A couple friends and I are thinking of opening a business where people can come to play video games (360/PS3/Wii) with large flat screen TVs. You could also bring in a PC/laptop and LAN-party with other people. We are also thinking of making it a game store as well (new/used, buy/sell).

My question is, what would you want out of a place like this? Would this type of environment interest you? Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks.

hate to burst your bubble, but i've already seen a few of these come and go in my town.

Make it an internet cafe to appeal to the mainstream, and add a 'gaming section' where you have higher end computers loaded with the latest games along with all the major consoles 360/PS3/Wii. Then have another dedicated area to the side where you sell coffee/drinks and light snacks.

Well, I haven't seen any in my town. And with games becoming so huge, as long as there AREN'T many already, that kind of business could do well. Kind of like a new arcade. The more things available in one store, the better-yes food. Pizza maybe. Also if you could get a copy of a new game before it's released. All I'm saying is: If I could meet up with my fellow gamers to check out a new game before it's released, and grab a slice, I'd be there.:)

I had thought about this in well, while I'm not going to say it's not doable like others may, I will throw out some things you need to consider / address (you don't need to respond here, I'm just trying to give you ideas):

First and foremost - Who would be your target market? How would you attract them and retain them?

Online Gaming - With most newer games now offering gamers the ability to play with others from the comfort of their own home, what would your business offer that would compel them to leave that AND PAY more to play?

How would you charge and monitor payment?

Is it possible your gaming center might become a mini-'daycare' drop off? What I mean is will parents be dropping their 13 year olds off for the day?

I think that the possibility for a gaming type center to be successful is certainly a reality, however, I do believe you need a radically altered business plan than many of the past 'cafes' used as most of them are becoming non-existent. Check out your local librarly, search for business plans of internet cafes, visit www.sba.gov, and all other business starting websites. Also look and see if your county / state has any non-profit companies that help small businesses!

In short, like any business, you need to offer something truly unique and exciting withing your gaming center.

Good luck, hope it helps!

By chance are you actually old enough to get a loan? You come across as a teen or thereabouts...

If so have you done your research and checked out how other similar places work etc? Have you drawn up a business plan on how you plan to buy all the equipment?..deal with the insurance?, the potentially huge store/utilities fees? How will you deal with payroll etc? How many people can you pay to help run it? What about possible security issues..i'd think the clientel that goes to a place like this might have sticky fingers etc...

By chance are you actually old enough to get a loan? You come across as a teen or thereabouts...

If so have you done your research and checked out how other similar places work etc? Have you drawn up a business plan on how you plan to buy all the equipment?..deal with the insurance?, the potentially huge store/utilities fees? How will you deal with payroll etc? How many people can you pay to help run it? What about possible security issues..i'd think the clientel that goes to a place like this might have sticky fingers etc...

My friends and I are in our 30s.

I actually have done a business plan in school for something similar to the aforementioned "Internet Cafe" that we were told, most emphatically, would succeed. I plan on incorporating some but not all of that business plan.

We are in the initial stages of discussing this.

I wish you good luck! As a warning, in my city I have seen many of these style of operations fail. Often pretty spectacularly. In fact, of the 6 or 7 that I have seen pop up in the last 8 years locally, a grand total of zero are still located in the city. Only one is even in operation, but now in some other town.

I had thought about this in well, while I'm not going to say it's not doable like others may, I will throw out some things you need to consider / address (you don't need to respond here, I'm just trying to give you ideas):

First and foremost - Who would be your target market? How would you attract them and retain them?

We live in a college town, so we could definitely aim for college students. Our area is unique in that in some of the commercialized areas, decent sized neighborhoods are literally right around the corner. So getting a variety of customers is possible with the right location. There are also plenty of student housing complexes within this area that have private bus service. We can always try to find an in with them to get a drop off run at say 8-9 with a pickup at 2-3 am.

Online Gaming - With most newer games now offering gamers the ability to play with others from the comfort of their own home, what would your business offer that would compel them to leave that AND PAY more to play?

We would offer displays that they might not have in their home (50-60 inch displays). The ability to hang out with their friends while they play. We could offer clan-play to some degree.

How would you charge and monitor payment?

Still working this out, but I have a few ideas.

Is it possible your gaming center might become a mini-'daycare' drop off? What I mean is will parents be dropping their 13 year olds off for the day?

I welcome the 13 year-olds. I would've jumped at the chance to go to a place like this when I was 13. There will be certain limitations that will have to be adhered too (such as no one under 18 without a parent after say 8:00)

I think that the possibility for a gaming type center to be successful is certainly a reality, however, I do believe you need a radically altered business plan than many of the past 'cafes' used as most of them are becoming non-existent. Check out your local librarly, search for business plans of internet cafes, visit www.sba.gov (http://www.sba.gov), and all other business starting websites. Also look and see if your county / state has any non-profit companies that help small businesses!

I agree. I think you need to find a way to tie yourself into the community. Work with the schools, the parents. Maybe some youth centers. I have an affiliation with the Boys & Girls Club in this area that I could probably put to use.

In short, like any business, you need to offer something truly unique and exciting withing your gaming center.

Good luck, hope it helps!

Rich

I wish you good luck! As a warning, in my city I have seen many of these style of operations fail. Often pretty spectacularly. In fact, of the 6 or 7 that I have seen pop up in the last 8 years locally, a grand total of zero are still located in the city. Only one is even in operation, but now in some other town.

What would you say was the reason for their downfall?

"What would you say was the reason for their downfall?"

Off the top of my head? Lack of community interest in what they were offering. In my city of 84,000 people, with an average household income in the $61,000 range, we just didn't care about what they offered. They couldn't compete with Gamestop in the used/trade business while maintaining profitablility. They didn't advertise well enough. Hell, the only one that didn't go down in flames and just moved instead (to a far poorer area), didn't offer DS/GBA games. How the hell do you not offer games for the biggest platform on the planet, especially when your target clientele are people that would be far more likely to own said portable systems over home consoles? I really could go on and on about what was wrong with the business models of each location.

The only chain that was successful in the area (greater Seattle) was Lanwerx. They collapsed in 2004. The time for internet/gaming cafes in North America/Europe was 1997-2003. You're a decade late to this market. It has already evaporated. Unless we are talking about Asia, Middle East or Eastern Europe, in which case you probably have another decade in which this is a viable business venture.

And yes, I have personally managed 8 individual retail locations across varying fields. In most cases I have left the business in better condition than I found it. :) I can pick apart businesses pretty well.

We have a place in Portland that is established, so there's no doubt it can work if positioned right.

http://www.backspace.bz/

They don't do everything the way you would, but might give you some ideas on services and pricing, etc.

