--==<<GAMERS UNTIE!!>>==-- Need input for a LAN/GAME SHOP!!

[iamme]

Originally posted by: Radeon
Lan-Shark

This is the place by my house that I wasn't too impressed with.

The place looks a little cramped.

 

[GtPrOjEcTX]

Man, you're living my dream. Wish I had a father-in-law with the hookup too.

 

[Sketcher]

Originally posted by: GtPrOjEcTX
Man, you're living my dream. Wish I had a father-in-law with the hookup too.

So GtPrOjEcTX, in your dream - how is the place set up? what games, rigs, layout etc?

-Sketcher

 

[Sketcher]

Originally posted by: wQuay

I'm considering these: Herman Miller Aeron Chair

Aren't those like > $ 800 a piece?

Using my corporate connection - I can get them for 40% discount off list. I should be able to pick them up for $415 a piece/delivered. But that still hurts though, no matter how good those chairs are!

So, I'm thinking I'll pick up a couple of them and have 2 of the 20 or so rigs be total High End gaming setups and have the two Aeron's at those stations (of course i'll have one for myself ). I might charge more for the use of the Ultimate Rigs, and or make them available to those who win tournaments, perhaps a random drawing of all onsite customers, who knows. But I WILL get at least 2 of those chairs!

I'm trying to stay away from leather though - It'd be nice, easy cleanup, but I've gamed in Leather quite a few times - it doesn't breath, you walk around with a soggy bottom afterward

-Sketch

 

[chiwawa626]

Before you jump into the biz i suggest you go talk to a few other lan places like that and ask them about stuff, say ur from outa state and uve never seen such a thing, and theyll explain a lot

 

[Josh]

CS/TFC - for quick action
Diablo II - for long-games and people who enjoy that stuff
SoF2 - for free for all killing

Don't know what else..

 

[Josh]

Originally posted by: Sketcher
As for the chairs,

I'm considering these: .Herman Miller Aeron Chair

Of course, reality will likely set in and the VA Loan will limit this to only a few of Aeron's. But in the long run, funds available I'd rather buy good furniture up front rather than replace it in a year or two. In my workplace, we too often "save money" buy buying whatever costs less at the time, only to replace it the following year.

I first used the Aeron Chair when I worked a job with NASA Houston Space Center. Their control rooms were exclusively outfitted with Aeron's because they were hands down the most comfortable, extended use chairs available and even their training scenarios can run into the 36 hour range w/only food & bathroom breaks. At the time, the chairs cost $1200 each. I received a quote today for $415 a piece. Still spendy, but anyone who spends LOTS of time at a desk AND uses an Aeron, swears by them.

Alternate/more affordable chair suggestions welcome!

-Sketch

Damn! Get those chairs, if I were buy your shop I'd play on the PCs just to sit in one of those suckas

 

[Sketcher]

Originally posted by: chiwawa626
Before you jump into the biz i suggest you go talk to a few other lan places like that and ask them about stuff, say ur from outa state and uve never seen such a thing, and theyll explain a lot

Roger that! just went to the warehouse district in Minneapolis MN and checked out The Stomping Grounds decent place. Dark, adjustable lighting, air conditioned. General Manager wasn't on site, will go back during the evening and check it out while it's busy. I've e-mailed for info and inquired about business financials, pitfalls and the like.

I'd rather not pose as an out of towner or something shady. If I get going, host some WAN competitions or end up with some cross-over customers, I want to be on the up and up. I'm far enough out that I will likely draw the customers who don't travel into the cities, but I can easily see how some poor decisions up front - could mean bad PR down the road.

-Sketcher

 

[Sketcher]

So, if you were to build the systems yourself, would you use the Anandtech High End Gamers Buyers guide? You need to build Twenty that's (20) rigs.

How would you guys build the systems. They should be excellent systems that will be upgradeable and last a while, but not necessarily Cutting Edge Technology (I mean, that'd be nice, but there isn't a LAN shop game out there that'll max out the best hardware available right now).

What would you choose for:

1. _________ Case

2. _________ Motherboard

3. _________ CPU

4. _________ Graphics Card

5. _________ RAM

6. _________ Sound Options

7. _________ Hard Drive

8. _________ Monitor

9. _________ Keyboard

10. ________ Mouse

11. ________ Headphones

12. ________ OS - will be going with XP Professional

13. ________ Chair


Remember, these are LAN Gaming rigs. Don't need a lot of extras. Don't need HUGE Hard Drives. Accessbile, Upgradable, Durable etc...

-Sketcher

 

[Michael]

I suggest having a couple of plain tables set up where people could play card games or minature games. LAN gamers tend to be similar in that they often play other games like Magic the Gathering (MTG has an online version, it is an option to have available for your players).

