Do it
I would work for you. Maybe charge by the hour, computers would be free, just with a startup fee. Get public opinion, do a survey. Maybe coupons and such. Huge amounts of sponsers to give it a good feel to it. Don't make it look like a basement, make it something modern, not the basement gamer atmosphere. Have a registering thing so people can get discounts and such.
I might, just thinking out loud here, putting in a table top gaming area for the DnD crowd. No charge just a table and some chairs. Also hold events like a faux super bowl when the time comes round.
I had 3 Internet/Gaming Cafes in my area and they all went bankrupt within the last 5 years.
Yeah that might happen to me but oh well, at least I can say I started my own buisness. THen I'll just get up and try and try again.
Be like that Battlezone place and have laser tag.
I wish we had one near me :(
Haha I don't think I can do THAT right off the bat. Maybe if the first one becomes succesful or it sadly ruins I'll start a laser tag place.
-ninja'd- :ninja:
[QUOTE=HQRSE;17227048]Not to be mean but I doubt it would work, most people interested in games already have systems and would rather play at home, and rewarding them with prizes would probably leave you with little profit.[/QUOTE]
That's not always the case, there's a gaming cafe down the street from where I live, and that place is packed every day of the week.
Also, I think you should go for it OP, if you have the money and the knowledge to do so.
I wish I had a place like that around for lan partys
just be friendly most of the nerds are shy and socially awkward ;p
Seems like it would be a good investment if there is no competition. Seems like your prices are really cheap as well. The local cafe here charges 5 an hour for time on your account, then 10 for 3 hours, ext. ext. These days though offering free highspeed wifi would probably but a huge damper on profits since most kids these days seem to have laptops to game on already.
[url=http://www.nugamesonline.com/index.html]This[/url] is the local gaming center around where i live, its been around since Half Life 1
I'm hoping I'll stay around for a while but I'll move if I have to. The town where I'm going to college at has no competition what so ever, and its filled with college kids.
[QUOTE=havelava;17233942][url=http://www.nugamesonline.com/index.html]This[/url] is the local gaming center around where i live, its been around since Half Life 1[/QUOTE]
They don't have a huge choice of games :geno:
The place near here is something similiar to that. $5 an hour, which is pretty fair. You can buy chips and drinks there and it's generally a nice place, usually groups of kids come in there and play Gears of War or something.
Waviers are needed for everyone.
You don't want to get sued because some dumbass tried to lick their keyboard for better handling only to get e.coli infection and die.
More important then that is make sure you sell snacks and drink. I remember at the one we had here, I would always use timecards I found on the floor (found one with 999 hours once :3:) and wound up paying basically what it would have cost anyways on chips and bawls.
What about if I charged , this is roughly, $10 initial - $2-5 hourly - then free after 6 hours.
that's pretty reasonable if i was there.
and yeah, get some fucking waivers. people will sue for the most retarded of 'problems'. make them sign a contract before they play. i know this guy who tried to sue an internet cafe because he got incredible stomach pain from the food but turns out HE NEVER WASHED HIS HANDS
obviously the lawsuit didn't go through. but you should stock hand washes/alcoholic sanitizers around the computers(and make sure they're bolted down, in [B]very[/B] secure cases.
[QUOTE=Slacker101;17227022]I was thinking of starting a internet~gaming cafe in my area. There is no other ones around my area; I was thinking if I started with around 10 computers and maybe a 360 and PS3, each with there own HD projectors, then using steams cafe gaming system and down loading the clients for WoW and other popular MMO's. Then offer free WiFi to bring in customers, host local tournaments with prizes to bring in customers. I would only charge around $10 a day for the 360 and PS3, then with $5 intial and $2 an hour for a pc. I don't know if they would be hand built or bought high-end computers. So would this work, any suggestions?
Also I'll take name suggesstions.
I will have snacks and drinks for sale. Maybe burgers and other stuff too if I can.[/QUOTE]
There was a place exactly like this about a mile down the road up until about 2 years ago.
They didn't make enough money to support the store so they had to close.