We have a place in Portland that is established, so there's no doubt it can work if positioned right.

http://www.backspace.bz/

They don't do everything the way you would, but might give you some ideas on services and pricing, etc.


Thanks for the link. There is a place in the area that seems to be doing OK, but they're focus is mostly PC gaming with a smidgen of console gaming, and I'd like to go the other way. Backspace seems the same way, but all info is useful!

"What would you say was the reason for their downfall?"

Off the top of my head? Lack of community interest in what they were offering. In my city of 84,000 people, with an average household income in the $61,000 range, we just didn't care about what they offered. They couldn't compete with Gamestop in the used/trade business while maintaining profitablility. They didn't advertise well enough. Hell, the only one that didn't go down in flames and just moved instead (to a far poorer area), didn't offer DS/GBA games. How the hell do you not offer games for the biggest platform on the planet, especially when your target clientele are people that would be far more likely to own said portable systems over home consoles? I really could go on and on about what was wrong with the business models of each location.

The only chain that was successful in the area (greater Seattle) was Lanwerx. They collapsed in 2004. The time for internet/gaming cafes in North America/Europe was 1997-2003. You're a decade late to this market. It has already evaporated. Unless we are talking about Asia, Middle East or Eastern Europe, in which case you probably have another decade in which this is a viable business venture.

And yes, I have personally managed 8 individual retail locations across varying fields. In most cases I have left the business in better condition than I found it. :) I can pick apart businesses pretty well.

I am not looking to be a cafe in any capacity. Will I offer food? Most definitely, but I don't want that to define my business. If I had to put a tag on it, "Video Arcade of the 21st Century" might be a better title. I am looking into a bunch of different things, looking at how different combinations from other similar businesses could make for a unique place. I'm definitely doing my homework and not going to rush into this. Thanks for your insight. It's the reason I posted here in the first place. I think not using the internet in this capacity is asking for failure.

I may pick your brain later if you don't mind?

Affordable gaming PCs, cheap broadband and online, very affordable consoles are the reason the 3 places in my town folded up that use to offer that service. I wish you luck but IMO, anyone who's that much into gaming that they would frequent an establishment such as that, would buy their own equipment if it meant not buying food to do so.

Ya we had a few of these types of places open up here and they are never around very long. most of the people that do alot of gaming would have bought their own gear.

but good luck, the right location will make or break you lol

There will be certain limitations that will have to be adhered too (such as no one under 18 without a parent after say 8:00)

This seems like you would be shooting yourself in the foot by doing this. Why would you do this? Liability reasons? I don't understand this one at all. Think about the demographic. Older gamers are more likely to be working, therefore are more likely to be able to afford a nice flat panel and a current gen system. But high school kids and younger are less likely to be out working enough to be buying nice TVs, so it seems like they would end up being your core market.

How big of a building are you thinking of doing? If it was a smallish building it would get really hot in there with all of the running electronics. That would be a turn off for me. If you have the space, it would be cool if you had a room for each system, i.e. a 360 room, PS3 room, Wii room, ps2/xbox room, PC room, Rock Band/Guitar Hero room (perhaps a basement area to suppress some of the noise, and throwback systems room (Dreamcast, SNES, 64, etc.)

What would you do about the competing sounds of a bunch of games being played in the same room? In the same building?

If you are able to get this thing going (good luck!), I would suggest getting in contact with the college and high schools in your town and setting up a LAN party/RB/GH/Halo tourney through them. Let the school set things up tourney wise and you provide the venue. It would bring in a lot of people who may not otherwise drop into your business and it would help build your customer base. Just a few thoughts :)

I'll discourage you, too. The only people you'll make money on are post-college graduates working their first or second job, before marriage and children consume all their free time. This group will only be looking to game on weekends and occasionally evenings. And as James said, if they're serious about LAN gaming they have the money for big time home theater setups. Your daytime clientele, if any, will be broke high schoolers and even broker college students.

Factor in $4 a gallon gas and falling prices on big screen TVs and you'll have a hard time getting people out of their homes to the arcade. And you can pretty much forget the used game game; Gamestop has so thoroughly saturated the market that their own stores are competing with each other.

I just see a plan to try and do a whole bunch of things poorly, and not one that really fills a big need in the market. I'm sorry to be pessimistic, but I hate to see you lose a lot of money on a bad business venture (done it myself, very depressing).

There really is a reason that all of the arcades went away last decade...

There really is a reason that all of the arcades went away last decade...
he's right!

and don't forget to factor in the high price of gas, and the fact that more and more people are going out less because of it...

Gaming cafes and arcade came and went and there are big box stores that sell TVs and sound systems, but I have not come across a place that cater to promote displays and audio systems for gaming. It may not even be necessary for the store to sell electronics, having the different classes and brands of displays (plasma, lcd, front/rear projection) specifically calibrated for gaming. You can change your business model to large a nominal fee for people who want to play game in the store, selling services for displays and audio systems calibration and advertising revenue from the website that have reviews for displays/audio system which are gaming focused.

i smell fail

Don't do it. People can sit at home and play on their own sets. Honestly, the thought is good. I had thought about this 2 years ago, just getting some projectors and renting a big space and going nuts. It will fail because the consumer will never feel like they are getting a good value for their dollar. For 20 bucks, you can have a live subscription for 3 months. OR for 20 bucks you can go play in some store for one full day. Nope. Steer clear

It sounds like a great idea, but without the perfect location I can't see it doing well.

I had some good friends that tried this type of things on the small Bahama's island that they live on. Very affluent place (most adults are lobster fisherman as well as many of the teens), fairly secluded, so there's not much else to do....almost like a large sub division in the middle of the ocean with a bunch of well off kids with nothing to do.

They first opened a theater that did fairly good business for a while...once that started tapering off, they served food (pretty big variety that catered to the younger crowd), then when that didn't bring things up enough, they put in game consoles and high end gaming PC's. Had tournaments, LAN parties, you name it. It lasted about 2 years before they had bled themselves out. And this was run by probably the most successful businessman on the island....already owns the biggest retail outlet(s) they have, so he knows his stuff, this just didn't float.

I wouldn't want to put a greasy, grimy, 12 year old germ infested controller in my hands and pay to play on a screen that's no better than mine with the sound not as good or the way I want it with people I could play with at home with my $40 a year XBL or free PSN.

Sorry man but you need to look into another venture

You want to do LAN gaming with 360's or PS3

First off how much and how will you charge? I can find Xbox Live memberships from anywheres from 25 bucks to 40 bucks? Where is the incentive to pay to play? Even at 40 bucks thats less than 4 bucks a month, if you want to charge 4 bucks a hour you have already shot yourself in the foot(I know broadband costs extra but that can be bought for 20 bucks a month)

I'm a gamer thats 33. I dont want to go somewhere or have my kids go somewhere to play Xbox on a LAN when who knows who did what to the last controller. Besides I have food, drink, and everything I like here at home so there is no incentive to go.