2 4 x 8 tables would be fine. You just rent the tables by the hour.

Michael

 

[GtPrOjEcTX]

1. _________ Case no need for aluminum as these won't be moved around, but get some nice looking cases if they are going to be visible by the customer

2. _________ Motherboard Dependent on date of purchase.

3. _________ CPU Dependent on date of purchase.

4. Depending on when you'll be building them Graphics Card I'm sure prices will fluctuate plenty. Make sure this is the last thing you buy.

5. 256-512mg RAM

6. Santa Cruz or Audigy Sound Options

7. 30+gig 7200rpm Hard Drive (depending on how many games you need to install, they take up quite a bit of room)

8. 19"-21" FlatScreens Monitor

9. Quiet Key Keyboard

10. Intellimouse Explorer 3.0 Mouse

11. ________ Headphones

12. Win XP __ OS - will be going with XP Professional

13. ________ Chair

14. Ratpadz are a must

Might want a couple with dvdrw drives or cdrw drives. (for people utilizing your T1 connection), and stock up on the hot deals for the tayo yudens (spelling?) and sell em for like a 25¢ a disc.

Oh yes, and if you haven't already been acquainted, meet Bob. He'll set you up with no cd cracks for all your games so the issue of having the cd to play the game is no longer an issue.

 

[murphy55d]

How bout some sports games for people who aren't FPS freaks?

Madden 2003/NFL 2k3 tourneys would be awesome- same with NHL 2003/NHL 2k3 when they come out.

What about having an entire Madden 2003 league? That might be a cool idea.

I wouldn't waste money on $400 chairs. That's a bit excessive I think. There's always deals at OM and OD for nice chairs under $100. In fact why don't you just ask RossMAN or PsychoAndy to find you the good deals? Andy seems to buy in quantity a lot, he might be a good one to ask.

I agree with T1 being a requirement. 20+ PCs all online at once probably would saturate any connection below T1 fairly quick. I'm no expert there though.

 

[Rent]

What didn't I like about Lan-Shark?

First, and most importantly, the hardware. Mouse/Keyboard/Headpones/Monitor were CRAP. The mouse was the worst part - it was a knockoff brand optical with the sensor located in the rear of the mouse instead of the middle or front like most optical mice are. It threw off my game completely. The cheapy keyboard/monitor/headphones just added to it.

Second, their network was crap. MASSIVE ping spikes off their supposed T1 line. For all I know it was probably SDSL line or something. Even players on the internal network were getting severe spiking making it near impossible to play consistantly.

Third, I had to sit down and tweak the system before I played on it. I know everyones settings are not identical, but the monitor was at like 1600x1200@60hz and all of the games on their had everything maxxed out. So there went another 5 minutes setting up CS so I could play it right.

Overall, it wasn't a fun experience.

So use (or give the option) Logitech or MS optical mice. For headphones, use Koss TD-61s (just go to home equiptment)- I used them at home and I think they're the best set of sub $25 headphones (I honestly think they're better than some $100 headphones).

40gb drives should be all you need and some generic DVD drive would work fine. CPU/Mobos should be something you decide when you have a budget planned out. Ram should be 512mb, no questions asked

 

[GtPrOjEcTX]

Originally posted by: Radeon
So use (or give the option) Logitech or MS optical mice. For headphones, use Koss TD-61s (just go to home equiptment)- I used them at home and I think they're the best set of sub $25 headphones (I honestly think they're better than some $100 headphones).

40gb drives should be all you need and some generic DVD drive would work fine. CPU/Mobos should be something you decide when you have a budget planned out. Ram should be 512mb, no questions asked

I agree with the mice, give an option, to some it is that that makes for breaks the experience. Headphones, make sure they are comfy and cleaned at least everyday. Same deal with the mouse and keyboards. Another suggestion for the headphones, try to get one that has a volume control on it. Ever since I bought a pair that did I don't think I'll ever buy another pair without that feature. I'll get the brand model when I go home. They were like $30 at circuit city.

I'm not sure why you would need a generic dvd drive. a generic cd-rom should suffice if you're going to go that route. Or maybe not even put in a cdrom and install things from the network. There's a money saving idea. That could also be a possibilty to fix the cd in while gaming issue. Make a monster machine with tons of cdroms, leaving in the game cds in them and mapping them out across the network. Theoretically it sounds like a good idea. :Q

 

[GtPrOjEcTX]

It is a Panasonic RP-HT355
Could be more comfy, I'd like to try out the 455 model of it, same cost.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

excuse me and my ignorance, but how on earth can you make any money off of one of an internet gaming facility? Lets say you have 20-30 computers, thats already $20,000 and upwards right there, not to mention monitors and accessories. Then you have all that software you need to buy, desks, chairs, lighting, the building itself, etc. I mean charging about $2.00 an hour still aint' gonna cover any of those costs. It must take a while to dig yourself out of the intial hole that you start out with.

