NOT JUST FOR KIDS GAMEWORKS LURES ADULTS.

Byline: Evan Pondel Staff Writer

GLENDALE - The only thing missing is a ball crawl.

But that doesn't matter to GameWorks - the Chuck E. Cheese equivalent for adults that's trying to profit from Gen Xers who grew up on video games.

The blinking lights, noisy machines and giant pizzas are all part of the fun zone, but so is a full-service bar with an extensive wine list. And if sipping martinis and playing a virtual white-water game isn't appealing, GameWorks has myriad other arcade hits targeted to take the edge off the weekly grind. The Glendale-based company's panacea for the party-deprived: ``Eat. Drink. Party. Play.''

With rows of computer arcade games interlaced with neon, the company's arcade wizardry is almost expected, considering its founders. A product of Sega Enterprises, Universal Studios and DreamWorks SKG, GameWorks has been able to create an entertainment experience for the senses, according to Randall Hiatt, a hospitality consultant with Fessel International in Costa Mesa.

``It's the games that are entertaining and food that actually tastes good, which makes or breaks this type of chain,'' Hiatt said.

For Ben Silverman, a 28-year-old who grew up dropping quarters into a Gauntlet machine, the ability to eat good food and play his favorite arcade game is certainly a plus. Now the editor-in-chief of Game Revolution, an online video game magazine, Silverman said the GameWorks concept works only if adults are willing to pay for those virtual reality games.

``They're expensive and the game play can be very linear,'' he said.

With competition for the entertainment dollar increasing throughout Southern California, those who want to provide high-tech fun for adults must appeal to a variety of consumers. PacMan and hamburger patties are no longer essential ingredients, according to Andy Harris, producer of ``The Restaurant Show'' on KABC-AM (790).

``This is one those venues where the food and drink is just as important as the video games,'' said Andy Harris, producer of the radio station's ``The Restaurant Show.'' ``GameWorks is the type of place that attempts to get adults to stay for a longer period of time instead of turning the tables.''

For GameWorks, that means adopting a new strategy to cater to potential customers from surrounding markets. The privately held company plans to unveil a 40,000-square-foot facility in the Pike at Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach. Slated to open in late 2003, the new venue will blend GameWorks' signature proprietary games, a live entertainment stage and a custom-designed bowling alley.

``The Long Beach project is a prime location for GameWorks to tap into a growing tourist, local and business clientele,'' said Ron Lam, chief executive officer and president of GameWorks.

GameWorks isn't a neophyte when it comes to picking the next hot spot for state-of-the-art entertainment, though. The company currently has locations at the Irvine Spectrum entertainment center in Orange County and at the Ontario Mills center in the Inland Empire.

Harris said when a company is marketing arcade games and food, there are specific geographies that do better than others. For example, the new location in Long Beach already has a festive, almost relaxed environment. This is crucial if a company like GameWorks wants to capture people in their 20s and 30s, Harris said.

Since GameWorks' inception in 1997, its creators - Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen - envisioned an environment that was unlike most arcade houses. Now, Hiatt said, a new niche of eateries has sprung up. Along with GameWorks, Jillian's and Dave & Buster's are vying for the top slot among entertainment eateries.

To do that, these companies have to provide ``more than just lip service on serving food,'' Hiatt said. `` Dave and Buster's is a full-service restaurant like a (T.G.I.) Friday's. And that characteristic has worked to their advantage.''

GameWorks is also trying to boost its food sales. The company replaced its GameWorks Grills with Jax Grills, offering gourmet pizzas, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, salads and desserts. The average check runs about $14, according to Chicago-based food service consultants Technomic Inc.

Perhaps even more appetizing is the credit-card size playcard that allows customers to play GameWorks' arcade games. With more than 200 games and attractions, the card works much like a debit card, the company said.

GameWorks installed a special card-scanning device that blocks youngsters' access to the approximately 15 percent of GameWorks' games designated as having mature content, the company said.

Still, games involving guns aren't appealing to all arcade enthusiasts, so GameWorks features Centipede and Asteroids too. ``Just like the food, you need to appeal to more than one palate,'' Hiatt said.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Customers race through an indoor racetrack at GameWorks in the Irvine Spectrum, with food bar and arcade in the background.

Steven Georges/Staff Photographer

(2 -- color) Lance Hernandez, of Colton, left, and his father, Socorro, participate in a game called ``Dance Dance Revolution.''

Jeff Malet/Staff Photographer