Poll: The Gaming Cafe

[Trivun]

I'd love something like that, if it's a success would you consider branching out and perhaps opening some in the UK? This seems like a great idea, non of my flatmates are massive gamers apart from one, and even then that's mainly sports games (which I'm not interested in), so somewhere to play with other like minded people would be brilliant It's social and yet it's gaming too, and hopefully it'll help abolish the stereotype of 'anti-social recluse' gamers like the WoW fanatics

 

[ExaltedK9]

I think he's talking console games like PS, Xbox, or Wii. Maybe even N64 if he wants to go classic.

In that case, I like the idea slightly less, but I still think it'd be good fun for others.

But why restrict it to just computer games? Console games could teabag computer games in the face anyday. Death to the PC gamer!

yes?

No.
The opposite of yes.
No. Very bad.

I mean instead of using the computers for the internet and not playing games, you would use (for instance) xbox 360s to play games online or by yourself or with friends.

You can purchase up to an hour at a time, or pay for full days.

I am pretty much a PC gamer only.
For various reasons.

But like I said, it'd still be a good idea, I simply wouldn't be the target audience.
Nothing new about that.

And all is well in the universe.

 

[Gamer137]

Will it be successful? In this economy, i'm sure some people will take advantage of it. After the recession, i'm sure some arcade goers will replace it for the arcade, mostly little kids. So if your area is tech savvy a bit, then it will at least turn up small profits.

Would I use it? Well social gaming is best with friends in your living room. If gaming clubs at schoot tell me anything, I don't enjoy just sitting around waiting for twenty people to take turns playing Rock Band.

 

[ExaltedK9]

And all is well in the universe.

Except that I've still got nowhere to go if I ever visit New Jersey!
(That is what he meant, right?)

No I was referring to the fact that PC gamers would not be the target audience.

But now that you brought it up, what IS up with that?

 

[trentdarr]

Honestly my friends and I where considering this idea, but upon some research onto the matter we kept hitting the same roadblocks.
Mainly how to manage the overhead of the consoles(I.E. consoles are fairly easy to break and can at times be just as if not more expensive depending on the type of damage to repair/replace that is of course when you factor in all the peripherals/shipping/down time/wages of your staff required also not mention the normal stuff like T1 lines electricity and other utilities) however aside from the initial cost and the subsequent upkeep which is associated with any kind of gaming establishment that is prone to temper tantrums of teens or 20?somethings for that matter who just got "totally PWNED by the 1337 gam3r in the corner" the only other major hurtle we encountered was the ability to "manage" the customers actual time spent on the system.
For example if someone came in and paid for 2 hours by plopping down 20 bucks but your establishment was busy I.E. lots of gamers what keeps said customer from blending in and ripping you off? Most cyber cafes answer to this is time management software where the customer has a user account which is then credited with the time they paid for; when the time expires they are not allowed to use the systems until the buy more.

Basically our problem was we could not find any such software for Consoles so there for you?d have to resort to an honor system which is destined for failure or hire a bunch of people you can?t really afford (at least most new business ventures cant)
To stand behind the patrons and baby sit them with a stop watch.

Hope that jumbled mass makes sense. But aside from those issues it is a very good idea just at the current time not very realistic.

 

[Gamer137]

Honestly my friends and I where considering this idea, but upon some research onto the matter we kept hitting the same roadblocks.
Mainly how to manage the overhead of the consoles(I.E. consoles are fairly easy to break and can at times be just as if not more expensive depending on the type of damage to repair/replace that is of course when you factor in all the peripherals/shipping/down time/wages of your staff required also not mention the normal stuff like T1 lines electricity and other utilities) however aside from the initial cost and the subsequent upkeep which is associated with any kind of gaming establishment that is prone to temper tantrums of teens or 20?somethings for that matter who just got "totally PWNED by the 1337 gam3r in the corner" the only other major hurtle we encountered was the ability to "manage" the customers actual time spent on the system.
For example if someone came in and paid for 2 hours by plopping down 20 bucks but your establishment was busy I.E. lots of gamers what keeps said customer from blending in and ripping you off? Most cyber cafes answer to this is time management software where the customer has a user account which is then credited with the time they paid for; when the time expires they are not allowed to use the systems until the buy more.

Basically our problem was we could not find any such software for Consoles so there for you?d have to resort to an honor system which is destined for failure or hire a bunch of people you can?t really afford (at least most new business ventures cant)
To stand behind the patrons and baby sit them with a stop watch.

Hope that jumbled mass makes sense. But aside from those issues it is a very good idea just at the current time not very realistic.

Just keep a laptop with a bunch of timers running, and have it placed right next to a power control system for the consoles. Simply shut off console power after the time is up, and if possible, give in-person reminders before time runs out. You just need to hire an electrician for a day or two.

 

[KSarty]

An easier way to manage the time is to charge them after the fact. When I play pool with my friends they simply give us the table and note the time. When we finish the computer calculates the bill based on how much time we actually rented the table for.

 

[NeedAUserName]

Imagine a cyber cafe, only instead of computers its about video games.

Sounds like a good idea, but this part doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
You do know computers have games on them, right?

Yeah, my local HMV has one in its basement, its £1 for an hour, although they only charge that if there's more then a few people there, more often then not me and my mates can just walk in if no one is already using something.

 

[AkJay]

It sounds really good, and in addition to online, you can obviously host LAN parties, both private and public!

 

[Huey1000]

I'd be all for your idea, except last time I was in a cafe I had a manic attack and ended up spitting food and yelling at people. I just have a traumatic thing against any kind of cafe's.

 

[chronobreak]

We had a few around here in MA, they all went belly up in less than a year. People already have food at home, and they can bring friends to their house. People already play online with their friends without having to drive. People already own computers, and don't have to pay to use them.

The big thing that's going to make it work is sponsors. Find a lot of good sponsors so you don't have to spend a lot of your own money.

 

[Simalacrum]

yeah that could be awesome! nice way to find friends and start a good clan

 

[chefassassin2]

I like it! There's actually a place kindof like that where I live. The Chatterbox Pub is a full service restaurant/bar, and at a bunch of tables and in front of a couple couches there are old-school Nintendo NES' and Sega Genesis. For a couple bucks you can rent a game and have a pint. The college crowd packs it when school is in session, and I head there in the summer. Good luck to you, I wish you nothing but the best!!

 

[Sparrow]

I'm actually loving this idea. I could carry my 360 hardrive with me on the go, and just plug it in whenever I want to complete a specific side quest or achievement. It'd also be an awesome place to grab some co-op play, would it not?

 

[HaircareForMen]

I would so love one of them seeing my 360 just RROD'd

 

[Mackinator]

Yes I think this is a great idea!

Although even in my country of residence there already is one nearby.
So not the most original


**PS. I finally mastered italics**

 

[SomeBritishDude]

Sounds like a fantastic idea. I'd certainly use one. I don't have a PS3 for instance, and I did miss out on a lot of the more retro consoles, so having a place to go and play them would be genius.

 

[Guitar Gamer]

That sounds like a great idea. Hopefully it'll catch on and spread up to Canada with me.

lets pray that it does brother

 

[AtticusSP]

I see a future of people taking bad care of those controllers.
Broken and sticky controllers a plenty from dirty hands, angry throwing or just pushing the sticks way too fucking hard.
It's usually little kids who rip the padding off and stuff from using the controller too hard though.

 

[SomeBritishDude]

So basically... Bring back arcades? I like the sound of it, but I can't imagine how it could make a profit.

It does sound like that doesn't it. But bringing in a cafe like area, maybe some sofas and tables spread around ect and you could bring new life to them.