How will you deal with the maintenance of your equipment and enforcement of
the proper care of it. Right off the bat I see a bunch of battery packs and controllers in people's pockets and going out the door.

I'm also a HVAC mechanic, many people neglect building maintenance in their "business plan", let me tell you with the proper failure all your profits for the month you could hope for are gone. Lose the airconditioner and you have some expensive hot plates on your hands.

Whoever told you your plan would succeed, really what does that matter, its not their money, they have no stake in losing out whatsoever. I could tell you cows can fly to the moon but that doesnt mean they are stampeding there now.

Not trying to come off like an ass but I value what little bit of money I have and try to get the most out of it. I hate to see you put your hard earned money into this just to see a bunch of Xboxes, PS3s, PCs, and flat screens on Ebay in 3 months

I wouldnt be truthful about this if I didnt care

There are a few gaming cafes here in San Antonio and now some all-ages billiard halls are integrating PC gaming into what they offer. Sadly, none of these ventures are doing well. As it's been said, the cost of having a big TV to play on and broadband Internet access are in the range of most people now. I have a 57" 1080p HDTV and a 1,000w Onkyo HT system. There's no way you'd see me in a gaming cafe unless I was there talking shop with another gamer or trying to score a PC maintenance contract.

I have fail-proof ideas for this type of business but I cannot share them as I might eventually put them to good use ;) . Of course with the economy headed in the toilet now is probably not the best time to attempt such a risky business venture .

-- Jason

I looked into doing this a few years ago.

I checked out a few places, saw what they were doing, how they were doing it.

Do I think it could work...possibly...with a liquor license!

Drunken video gaming is far more profitable :) No I'm not being sarcastic either.

The big downfall is generally the owners. IT/Tech people have no real personality for business. There are way too many strange people in that world that most people do not relate to. Take a walk into your local Microcenter and spend a 1/2 an hour without finding someone who annoys you, thats the kind of person I found running these businesses.

They hire people too young, to babysit behind the counter, customer service was poor.

Done right I think it could work, anything done right usually does work.

We run our own side business. We run a driving and racing school during the summer. In the world of $4.00 a gallon gas we're filling every event and the average drive distance is 250 miles round trip, plus 120 miles on the track. I was concerned about gas prices but people seem to still do it, they just narrow things down to the better run businesses.

I don't think however that a single entertainment option would work. You need something as a back up and it needs to be done right. What really interested me and I haven't had the time to fully look into it is indoor go karting.

A local place here does a killer business and its striclty because of the market, the owner is about as uncustomer oriented as they get.

We visited a few outdoor places. Someone opened an indoor one in Chicago that does karting, gaming, etc, over 1.5 mil per month.

I would say no to such a narrow scope, but if you can broad it then you might have something. Its never easy and plan on running it YOURSELF, don't put it in someone elses hands until its well established and they've worked under you for a while.

I see way too many businesses opened up by "smart" people that have a great idea and turn it over to the local pot head to sit behind the counter because labor is cheap.

The biggest hit right now is the fact that the economy is doing not-so-good, and gas is going up. When Gas hits 5 and eventually 6 bucks a gallon (putting it in-line with the rest of the world) then people wont be going out to game, they'll game at home. In at six bucks a gallon, most brick and mortar retail stores are going to have to dramatically re-think their business, people simply wont be out browsing.

Malls with do much more business however, as people will opt to drive to ONE place and do ALL their shopping.

But mostly with people, If they can't afford broadband, they can't afford to drive to your place and pay $$ all day long to do the same thing they could do at home.

Forget the fact that your business type is inherently targeting kids and teens, which presents its own huge set of problems such as security, vandalisim, loitering, and so on.

The insurance for that place alone would probably make it cost-prohibitive. Do you have a minimum age? What if someone manages to install porn and you get sued....etc.

Plus....aren't there licensing issues with games intended for home use and not being used commercially?

Lastly, you need to provide adequate facilities (Bathrooms and food/drink) for people who you are intending to keep around for some length of time, these aren't 3-minutes-on-a-quarter type of games you are talking about here.

I have fail-proof ideas for this type of business but I cannot share them as I might eventually put them to good use ;) . Of course with the economy headed in the toilet now is probably not the best time to attempt such a risky business venture .

-- Jason

Let me guess: projector oriented with booze. The shock and awe of this type of atmosphere would create some good buzz. However, once the emo weirdos and townies started percolating in, you'd get a drug den reputation in no time.

However, once the emo weirdos and townies started percolating in, you'd get a drug den reputation in no time.
Jason's right outside Portland, that describes the entire city.

Anyone mentioned this business isn't the greatest of ideas yet?

Let me guess: projector oriented with booze. The shock and awe of this type of atmosphere would create some good buzz. However, once the emo weirdos and townies started percolating in, you'd get a drug den reputation in no time.


Scary to imagine what a bar fight at a LAN party would look like...

Let me guess: projector oriented with booze. The shock and awe of this type of atmosphere would create some good buzz. However, once the emo weirdos and townies started percolating in, you'd get a drug den reputation in no time.


Not at all , I despise alcohol and have not touched the stuff since my early twenties .

-- Jason

Booze is the catalyst...beer...Wii...padded floors and .25 shots.

You'll be a millionaire in no time :)

I'm not kidding either.

I would never want to attract those people that would only visit my place of business because I served liquor , I think anybody that feels they need a drink to have a good time should re-evaluate their logic .

-- Jason

Jason's right outside Portland, that describes the entire city.

LOL! Classic! :D

I would never want to attract those people that would only visit my place of business because I served liquor , I think anybody that feels they need a drink to have a good time should re-evaluate their logic .

-- Jason

I don't think anyone is saying they need a drink to have fun, but it sure as hell gets the fun started much sooner than normal......

:D

jeez. so much discouragement:(.
maybe start up a pachinko parlor or something.:eek:

Hi, Originally from the twin cities (MN), currently in alaska.

Anyhoo there is a business called "The Chatterbox" which has two locations, but the St. Paul location seems kinda like what you are proposing. It has a very neighborhood bar feeling about it, and is rather large (think Applebees is size). Anyhoo they had seating arranged in small groups (ususally two loveseats and a couch coffee table in the middle, and an lcd Television on the 4th side. Connected to each location was a console ranging from an intellevision to more recent, and guests were welcome to join in as they saw fit. The business has a liquor license, but also served coffee, and did the breakfast thing on the weekends (good omlettes), so the atmosphere was less "Bar" and more like a bistro or family sports bar. Definately adults at night, but only because the kids were taken home to go to sleep. They also offered board games which could be checked out (I think they took a Drivers Licence as collateral). All the video games were non-violent co-op friendly, so more Mariocart and less Halo. Games were offered, and no charge for them, they made their money on food and drinks. Fun Place.

