POLL: Would you go to a gaming internet cafe?

[zCypher]

Originally posted by: CrazyDe1
Actually make normal operating hours like 9-10 and then after that have afterhours gaming where you serve booze...that way you could take advantage of both markets and that'd be gauranteed to draw people in...I know we're always boozin while playin war3

comments appreciated and I have already brought this to his attention. well he already thought about it actually. but he decided to keep booze out for now. I suggested that if he ever opened up a second joint, have booze served at that one, or at least afterhours at the second place. he wants to see how it goes first, and then think about the liquor license. it could potentially be profitable but it could also pose many new problems.

 

[neutralizer]

Damn, I sure could use one in Del Mar.

 

[Dragon365]

No, I have my computer here and a fast enough connection, so that's set. And if I wanted to socialize, i would probably go somewhere completely different.

 

[Ranger X]

I would but paying $2/hr. is a bit hard to swallow when I have my own internet at home.

 

[rpc64]

A friend and I have been thinking of starting up a business almost identical to this as well. I understand what you guys are saying about how it is likely to fail. But there are a few other places like this around my area and they seem to get a decent number of customers.

About the secruity issue, here's a thing we thought of: What if we could program a kind of "front end" type thing. Make it full screen and make it so they can't close it or anything and then just have buttons to launch the programs they are supposed to be able to run.

 

[Kevin]

This guy a knoew owns a shop like that and a bunch of my friends work there. Its like an internet/gaming cafe. I've been wanting to go but whenever my friends are there, I always have to work...

 

[Blieb]

http://www.juggernautextremegaming.com

 

[Mo0o]

i live like 5 minutes away from one. its 4 bucks an hour to play a large collection of games on some pretty decent machines in a nice environment. granted i could just play at home but playing along w/ your friends has its own merits too. plus the building is air conditioned, unlike my house.

 

[CrazyDe1]

Originally posted by: Blieb
http://www.juggernautextremegaming.com

something like that would work...but would require a huge initial investment

 

[Mo0o]

it does require heavy investment, but if done right it can pull in a lot of money

 

[Fiveohhh]

I'd be happy if they put wifi in a pool hall

 

No - my college has a basement computer lab decked out with 25 Pentium 4 Dells, enough licenses of Half Life, Quake 3 and Unreal Tournament for all of them, thousand-dollar chairs for each workstation, an awesome lighting scheme, and a great decorating scheme (steel and concrete). And as long as you have a U of M uniqname, it's freeeeee!

Going to a college filled with nerds is fun.

 

[zCypher]

Stupid poll! 50/50!

 

[thenerdguy]

Yes, There is a locol one where I play Quake 3 and Ut2003 and CC:Generials.

 

[Mo0o]

Originally posted by: jumpr
No - my college has a basement computer lab decked out with 25 Pentium 4 Dells, enough licenses of Half Life, Quake 3 and Unreal Tournament for all of them, thousand-dollar chairs for each workstation, an awesome lighting scheme, and a great decorating scheme (steel and concrete). And as long as you have a U of M uniqname, it's freeeeee!

Going to a college filled with nerds is fun.

omg who authorized the funding of that place

 

[V00DOO]

I'll say don't do it. Even if you open it and it become successful, some smuck going to say "woo this place is packed, I'll open one down the block and charge less per hour". In southern Cal internet cafe charges as less as $1.00 per hour because of competition. Beside internet cafe attracts mostly teenage and sooner or later there is going have some violences. Once violence starts people stop coming.

 

[zCypher]

bumpity

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
From the customer stand point - yes that would be nice

From the business owner stand point - do not do it, it will fail, you will be out of business

Actually, RossMAN is for once... wrong.