[QUOTE=Bape;17228607]10$ a day for Xbox and PS3? Way too cheap. Theres a poolhall hear my house that charges 10 bucks for 2 hours on the Xbox.[/QUOTE]
It was cheaper than that at my local gaming center, but they closed down.
Probably because they had to upgrade 20 computers every year, and pay for the T1 connections.
[QUOTE=JustExtreme;17227357]$10 for an entire day for 360's and PS3's? You'll need to charge a bit more than that else you won't get profit.[/QUOTE]
There's a place near Cincinnati called Arcade Legends, which is basically a classic arcade, with tons of pinball/arcade machines of the old school variety, and a 360 hook up with a big HD projector. $12/$10 a day get's you full access to everything:
[url]http://www.arcadelegendsohio.com/[/url]
It's pretty awesome. My older sister's fiancee had his birthday there during the summer (he was an arcade kid growing up), and apparently they can stay afloat quite well being they are the only flat-rate arcade in the area (if not THE only arcade), and have quite a cult following when they opened (having lots of old school gamer friends helps to spread the word I guess).
Now the difference here is, this is a genuine arcade with a mix of new stuff (like a 360, which can play stuff like WaW, SFIV, Rockband, etc).
Have fun failing. All those around my area closed. Besides... (Insert whitty snippit here)
I also plan to hold super bowl parties there. Play Madden or something then start one of the projectors on the super bowl. Then a $2 360 special on the day of the super bowl to attract customers and have a big party. :dance: If I fail so what, I'll have a degree to fall back on and start again, in a different location probably.
[QUOTE=Hamm0;17234001]They don't have a huge choice of games :geno:[/QUOTE]
Thats a bit misleading. those are only their most recent games, they have many more, last time I was there they also had Gmod, The ship, and some more.
[QUOTE=havelava;17233942][url=http://www.nugamesonline.com/index.html]This[/url] is the local gaming center around where i live, its been around since Half Life 1[/QUOTE]
Their commercial makes it sound really faggy
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-Zz-Z-QBcQ[/media]
Talk to local electronic stores. See about getting some support from them. That's how the only gaming cafe around here keeps going.
[QUOTE=Slacker101;17227022]I was thinking of starting a internet~gaming cafe in my area. There is no other ones around my area; I was thinking if I started with around 10 computers and maybe a 360 and PS3, each with there own HD projectors, then using steams cafe gaming system and down loading the clients for WoW and other popular MMO's. Then offer free WiFi to bring in customers, host local tournaments with prizes to bring in customers. I would only charge around $10 a day for the 360 and PS3, then with $5 intial and $2 an hour for a pc. I don't know if they would be hand built or bought high-end computers. So would this work, any suggestions?
Also I'll take name suggesstions.
I will have snacks and drinks for sale. Maybe burgers and other stuff too if I can.[/QUOTE]
I went to a place EXACTLY LIKE THIS for years.
You will not make money for 5-6 years. It takes an incredible amount to keep it.
[editline]07:45PM[/editline]
10 minutes south of cincinatti, by the way
[editline]07:45PM[/editline]
ohio, not germany
If you do start this, use Smartlaunch, it's what the business a couple of miles away from me uses and it's pretty smooth and it keeps things organized well.
[url=http://www.smartlaunch.com/webpages/]SmartLaunch[/url]
And you can actually make a good deal of money, the place nearest to me stays in business because alot of parents will drop their kid off there and pay for hours upon hours just to have some time without their kid to do who knows what. And over there it costs about $3.50 per hour, something like that, and they have Lock-ins every weekend too.
Oh and this place has been in business for a good 5-7 years
[QUOTE=Slacker101;17235183]I also plan to hold super bowl parties there. Play Madden or something then start one of the projectors on the super bowl. Then a $2 360 special on the day of the super bowl to attract customers and have a big party. :dance: If I fail so what, I'll have a degree to fall back on and start again, in a different location probably.[/QUOTE]
Don't do it the day of the Superbowl, do it the day before. It's a Saturday, and on the day of the Superbowl everyone who's interested in the Superbowl will be at home... watching the Superbowl.
IMo i'd do 5$ every 2 hours for the computers ... and charge like 200$ for a all year pass or something....... and youd have to sell energy drinks
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