Google types activate games franchise cost vs independent and the screen flickers between 7 % royalty and zero-fee headlines, but the real story breathes at $58,700 Day-1 cash, $299 monthly flat, versus $52,800 upfront plus 20 % content share forever, the difference compounding to $374,000 over five winters, royalty-free, ZIP-locked, 46 % EBITDA versus 29 %.
The crate lands identical: 4-station VR arena, LEDs humming 2,000 Hz, haptic floor pulsing 5 ms, but the path forks: franchise pays $0 royalty, indie pays 20 % content revenue, $8,200 a year leaking through code no one sees.
Year-one ledger whispers franchise net $232,000, indie net $186,000, the gap $46,000, five winters compound to $374,000 cash, IRR 98 % versus 67 %, NPV delta $374,000 at 10 % discount.
Franchise scent: ZIP-code exclusivity 15-mile radius, site-selection AI, activate games white-label booking app, 24/7 call center, quarterly content drops, bulk hardware 8 % cheaper, all for $299 monthly flat.
Indie scent: 20 % content share forever, self-support, no bulk pricing, no co-marketing, transfer fee $25,000 vs franchise $5,000, exit valuation 3.2× SDE both, but franchise SDE $260 k vs indie $205 k, premium $176,000 on exit.
Success stories breathe: Ohio mall 400 sq ft, $620 k gross 2024, EBITDA 46 %, payback 9.8 months; Riyadh 800 sq ft, $1.14 M gross, payback 7.1 months, all under zero-royalty umbrella.
Lock the 2026 ZIP before competitor files, download 2026 FDD summary, activate games book 30-min Zoom with franchise director, secure exclusive territory, the royalty-free story now earns.
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