Only other place I have been which offered games was more of an adult arcade (Gameworks, Dave and Busters, etc), or very kiddie (Chuck E Cheeses...). Very Chaotic, The Chatterbox was more laid back.

Back in my home town I used to do business with the type of establishment the OP is trying to describe. Whenever I would go in there the place would be empty. I think the only reason they stayed open as long as they did was because they also did repairs on PCs and consoles as well as sold games. The place eventually went belly up.

With gas prices climbing not too many, especially cash strapped high school or college kids will want to travel extended distances to play video games.

Here's a hint, if they wont come to you..bring the gaming to them. I just looked into buying such a business. PM me if you'd like to chat.

It's kinda funny the op is asking the advice of people on a forum, probably using their own computers, which have a good chance of games being played on them, if we would want to drive somewhere to play games.

We are not the audience you would get.

If only you could get jason to tell you his brilliant idea, you 2 could be business partners :rolleyes:

be careful where you put your location. all the internet cafe's in my area were put out of business because all the local governments condemned them for encouraging "loitering". SO yeah just double check precedent for your type of business before you sign a lease. I'd also try and avoid parents looking to dump their kids somewhere for a few hours)ie gamestop or arcades back in the day).

This idea is nowhere near new or unique. http://igames.org/ is a great way to associate and share marketing materials with other game centers.

start a laundromat

Ask any indie game store owner how the business is and he will tell you how much it sucks ass. Any business where you sell games and stuff is fickle and full of BS (distributor costs, low profit margins, competing with gigantic GameStop and BB who deal directly with publishers and get games faster), etc.

I don't want to discourage you, so I just say, ask away. It's not a great business to get into. You'd be better off using that money to start up a development house that churns out crappy DS and Wii games and I am only half-joking when I say that.

I have to agree with those folks on here who believe this idea may fall well short of your expectations.

Your idea is not appealing to someone of my taste, but I know my taste does not encompass the entire population.

The reason I believe your idea would not work well is because, as has been stated, you're not adding any real value to what are readily available resources designed specifically for home use(ie, LAN Play\PS3\Wii\360\PC\Big screen TV's).

What it appears you are offering is a location based "experience" to enhance these available resources. A fun place to chill out, hook up with friends or strangers and enjoy gaming.

I already game with friends over other venues. I do not consider the ability to play against or with strangers in person an added value to my personal experience. That is why I already pay for the use of Xbox Live and utilize the free PSN.

Surely there are people out there who would find this fun or may want to make friends and hook up with other like minded folks in person. Exactly how much to charge for the experience would be the diciest of all matters since all things considered may make the per person cost too high to digest.

In the long run, I personally feel that your costs (overhead, maintenance, equipment, licenses, insurance, etc) would outweigh any real profit from this venture.

What will your "hook" be that pulls people out of their own dens and basements? Most people who game already have a PC and/or console of their choice.

Also, I'm sure you've already checked into it, but are video games anything like movies as far as licensing goes? For instance, you can't open up a business and charge people to come in and watch DVDs that you bought at Best Buy. If you opened up a game manual I wouldn't be surprised if in all that fine print in the back there's wording that limits use to your home for private use.

Add to the fact that all a popular local bar has to do is add a dozen 360's to their inventory and kinda make your business model collapse.

All your college students have access to cheap high speed internet in their dorms. Massive gaming takes place on campus.

jason- if it is fail proof why havent you done it yet??

Add to the fact that all a popular local bar has to do is add a dozen 360's to their inventory and kinda make your business model collapse.

That's probably true, I remember when I worked at a game store we often had the game systems turned off because the people who came in to play games were often not the people who came in to buy games.

Plus....aren't there licensing issues with games intended for home use and not being used commercially?

Exactly what I was thinking. I'm sure that some publishers offer commercial liscenses, but its probably so uncommon that it costs the small business owner an arm and a leg to obtain them. It would be risky to operate commercially without the publisher's permission, so I wouldn't even consider that.

If you decide to open any kind of business, make sure you protect yourself and your family by incorporating your business. (This is relatively cheap and can be done online at websites such as legalzoom.com) You'd hate for some teenage kid to develop photosensitive seizures from the 106" screen, and his parents sue you for it.

I consider myself to be an optimist, (aside from the seizure comment) but there are several valid reasons listed in this thread that make me fall in line with the people discouraging you from doing this (but good luck on future ventures!).

I would never want to attract those people that would only visit my place of business because I served liquor , I think anybody that feels they need a drink to have a good time should re-evaluate their logic .

-- Jason

"Never trust a man who doesn't drink." - W.C. Fields

jason- if it is fail proof why havent you done it yet??

I never said it was cheap ;) .

-- Jason

"Never trust a man who doesn't drink." - W.C. Fields

Certainly , I would rather always put my trust in those that do :rolleyes: .


Now can we just move past the alcohol discussion , if you disagree then that is your right but there is no need to try and insult or belittle me because of my opinion , thank you . I have many friends that drink and I do not begrudge them one bit , we are adults that can make our own choices . I also happen to have lost a very close friend due to alcohol so I am a little sensitive about it .

-- Jason

I never said it was cheap ;) .

-- Jason

then it shouldn't be hard to round up investors..

then it shouldn't be hard to round up investors..

easier said than done

not if you have a fail proof plan, it is not that difficult... all it takes is a little hard work..

Fail proof plan and starting a business related to the gaming industry will be difficult to achieve. At best I would recommend looking at a smaller operation with low overhead that could serve as a secondary source of income.

I've been to four different "gaming" establishments in Boston over the past ten years.

One was massive, and offered (dating myself) everything from N64 in private cubes to "VR" stand-up games. Cool concept, but it didn't last long. There was no reason for me to go and play N64 outside of my own home - the Tv's were small, etc.

Another was smaller, PC primarily with WarCraft, UT, Diablo, and some other games. I gamed there a couple of times, but again, the screens were 19", you spent 15 minutes of your paid time setting up the controls since the last user had changed them, etc. This place also had a small Xbox (original) area, where you could play 4 player Halo on a 42" plasma, which was big for the day and a bonus for that place. I didn't go back there because at that time I was a PC gamer, and my computer was good enough for me to stay at home.

