, 2021
His arcade business evolved from YouTube tutorials BY GABRIELLA BURTON Tribune Contributor
F
IN THE BIZ
ormer YouTuber Will Leinart, owner of the arcade company Joystick, now counts Chandler Fashion Center among his multiple locations of self-monitored machines throughout Arizona. Leinart began YouTubing in 2011 with an unusual angle: throughout the years, he provided tutorials on claw machines that showed people how to get prizes. Forming an LLC called Claw Master, the Tempe resident racked up a million subscribers in the process. “It really helped grow my character, my YouTube helped me fund my career,” Leinart said. His first company was called Zap, which he bought in 2014. For a few years he kept the name until he realized that the brand had developed a bad reputation and feared it might follow his career. Enter Joystick. “When I rebranded in 2018, I started over and then my YouTube started doing better,” Leinart explained. “Then everything worked off each other.” Now, with 10 years in the arcade industry, Leinart feels that he has gained a lot of experience. And because he is not a large arcade company, he doesn’t have much competition because most other arcade businesses are either far smaller or much bigger than Joystick. That advantage made it easier for him to navigate through the challenges of the pandemic, Leinart said. Public Notices ............... page 3 © Copyright, 2021 East Valley Tribune
Joystick’s only obstacle throughout the pandemic occurred when malls were closed and therefore could not access his arcades. And when malls reopened, he said, he recovered more quickly than other family entertainment centers. But that doesn’t mean Leinart has avoided all the economic woes associated with the pandemic. Like many other businesses large and small, he has had trouble finding Entrepreneur Will Leinart made a reputation with YouTube tuworkers. He was elated torials showing how people can get prizes on claw machines in when he recently found arcades. (Special to the Tribune) Zachary Mott to take on the arcades, and said profit is not as important role of fixing machines and checking secu- to him as creating more joy for customers. rity cameras. It seems to work for fans. “Working for Will is a great experience,” “Some of the games I have played in the Mott said. “I’ve known him for a while be- arcade are ones I have never seen before. cause we met through an arcade enthusi- They have the best arcade games,” said asts’ group but working for him is usually Mark Stempel, a Joystick patron at the a lot more fun than it is stressful. I also ap- Chandler mall. preciate the flexibility of the job because As arcade games begin to move with there doesn’t need to be a person manning technology and innovate, Leinart said he every store. We just watch the cameras.” might consider getting into the virtual reLeinart said he just always had a pas- ality industry or expanding into another sion for arcades. state. Until then he plans on continuing to “It’s kind of funny because I did like it. I do what he loves, opening more arcades. didn’t know I was going to own one, but I “I didn’t know I’d be making money beknew I enjoyed it. I posted my first video a cause it started from my hobby. I think decade ago which was like, literally almost that’s how everything should start. Like, half my life ago,” Leinart said. don’t think about the money so it will He said he wants to continue creating come later,” Leinart said. new experiences for families that enjoy his Information: joystickarcades.com (USPS 004-616) is published weekly
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