 

[Sketcher]

Originally posted by: Sudheer Anne
excuse me and my ignorance, but how on earth can you make any money off of one of an internet gaming facility? Lets say you have 20-30 computers, thats already $20,000 and upwards right there, not to mention monitors and accessories. Then you have all that software you need to buy, desks, chairs, lighting, the building itself, etc. I mean charging about $2.00 an hour still aint' gonna cover any of those costs. It must take a while to dig yourself out of the intial hole that you start out with.

Oh CRAP!!! I'm supposed to try and make money out of this venture!!?

You've got an excellent point there Sudheer Anne, and that's one I'm calculating as I build into the shop budget. The shop will also service PC repair & upgrades. I don't have a monthly lease or rent to pay, just utilities - so I won't have the usual expense most shops would have to cover.

1. PC Gaming
2. Graphics/Media/Word Processing Workstations
3. High Speed Internet Access
4. In-house & Mobile PC repair/upgrade services.
5. Xbox & PS2 consoles
6. Software training
7. Food vending
8. DVD Movies on Widescreen & Projection.

No matter how I do it, you're right - it'll take time. But You can bet I'll be charging more than $2.00 an hour for most the services!

-Sketcher

 

[Sketcher]

Originally posted by: GtPrOjEcTX
It is a Panasonic RP-HT355
Could be more comfy, I'd like to try out the 455 model of it, same cost.

Looks like a good set, as well as Radeon's KOSS recommendation. I do like the volume control w/the headphones though - If I get Mobo's w/integrated sound, then regulate volume w/the headphones that'd be a cost effective and slick alternative to adding a soundcard/panel option. Good Recommendations, Thanks!


I'm heading out for a bit, I'll respond to and post more later.


-Sketcher

 

[Rent]

On board sound is a no-no... Lan-Shark also used the onboard stuff and it sucked. At least put Santa Cruz's or something in them.

 

[kazeakuma]

Some things to consider.

I work at a University so public access computers and security is something I've dealt with for a while. When you buy the cases/computers (if going with an OEM) make sure that they have a security bolt on them. It's usually just a metal tab with a hole in it for a padlock. You also need to make sure your pcs are properly secured but not in such a way that impedes use. Security cameras are a MUST, as no amount of security on a pc is going to stop a determined thief. But more on cameras later. For securing your PCs I would suggest this, thread all peripheral cables (mouse, keyboard, monitor, headphones) through a padlock. Use a cable tie to ensure that there is no way the cables can be threaded back through the padlock without first cutting the cable tie. You should also run security cables down the tables (good stuff to get is the braided steel wire with a plastic covering as these can't be cut with boltcutters) with small loops in them. Put the loop through the padlock and snap it on to the security lock and it's that easy.

Security cameras will be an expensive part of the setup but will not approach the cost of the pcs. A very cost effective way would be to buy cameras which hook up to a video server (if you need more info on this I can dig it up, it's been a while since I looked at this). The video server is usually the most expensive part of the setup besides the pc. The right video server will encode to jpeg and ftp the files on to a server with a time-stamp naming convention. If you have a PC set up in a back room with plenty of hard drive space you can archive files off and delete them after a few weeks or whatever time period you desire. If you want to get even trickier you can attach motion sensors to the cameras so they take pictures only when there is movement. Eg. If movement is picked up the cameras take a picture and 3 a second for the next 5 secs then stop. You can have all sorts of combinations but I think this will be the most cost effective and reliable solution for your case.

Have you thought about how you are going to install all the games/programs on the PCs when they come out? What about rebuilds of your LAN pcs etc? The best way to go about it would be to configure identical PCs and use Imaging software. There's a ton out there which do the job just fine, and many of the good ones support post-image application installs. Eg. Install a game on an example PC with a monitor which watches the install and then creates an install package. This package can then be installed on the PCs without the need to re-image from scratch and would save you a lot of time (Depending on the size of images it can take anywhere from 30mins to 2hrs+ on a 100mb connection, yours would tend toward the longer times with game installs). I suggest you look this up or send me a PM if you want more info because I could go on for pages about this.

Antivirus? If you are going to have web access you will need A/V software.

Buying the games will be expensive. You might want to work out something with a local distributor for bulk discounts. Or if you want to sell games as well, setting yourself up as a dealer would definitely make the games much cheaper for you.

I'll post again when I can think of more.