I have a friend you set one of these up almost a year ago give or take in Cali somewhere. It was indeed hard going for the first few months according to him. He MADE ENOUGH to break even on operating expenses those first few months. I talked to him a few months back, and he was just about ready to open up A SECOND SHOP, and was in the process of scouting locations and such. He was actually turning a profit at the time. No, not hand over fist, but enough to be paying back the "loan" that originally funded the place (the "loan" was approximately $20,000 of his own money and another $20,000 from a silent partner).

Anyway, his main impression upon me was that to make such a business thrive, it's all about LOCATION - finding the right location where you'll get a good amount of clientelle.

 

[RossMAN]

I've been wrong hundreds of times but statistically speaking I think I am right on this one.

The odds are against them.

 

[Pepsei]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
From the customer stand point - yes that would be nice

From the business owner stand point - do not do it, it will fail, you will be out of business

Exactly... internet cafe works for Asia, Europe, but not here...

 

[Viper GTS]

With the advent of broadband & cheap PC hardware, the niche market for gaming/internet cafes has expired.

When dial-up prevailed, & top of the line systems were expensive there was a legitimate use for such a thing.

Viper GTS

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
With the advent of broadband & cheap PC hardware, the niche market for gaming/internet cafes has expired.

When dial-up prevailed, & top of the line systems were expensive there was a legitimate use for such a thing.

Viper GTS

Agreed.

Before the advent of high speed bandwidth at home, I would surf the net at internet cafe's.

Now almost all the Portland internet cafe's have closed their doors.

 

[DougK62]

Forget games and just make them stripped down internet appliances and only have a few. All you'll get with gaming computers is tight-assed little brat kids. Go for the older age - 20+. Concentrate on the atmosphere. Good drinks and snacks - specialty stuff. Music - live music on weekends. Pool tables. Be sure to get a nice building with some real soul - something old and renovate. I've seen a couple places like this that started out slow but are now the place to go. They make a TON of loot.

 

[wfbberzerker]

i used to go to those, back before i had a good computer and internet at home. but now, no, i definitely dont think so.

 

[dawks]

Originally posted by: SunnyD

Originally posted by: RossMAN
From the customer stand point - yes that would be nice

From the business owner stand point - do not do it, it will fail, you will be out of business

Actually, RossMAN is for once... wrong.

I have a friend you set one of these up almost a year ago give or take in Cali somewhere. It was indeed hard going for the first few months according to him. He MADE ENOUGH to break even on operating expenses those first few months. I talked to him a few months back, and he was just about ready to open up A SECOND SHOP, and was in the process of scouting locations and such. He was actually turning a profit at the time. No, not hand over fist, but enough to be paying back the "loan" that originally funded the place (the "loan" was approximately $20,000 of his own money and another $20,000 from a silent partner).

Anyway, his main impression upon me was that to make such a business thrive, it's all about LOCATION - finding the right location where you'll get a good amount of clientelle.

Further proof, Switchbox.ca in Calgary Alberta is doing incredible business. They started back in November I think with like 20 PCs, now they have like 38 I think? They constanly have 5-8 people in there.. and seem to have about 15 or so on friday and saturday evenings. Not to mention various tournaments. I think they've managed to pack the place a couple of times already. Of course they picked a great city, there is TONS of money in Calgary, it is afterall, the gas capital of Canada. Plus Calgary has a great and strong gaming community, hell, most of Alberta does, so word of mouth makes for cheap yet effective advertising. And they were lucky enough to open when there wasnt much competition around.

Lets not forget also, Calgary is the home of Shaw Cable, which is one of the top ISPs in North America.. I say so becuase I have not heard of a company that offers what they offer for the price. ie: 2 static IP's, 5mbit downloads, 1mbit uploads, 7 email addresses, and very high transfer caps (I've done over 50gigs this month already). And there are quite a few servers on or very near Shaws backbone.. so 20-40ms pings are not uncommon. Only costs about $20 USD a month aslo. So people can game at home, but for the most part, its a social thing. Not everyone has fast computers, or 3-4 computers at their house. Not to mention not everyone has every game either. You can go to one of these places, and everything is there.