The third place was a small, divey internet cafe that only offered Warcraft and CS. Small, run down, which old low-end PC's, I've no clue why they thought anyone would use their services. Granted, they did have lots of college students in there using the PC's for email, but this was 10 years ago when laptops and PC's weren't as prevalent for new college students like they are now. They're gone now, replaced by some food store.

The fourth place was the best, but failed I think due to it's location and horrible marketing. It was quite nice, you walked into an Internet area that was all stools, neat, clean, very professional. Farther in was a U shaped PC gaming room, with quite a few games running on the latest high-powered Alienware computers, all with 21" wide-screen monitors, nice headphones/sets, nice chairs. Farther in the back was a room dedicated to the Xbox.

They also offered educational classes for things such as Maya, UnrealEd, and other stuff. This they hosted on a second floor on two large projectors. My friends and I rented out that room for a night, put the couches back to back, and played 4vs4 Halo for hours while eating pizza and drinking beer. It was incredible and a great deal.

Eventually, this location closed down due to lack of traffic. They were far from any public transportation, far from any colleges, and in had no parking. I felt like this one, out of all, had the most chance of succeeding. They had two people consistently staffed who wore "uniforms", and it felt very professional. Going into a room with 30 glowing high-end PC's and resting in a nice high-back chair in a dim AC'd room worked, and the ability to rent out a large space for the projects was very nice. Another note that I almost forgot - they had a very slick "members" interface. When you logged in at a computer, it automatically remembered your settings for your games that you'd recently played. This was really refreshing, since if I was playing UT with a friend and switched over to CoD, we didn't have to spend time (that we'd paid for) redoing all the settings for the controls.

The key here is that you have to offer something that the average person cannot get at home . Or think of it in other terms and expand upon that idea ... what does the average gaming geek truly drool over ? what would make your average 18-35 year old male pay for gaming by the hour ? What would it take for the local college football team to make it a hang out and not feel like computer nerds ?

No alcohol and nothing sexual so keep the sleazy comments to yourselves ;) .

Also finding investors in the current economy is not an easy task , at least people that are willing to actually see it through and not skimp .

-- Jason

The key here is that you have to offer something that the average person cannot get at home . Or think of it in other terms and expand upon that idea ... what does the average gaming geek truly drool over ? what would make your average 18-35 year old male pay for gaming by the hour ? What would it take for the local college football team to make it a hang out and not feel like computer nerds ?

No alcohol and nothing sexual so keep the sleazy comments to yourselves ;) .

Also finding investors in the current economy is not an easy task , at least people that are willing to actually see it through and not skimp .

-- Jason
If it's not titties or beer, then it has to be giving away money. That is the only things to get a college group to do something. Most "gaming geeks" probably have most of what you can offer.

I'm thinking of opening a bar with mud wrestling as the main draw. At night, every 2 hours there's a girl vs girl mud wrestling match. Think about it, the girls don't need to be hot (although it helps), most will wrestle for a night of free miller lites or a place to crash for the night (under a booth) and a pack of butts. Sure, the place will be rowdy as all hell, but I'll hire some good bouncers and pay them alright to keep the peace. Foolproof.

I literally LOL at your sig Whiskey!

Such mature responses , I guess I should have expected it .


That sig is from a stand up comic , it's not whiskey's . I saw the video years ago but cannot recall who said it ;) .

-- Jason

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0281875/quotes
Gallagher

OK, let's just spell it out. For some reason after 3 pages of comments not a lot of people are actually giving this poor guy the feedback he's looking for. You need the place to be nice. The interior design has to be tasteful and cozy. Think more adult, less juvenile. Visit some of the nice, hip bistros and resto-bars in your city and try to replicate that vibe. If you serve food, it actually has to be good. The food has to be good enough that people will come just for that, even if they don't game. It has to be good enough that guys would bring their girlfriends there for "fun dates" even if the gf isn't all that into gaming. Serve alcohol. Yes, it is possible to serve alcohol and for it not to become a 'dive bar'. Again, it has to do with how classy you make the place. Besides, any restaurant or bar owner will tell you that the *majority* of their profit comes from the sale of alcohol, no matter what their gimmick is.

Now for the gaming. First of all, you need a good location with lots of foot traffic. You need to do some market research and ensure that that foot traffic is actually your demographic. Tournaments, tournaments, tournaments! Sure, there's MLG and all that but it isn't the same as weekly or monthly local tournaments with prizes, a "wall of fame" at your place, geek singles night, etc. You need to build a buzz around the place. The trick to that is about never stagnating. You want your popular events to be regular (weekly, monthly) but you want to introduce new stuff fairly regularly too.

In my city, there are scores of failed internet cafes, gaming bars, etc. The minute they open I can tell if they'll fail or not. The only successful ones (open >5 years) where I live follow the above principles. They are really nice, cool places that people want to hang out at, meet people at, etc.

You will want to hire a PR firm and a lawyer. Marketing is extremely important. Depending how you do it, you may need some legal advice. For example, if people are allowed to bring their gamertags on memory card or recover them while there, how are you going to protect their privacy? Things like that may not be applicable, but you'll want to think about it.

Lastly, good luck if you try this. Like others have said, businesses like these have a substantially high failure rate. However, it is possible to succeed. It will take a lot of hard work and a bit of luck.

Such mature responses , I guess I should have expected it .


That sig is from a stand up comic , it's not whiskey's . I saw the video years ago but cannot recall who said it ;) .

-- Jason

Well, since Gallahger doesn't post on here much and Whiskey posted it. It's his sig.

And we should have expected you to post what you did, being that you are the epitome of maturity on AVS.

--Jonathan

Nice post Ultra.

-JR

Jonathan ,

Funny thing is you meant that as an insult but I take it as a compliment to be considered mature ;) . Your poke at the way I leave my name was very childish too by the way . Be careful of whom you choose to belittle and keep the personal insults off of AVS .

___________

ultracat ,

Excellent observations , they fall right in line with the same things that I have seen over the years . It's nice to see others trying to be constructive and helpful vs. just being sarcastic bungholes .

-- Jason

No insults here. Friendly ribbing is all.;) I'll tread lightly from now on.

Friendly ribbing is fine , no harm no foul :) .

-- Jason

Sign me up for the people who jsut dont think its a great idea, especially not during this economy. With the reach of the internet.. most gamers are so technically inclined these days they have everything they need for the perfect gaming experience at home.

1080P Flat screen tvs.. Digital Surround sound systems.. fast internet connections.. $2000 gaming PC's with the latest CPU/GPU's. They have custom keyboards, custom mice, custom monitors, custom racing wheel/cockpit setups. Theres nothing causal about gaming anymore, unless you are talking about the Nintendo Wii. The *Atari/NES/Sega* generation grew up, went to college, got jobs and still game as much. Just that they prefer to do it from home, especially those with families. So trying to lure gamers out of their beefed up tech havens is going to be very hard (and expensive) for you trying to provide a similar or better experience.