EDIT: Just thought of something. With soundcards, all you need is something that has EAX 2 support and basic outputs. A low end hercules or the Santa Cruz are cheap and do the job spectacularly. I would steer clear of Audigys as you don't need 5.1 out (headphones) nor many of the other things that come with that hefty price tag. The volume on the headphones sounds like a great idea too.

 

[Sketcher]

Originally posted by: Radeon
On board sound is a no-no... Lan-Shark also used the onboard stuff and it sucked. At least put Santa Cruz's or something in them.

Yeah, but did they use this?

Although some will jump to criticize our use of onboard audio on the high-end gaming setup, let us defend ourselves. The Gigabyte board uses the Creative Sound Blaster CT5880 sound chip, the same found on many of Creative's Sound Blaster PCI cards. Since the chip is actually a discreet solution simply placed on the motherboard, CPU utilization while playing sound is just as low as CPU utilization using a separate sound card. In fact, we proved this in our KT333 Roundup where we took a look at integrated sound solutions. In fact, the CT5880 chip we tested in this review scored as one of the best onboard sound solutions we took a look at, scoring a "good" or "very good" rating in all tests but one (where it got "average"). Quote from Anandtech's High End Gaming system using the Gigabyte 8IEXP Motherboard.

I typically would go for an "ad in" sound option, but if this sound is that good - and you're piping it through headphones anyway... Counting 20 PC's, that's quite a savings on sound cards - even cheap ones (which would perform lower than the onboard chip). I'm not adamant about not buying sound cards, just considerate of the value versus what's already there if I use that Mobo. I can always start out with the onboard sound and try it myself or see if anyone complains - it's quick and easy enough to order in and install sound cards.
I'm quite satisfied with the onboard sound of my MSI K7 Master through headphones and also using Logitech Z560's - but then I'm not an audiophile. Don't know that many gamers that are.

I welcome the argument about sound - if you have any further input on it post away! It's the little things that can make the big difference.

Thanks!

-Sketcher

 

[Sketcher]

kazeakuma,

I look forward to your next posts! Excellent information. I'm not quite at the stage of details for the lock down and video surveillance but I'm definitely going to PM you when I get there!

I have Drive Image 5.0. A CD re-image of my gaming rig takes 12 minutes from boot to full operability. I don't really have a crunch time requirement so if the bulk of the repetitive work is done, not a big deal manually installing remaining software. I might rethink that once I set out to install software on 20 PC's! A good Final image will be an essential tool.

I'll check on the software dealer/bulk buying arrangement - see if the Local shops can give me better pricing than CDW. I'll be using my Corporate account with CDW to purchase the majority of equipment. They typically match or better anything I have them quote against other vendors. OS + Four games for 20 PC's will run me about $8,000 w/out discount.

When I get to the points of Security and some of the more fine details of surviellance I'll knock on your door! For now, thank you very much for taking the time to post everything you have! Much appreciative.

-Sketcher

 

[LongCoolMother]

btw, heres the link to my local shop.

www.rivalution.net

 

[Sketcher]

Originally posted by: murphy55d
How bout some sports games for people who aren't FPS freaks?

Madden 2003/NFL 2k3 tourneys would be awesome- same with NHL 2003/NHL 2k3 when they come out.

What about having an entire Madden 2003 league? That might be a cool idea.

I wouldn't waste money on $400 chairs. That's a bit excessive I think. There's always deals at OM and OD for nice chairs under $100. In fact why don't you just ask RossMAN or PsychoAndy to find you the good deals? Andy seems to buy in quantity a lot, he might be a good one to ask.

I think I'll be a bit more receptive to PsychoAndy from now one . As far as the sports games go, I'll just have to see how the demand shows up. I know it's out there, but I'm not ready to buy 20 titles just yet - I'll wait for specific requests then install as needed.

Being that I have next day delivery status w/CDW, I might hold software purchases to 10 and purchase the remaining as needed - make sure I don't spend the money before I need to. Who knows, I could end up closing the door before I've even have time to fill the place . But that's not postive thinking now! Shame on me

Chairs, hey - gotta dream right!? yeh, Aeron's are too spendy to order in twenty! I'll get a couple though. Can't embark on the Dream Job and not have a Dream Chair now can we! ;D


-Sketcher

 

[Sketcher]

Originally posted by: LongCoolMother
btw, heres the link to my local shop.

www.rivalution.net

Thanks LongCoolMother, nice quality site - They don't have in-house pictures posted yet heh, any chance you'd do some covert ops they might welcome picture taking...

My first web page will probably be remeniscent of the old BBS sites I "surfed" back in the Commodor 64 days I don't even think that'd classify as "Old School"! Nice to see how everyone else is doing their stuff though.

Thanks again,

-Sketcher