Lan Gaming Cafe

N00bie

N00bie

N00bie

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Joined
10 Mar 2007
Posts
750
Location
Milton Keynes
Hey Guys,

Not seen many of these around my area, just wondering reckon this could work ?

Have gaming rigs in the shop, with the chance to buy rip off coffee ;)
Games would be like WoW and others like normal CSS BF2 and so fourth?

Would charge around £3.50 for an hour. Was thinking of selling stuff as well like components and things.
 
Considering 99% of us have computers, and computers capable of playing games in the comfort of their own home - I doubt many people here would see the need for one.
 
I would rather goto such a place to meet with friends than goto the pub to be honest.

If advertised well with regular tournaments etc it could work.

The main question is setup costs, not only for systems but for game licenses too.
 
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You would be spending too much, and not getting enough back, it wouldn't work due to the majority of people having and internet connection and a gaming rig in the comfort of their own home.
 
Bgr said:
could just play at home..
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with no social life ?

Sounds a great idea and i think it would open the idea of pc gaming to people

you could always put the xbox wirless dongles on it as well for people to bring and use there own xbox controllers if there un use to keyboard and mouse ;)

i wish there was something like that near me
 
Sure it can work, as long as you remember the old maxim "location location location".

Stick it next to a secondary school for a steady supply of kids with dinner money, and don't forget to call your shop "The Truant Factory".
 
Rent, rates, electricity, insurance, wages, national insurance, fittings, upkeep and the not insubstantial startup costs (rigs, screens, peripherals, furniture (not any old crap, Health and Safety!)

Good luck approaching a bank for funding. Game the World and PONG were two LAN cafes operating near me but both have gone to the wall. It's a shame for sure but I rarely used them bar some CSS tourneys
 
We had a couple round here over the years but eventually die out as console gaming increased as did home broadband etc... just not as viable these days
 
This one seems to have done well: http://www.kyotolounge.com/

Now they're catering for a wider audience than just PC gamers.

I've been to this one a few years ago: http://www.globalgaming.co.uk/

I don't think you can expect a typical PC gamer to go along unless they want to play socially with friends and don't have room to do it in private (LAN at home). The kind of person that has spent money on their custom PC isn't going to go and play on some middle of the road setup.

These days playing online with voice chat is social enough plus you get to meet and talk to people that aren't your friends and that live all over the country and the world so it is quite social even if you're not face to face.

The other target market is people that can't afford the setup they'd like or the time to make it worth it. These could be regulars that may pop in on their way from school/work to have a few hours gaming.

Console gaming is a lot more mainstream now and more social for groups. Having rooms or booths (like with karaoke bars) is something that could be popular. You'd need a lot of market research before going ahead though.
 
hmmm. interesting topic.

It was said gaming cafe type places that got me big into multiplayer games back in the day, I had my own PC, but most of my mates didn't. So original Quake was played to death when it first came out as 4 or 5 of us could easily jump on at the same time.

However nowadays things have changed. I'd not go to dingy cafe and play on a PC with my mates when I could use my machine at home, configured the way I like, they do the same and we all chat and have a laugh on TeamSpeak or such.

There was a really good gaming cafe in Edinburgh, TMOG. But it hasn't lasted, as all the others that I've seen over the years. A mate tried to open one about 5 years ago, it lasted a year. Once the machines need updated etc it becomes very costly. Also, you develop a hardcore clique (spelling!?!?! lol) of folk that will come along, and frankly, although that's great, it can look unwelcoming to new people on their own etc etc.

There are some great examples of ones down south (london) abroad however they have huuuuge investments behind them.

Had I won that 161 million quid, I'd have opened the most immense place for fun of course.....
 
The one in the Trocadero, central London, always very empty. Can't see the demand for it really. Funlands (massive amusement arcade) in the same place just shutdown, same reason really.
 
lan centres arent what the used to be, consoles and broadband make it much easier to pick up and go with games.
Shame really, used to LAN every weekend playing CS 1.3 with mercenary pack models.
 
There was one near me with decent PCs and it sold food and things. Went a few times for some LAN gaming with friends, but it didn't last long.

If every PC was used non-stop I'm sure we worked out something like it would have taken a year just to pay for the machines...
 
Another idea fails haha :(

Gotta think of something soooon cant cope with this crappy job much longer haha
 
arc@css said:
The ones I walked in to never had the hardware to make me want to return again. :/
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This tbh, would be to hard to keep up with exciting hardware to keep people coming back.

I personally wouldn't want to go unless it was a better experience and better eye candy than my rig at home.
 
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