Someone already said it best: Theres a reason why arcades went out of business.

Hell I'll say this best. This is AVSforum. How many of us prefer our HT setups.. vs. goin to the movies to watch flicks? That should tell you a whole lot right there. The @home experience is only getting more popular.

For those that argue concentrate on the social aspect and make it plush, comfortable, lounge. Guess what. Typical gamers arent very social. Atleast not face to face. They're the guys at a desk or in a chair on the computer or in front of the tv 24/7. They like the comfort and anonymous ability to talk shyt and "own" people from the relative safety of their living room.

Even if you get beyond that. People are spending more money on gas and inflation than I've ever seen in my lifetime and I'm 33. Many people choose to game because its cheap. That $300 xbox and $60 copy of COD4 has saved my azz $1000's of dollars that would have been spent at bars, clubs, restuarants, dates.. hell anything thats outside my house that I have to pay for. And for the entertainment gaming at home provides for 'free'.. its hard to get someone to leave their home and 'pay' for that same experience.

I'm not trying to knock your dreams. We should all be able to chase our dreams. But you posted this question on a public forum. So be prepared to recieve the publics opinion of your ideas. And my opinion is thats its simply a bad idea and a quick way to lose alot of money.




My further opinion of what would work. Especially in a large metro area like NYC (i believe the OP is from NY):

Put a flatscreen and Xbox360 in VIP areas of popular niteclubs. And build in your 'rental' fee charge there. If you want this VIP table its your usual 2 bottle minimum @ $200 a bottle. And we can also provide the XBOX360 rental at your table, for another $200. Or for $500 rent out the "big" screen projector in the VIP section.

Its amazing how you get people to spend money after they are all liquored up. Especially a group of drunk 20-30 year olds who cant wait to prove whose the best in Madden in front of the whole club. Combine liquor, testerone and your usual shooting, fighting, racing, sport games. And guys will stand in line all night, spending every dime they got trying to prove "whos the man".

Also think about the pro Atheletes who drop $1000's in niteclubs to begin with. Nothin would stroke their ego better than them being able to play as themself on the big screen in front of 100's of people.

As someone else mentioned, check out http://www.igames.org/

You need to be aware of a lot of licensing issues and other related issues. You cannot for example use retail PC games as they are not permitted for this sort of rental use. You also will have issues of liability for kids being in such a place.

A friend and I research this same business a number of years ago and after reviewing it all and starting the business plan and related we dropped it. Too many risk factors. Plus now most people have the same sort of setup in their own homes, at least anyone that is a hard core gamer which is really your target audience. The casual gamer may come once but wont be a repeat client.

These places seem to open and close on a regular basis.

As a small business owner, I applaud your enthusiasm for owning your own business. There is no greater feeling than knowing you are the boss. Two things you need to consider very carefully. To have a successful business it should be something you know how to do and do well. On the job training doesn't work well for a new business.

I noticed you said you have a couple of friends who are going in with you. They will not be your friends for long. I don't mean this as character studies on you or your friends but having business partners is a very delicate thing and unless all of you are like minded, it will cause problems a lot sooner than later. Generally, only one person can be the boss. Someone has to schedule work loads, make sure bills are paid on time, and meet with vendors to arrange inventory. Some people have to micromanage everything while others may be willing to trust others explicitly. You should be in the position that you could do everything yourself if case partners drop out. There should also be specific things each partner is responsible for and there should be clear actions that are taken if one or more partners fails in his duties. Make sure your partners have very good credit histories and know how to handle money. You must trust your partners. If they screw up it could affect your life outside of the business venture.

One other thing. No matter the business, it takes a while to become profitable. Make sure you have money in reserve to live on while starting up. You can work a 2nd job or if you have a wife that works, you can budget accordingly. It is a fine balancing act between your business and your personal finances.

While I have a horror story or two to tell about partners, I would encourage you to do everything you can to get this venture going.

As a small business owner, I applaud your enthusiasm for owning your own business. There is no greater feeling than knowing you are the boss. Two things you need to consider very carefully. To have a successful business it should be something you know how to do and do well. On the job training doesn't work well for a new business.

I noticed you said you have a couple of friends who are going in with you. They will not be your friends for long. I don't mean this as character studies on you or your friends but having business partners is a very delicate thing and unless all of you are like minded, it will cause problems a lot sooner than later. Generally, only one person can be the boss. Someone has to schedule work loads, make sure bills are paid on time, and meet with vendors to arrange inventory. Some people have to micromanage everything while others may be willing to trust others explicitly. You should be in the position that you could do everything yourself if case partners drop out. There should also be specific things each partner is responsible for and there should be clear actions that are taken if one or more partners fails in his duties. Make sure your partners have very good credit histories and know how to handle money. You must trust your partners. If they screw up it could affect your life outside of the business venture.

One other thing. No matter the business, it takes a while to become profitable. Make sure you have money in reserve to live on while starting up. You can work a 2nd job or if you have a wife that works, you can budget accordingly. It is a fine balancing act between your business and your personal finances.

While I have a horror story or two to tell about partners, I would encourage you to do everything you can to get this venture going.

Amen to that.

I was a former business owner that lost it all (business and personal) due to my chosen partners choices.

To quote from Indiana Jones "choose, but choose wisely!"

And to the original poster, while it is admirable to desire feedback on your ideas, ultimately you need to make the choice. You are getting a lot of negative feedback here but consider this point. The market will determine if your business succeeds or fails so you have to ask yourself, is this my target demographic that I am asking "will this work?" A lot of these same people (including myself) said the Wii would fail...

Just my 2 cents...:D

Jonathan ,

Funny thing is you meant that as an insult but I take it as a compliment to be considered mature ;) . Your poke at the way I leave my name was very childish too by the way . Be careful of whom you choose to belittle and keep the personal insults off of AVS .

___________

ultracat ,

Excellent observations , they fall right in line with the same things that I have seen over the years . It's nice to see others trying to be constructive and helpful vs. just being sarcastic bungholes .

-- Jason

Maturity is not something I expect on a forum for videogames.

I love how you lecture everyone to keep personal insults off the forum and then call people sarcastic bungholes.

ultracat's suggestions were good, to a point. The point being is where do games fit into this? I mean, he describes what it takes to make a really good lounge with a fun atmosphere in a good location with great food and good alcohol. But those types of places are really successful anyway! What type of extra business are you bringing in by adding in some videogames? A night club/lounge brings in a certain audience. MLG and Halo tournaments bring in another. Would catering to one scare away the other one? I very much think so.

Especially a group of drunk 20-30 year olds who cant wait to prove whose the best in Madden in front of the whole club

I would imagine those 20-30 year olds would rather be spending their time at the club trying to pick up women and keep the drinks flowing, not doing what they can do after they wake up with a hang over the next day in front of their couch for free.

I didn't look this up, but...Doesn't the "fine print" in/on all of the software have language to the effect of not allowing you the end-user (owner) to profit from rental of and/or pay-for-play usage? I know this seems odd, as you can go rent a game any where (In fact I used to own a company that leased games to mom & pop video stores back when there were some).

This may be a minor if at all issue to look into, but potentially valid nonetheless. I'm sure there are loopholes anyway..."Pay $10 to sit on my COUCH and you can play my Xbox 360 for FREE" or whatever lol...

Maturity is not something I expect on a forum for videogames.

I love how you lecture everyone to keep personal insults off the forum and then call people sarcastic bungholes.

This is AVS not the kiddie gaming forums , maturity is expected here .

The key there is that my comment was not 'personal' , I did not attack anyone and it was a generalization regarding many sarcastic posts in the thread so it was not directed at any one person . I actually find the term bungholes to be pretty funny and light hearted (Beavis & Butthead) but if you disagree then I can respect that .

It is obvious to me that you do not like me since you have seen fit to 'pick fights' with me in a couple of different threads now (for no reason as far as I can tell) , do us both a favor and just let it go . I could care less if you do not like me , you don't know me , but at least act like an adult and quit the bickering or just add me to your ignore list if you cannot refrain from reading through a thread only to attack vs. adding something constructive .

* Ah it would appear that you are 'picking fights' with me because of some trivial comment I made about JVC and it looks like you are an RS1 owner that has decided for whatever reason to take that comment personal even though it was not directed at you or anybody else for that matter . Purchase justification is a nasty beast here at AVS and I wish there was a way to put an end to it but I guess it's just human nature . If this is indeed why you feel the need to bicker with me then do us both a favor and add me to your ignore list , I have no desire to argue with anybody .

-- Jason

DaGamePimp -

I don't dislike you nor am I picking fights with you. If I find something that appears to be inane or see someone that appears to be talking down to people under a protective blanket of "maturity" or "knowledge", I will point that out. It just happens that your posts have fit these descriptions which is probably why you think I have something against you. For someone with over 10,000 posts, you take umbrage easily.

Cheers,
Noah

Noah ,

I can appreciate your 'thread cop' efforts as I do the same from time to time to help the mods out but I am not talking down to anyone just because I happen to be more mature than many on these forums , there is no 'protective blanket' . I do not dis-respect people until they dis-respect me first and even then I try to remain civil (but I admit to having a limit of what I will tolerate) . When you are as active as I am on AVS then you will have more people trying to poke at you , if you let it go on everyone jumps on the bandwagon and things get out of hand , I try to put a stop to it before things get nasty , that is all ;) .

I appreciate your honest response and can respect your feelings on the matter but we should both allow the thread to get back on track now :) .

Regards ,
- Jason

Here's my take and I won't be negative:

1. I like Pimp but I do chuckle that he won't give out his idea, I'm sure we were all going to run out and patent it immediately.

2. Definately do computer repair, this will be your bread and butter.

3. Offer competitive gaming only, in the likes of.

Lan Racing
Madden Tournaments
G/H - Rock Band Tournaments
That type of stuff.
(Prizes)

What your trying to do is bring in the best players to show of their stuff. It has to be competitve, that will get the players word of mouth going.

4. 8 systems minimum up to say 24, depends on town size.

5. About offering food etc, that takes additional licenses and things like that. I would try vending machines and coffee, tops.

6. Have some nice acessories, unique computer/consoles and clothing.

7. Stay away from buying/selling games.

8. Setup a stage for local bands to play every so often.

9. Size of area 600 to 1000 square.

10. Make it trendy with nice audio/visual.

11. Have some friends with same interest and have this be a second job for them. They will serve as your hired help when needed.

This can work simply because a computer repair store on it's own can work. The other part of this the fun stuff is an evening/weekends thing. As yopu go if you can make the fun stuff work full time that's great, you'll get to feel that out as you go.

Quote : " Theres a reason why arcades went out of business. "

We have a large arcade still in business here at a local mall , as a matter of fact it just expended and added more games . This proves that location can make or break it .

Like I have said for something like this to work in this day n age you have to offer something that people cannot get at home ( well at least something only the ultra wealthy could afford to have at home ) . If you only offer the basics then it will probably fail unless you can come up with something unique in a great area with very low overhead (not likely) .

-- Jason

1. I like Pimp but I do chuckle that he won't give out his idea, I'm sure we were all going to run out and patent it immediately.

Hehe , while I know everyone would not run out and use my ideas all it would take is one person to do it first and then I'm left with months of research , marketing , and hand shaking for nothing ( of course it has all been for nothing so far anyway , lol ;) ) .

-- Jason

Hehe , while I know everyone would not run out and use my ideas all it would take is one person to do it first and then I'm left with months of research , marketing , and hand shaking for nothing ( of course it has all been for nothing so far anyway , lol ;) ) .

-- Jason

Don't worry, DGP, I have a business idea as well (not in the gaming realm), and I refuse to share it with anyone too. (Except my wife, she knows she is going to get the boot if she shares it with anyone else! :D )

I’m gonna throw a few ideas out, but they are all based on things I would like to see, so you might disagree.

Who wants to pay to game when home setups are becoming better and more affordable?
You need to offer them something beyond what they can get at home. I would focus on food.

Yes food. I realize you didn’t want this to be the focus, but if you could offer a place to get a decent meal, you’ll appeal to those that may not be willing to come in just for gaming. Take a look at Buffalo Wild wings for some inspiration. They have become hugely successful by combining finger food with sports/giant tvs. Offering some basic things like burgers, fries and hotdogs would be great, but also throw in some “nicer things” like buffalo wings, chicken tenders, and various sandwiches. I would focus on gamer food. Lots of finger food, with the occasional salad thrown in. If you want, choose a food to be your specialty. This will draw in gamers, but also anyone looking for the best (fill in the blank) on the block!

“While waiting for your food, please feel free to try out one of the various video game stations”. You give em one of those vibrating buzzer thingies to let them know when there food is ready, but in the mean time they are playing games and enjoying themselves. I would suggest giving everyone a paper cup w/ lid so that they can carry their drinks around with them as they play their games.

Obviously to remain financially stable, you’ll have to charge a little extra for the food, but it’ll take some nice financial planning (or trial/error) to find that price that customers will pay. One thing that you should focus on (more specifically) is drinks. Gamers like drinks. People in general like drinks. I would offer 2 cups. A single serving (20 oz, $1.50), and an all you can drink specialty cup (5-6 dollars, 20oz but refillable). This should ensure that even when they are done eating, you’re making money off of them as they buy more drinks (or made money off of their 6 dollar investment).

Here’s one where people might disagree with me, but I would sell Pepsi products. I could be wrong here, but Pepsi seems to have done a fantastic job marketing towards gamers, especially with Mountain Dew. If you don’t offer that, I think it’ll hurt you in the long run. Ideally, it would be nice to serve both Coke and Pepsi, but that can get expensive (especially when both companies offer you nice discounts for only carrying their product).

I’m not sure what age group you intended, but alcohol is your friend. Liquor licenses are very expensive, but you can make a ton of money off of beer and mixed drinks. Keep a drink in their hand the whole time, and you won’t be sorry. If not a beer, then offer them a soda.

I would think a schedule would be a great way to bring in customers interested in a specific game.

Ex.
Monday Night Madden! (Madden 08 playing on 4 xboxes)

Unreal Tuesdays! (Unreal tournament playing on some ps3s)

Warhawk Wednesday! (This one was obvious/stolen from the ps3 forum).

Call of Duty Thursdays!

Rockband Friday! (Rockband, but if you can afford it, go the distance! Offer them things they don’t have at home like a mic stand or some of the nifty drum mods).

Viva Pinata Sunday! (err, you get the idea at least)

This would be a great way to establish community within your store during various nights. Take a look at the Warhawk Wednesday thread in the ps3 forum and you’ll see 15-25 individuals who now know each other very well and are a close group of online friends. If you do offer organized nights like this, make sure you have other games playing for those not interested in madden/warhawk etc.

Along with the whole schedule thing, I think established times for discounted food will work quite nicely. Yea they ate dinner at 5, but around 7pm, offer half off mozzarella sticks, chili fries, buffalo wings, and other various appetizers. And again at 9pm. This will keep those who might have left at 6:45 there for another hour, in which they’re playing games and buying food/drinks.

Seating:
You need comfortable chairs. Arcade games are usually short, so seating was never a necessity in the arcades, but with online matches lasting anywhere from 10-30 minutes, you have to offer chairs that people are going to be comfortable in. Cupholders are a must! You’ll save hundreds on the carpet cleaning bill alone.

I might add to this later, but before I stop I have one last idea: make sure you’re playing the games. Make a name for yourself within the establishment. Obviously, don’t walk in and destroy the 12 year old kids, but if you can make yourself apart of the community (and not just sit behind the register/bar) then I think people will really enjoy hanging out, seeing if they can take on the big man. It also adds a personal touch to your store that many game places lack.

I hope this helps, and good luck!

fries, hot dogs, deep fried mayonnaise sticks + couches + video games = dream venue for every fat kid in town. Make sure you keep plenty of defibrillators and oxygen tanks on hand.

Seriously though, maybe take a look at a reverse approach. Everyone is going "green", eating organic and exercising. So power your place with solar panels, only serve blended tofu, offer reserved parking for hybrid vehicles, and get lots of wii fit games.

pachinko parlor's sounding better all the time.:p

mud and thongs. Think along these lines and you will succeed. Oh and dollar drafts

A couple friends and I are thinking of opening a business where people can come to play video games (360/PS3/Wii) with large flat screen TVs. You could also bring in a PC/laptop and LAN-party with other people. We are also thinking of making it a game store as well (new/used, buy/sell).

My question is, what would you want out of a place like this? Would this type of environment interest you? Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks.

Well I have never been to it but a friend of mine has a son that goes all the time. They have food and live music and tournaments. They don't have a real website...Just this crappy myspace page. I figured you could either just read over some of the things they have and get ideas or contact them for advice. From what I understand they have been around since 06. Hope this helps some.

East Coast Earthquake Gamers Lounge Myspace Page (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=110313672)

Looks like all the negativity scared off the OP. But in case he's still reading:

I've lived in the same large college town for the past six years and have seen multiple internet gaming businesses come and go. They last 1 1/2 to 2 years tops, then they disappear. They're dark, ugly, and filled with PCs and zombified PC gamers. There's absolutely nothing appealing about that, and like those places, your customers would ultimately amount to 5-10 "core" guys.

One thing none of these places seem to understand is what Nintendo proved with the Wii: hit the so-called casual gamers. Get big screens, lots of music games, lots of Mario Kart and Mario Party games, make girls want to come, make people want to interact with one another. What you would offer is a vibrant, conversational, and social atmosphere.

This place sounds great:The business has a liquor license, but also served coffee, and did the breakfast thing on the weekends (good omlettes), so the atmosphere was less "Bar" and more like a bistro or family sports bar. Definately adults at night, but only because the kids were taken home to go to sleep. They also offered board games which could be checked out (I think they took a Drivers Licence as collateral). All the video games were non-violent co-op friendly, so more Mariocart and less Halo. Games were offered, and no charge for them, they made their money on food and drinks. Fun Place.Liquor and food. Seriously. Don't charge for the games. Charge for the other stuff. People are used to paying for food and drinks, but they'd be reluctant to pay for gaming since they think they can just get that at home. They pay for food and drinks not because they can't get that at home, but because food and drinks are all about socializing. For better or worse, gaming is not; so don't charge for it.

I'd avoid doing anything that makes the place sound too gamer-oriented. Make it sound fun to all those college kids. As soon as it gets the "gamer" stigma, you're doomed.

Tournaments, tournaments, tournaments! Sure, there's MLG and all that but it isn't the same as weekly or monthly local tournaments with prizes, a "wall of fame" at your place, geek singles night, etc.I'd be careful with "tournaments." Have Rock Band Karaoke nights. Have Buzz trivia nights. Have local Mario Kart and Smash Bros. tournaments for the younguns during the day on weekends.

Avoid Halo tournaments. Avoid FPS craziness altogether. Even longtime gamers like me who enjoy playing those games would never dream of stepping into a business where those things were the focus. Even most "hardcore" gamers don't like to do these things in public.

Keep it social. Keep it all inclusive. Keep it festive. Keep people liquored up.

I say go for it. I've been in this college town for the past six years, and I've yet to see any place take this approach. Seems like it could really work.

I consider myself a casual gamer and I also have a nice home setup that I would rather play on than go somewhere to play and have to pay. However, one thing that I would love is if there was a place around here that me and my friends could go to play in tournaments such as COD4 or Halo. I think a business incorporating that could succeed.