Building The Ideal Geek Gaming Center?

MongooseCN writes "After seeing the popularity of multiplayer gaming and the desire for fellow geeks to find better means of socializing, I've decided to open up a geek gaming center. It would allow people to play games together in the same building, and to talk and hang out too. I know there are a few of these places already, but few of them have taken into consideration what people want to see in these centers. Most of them open with only the owner's opinion of what would make the place fun. Some don't even allow people to hang out, since they charge by the hour. So what I want to know is what the /. community would like to see in a place like this. I want to start a gathering place for other like minded, techno-savvy geeks. What games, gaming systems/hardware, etc should it have? What would make it a fun place to hang out and meet other people?"

Comments

Re:be wary

[corbettw]

Having a wide selection of game systems sounds great, but don't forget you'll need space to put all those computers. Every console you add is another PC you can't have. Same with Mac. It's better to focus on one area, and do it right, than get too spread out.

To that end, forget about Mac and Linux. There just aren't enough games on those platforms. If you go with a console, pick one, or at most two, but don't have more than 25% consoles. PCs will be your bread and butter, because you can rent time on them for more than just playing games. You'd be surprised how many people come in just to use a fast internet connection to chat with their friends.

Food and drinks are a must. If anything, lose money on the hourly rental fees and make it up in snacks. Starbucks has proven that people will gladly pay $5 for coffee and $7 for a small brownie. If you charge some nominal amount for computer rental ($2 an hour), you'll be surprised how many people stay there the whole day. Sure, you'll only make $30 on someone on a Saturday, but you'll make another $50 on the food they eat. Also, don't allow any outside drinks or snacks, period. If someone wants to eat while playing, have them pay you, not the Mickie Dee's down the street.

And don't worry about selling games. Maintaining retail inventory is a bitch, and requires all kinds of controls you won't need for a cafe.

Some other things to consider...

[Alkaiser]

Since this is the most correct post so far, I'd just like to add some stuff to this post.

First, off, have adequate lighting in the computer room. The only places I'd seen that run LAN gaming always turn the damn lights off. Remember that you're not only trying to get geeks in the building, you're trying to get the common man in there too (operating a business trying to specficially target a niche is like trying to run a marathon after shooting yourself in the foot. You can do it, it's just gotten a lot less likely now.) as well as help change the overall perception of geekiness.

While I'll game with the lights low at home, that's not generally what we'd consider a "friendly" environment for younger gamers, or non-gamers. Plus, even gamers don't really want to be in dimly lit surroundings that aren't their own. You can save on the electric bills by getting some of the low-energy, longer lasting bulbs, while keeping the place nicely lit.

I'd combine your snack area and the break area. In Japan the internet/gaming cafes I went to brought food to you, but considering they, as a society tend to keep businesses and such fetishistically clean, I'd concur with the above post and keep food and CPUs in seperate areas.

Stock all the consoles. Offer buybacks for games for store credit. Sell the buyback games you don't need on Ebay for a profit.

You probably want to staff a short-order cook. (Not a fancy-shmancy guy...someone who can be trusted to make smoothies, burgers, breakfast burritos, and nachos.) TV screens with a tethered remote (VERY important. If I'm the guy with the screen showing the CS action, and I'm the Average Joe trying to watch the Lakers game, I'm going to be less-than-thrilled...the tether keeps the remote from accidentally wandering off.) make the place friendly. Stock some magazines.

Also, hire janitors. Janitors do a much better job of cleaning stuff than the standard apathetic high-school student forced to wear the cashier hat and the janitor hat. Cleanliness makes your place much more conducive to return visits.

While we're on the topic of hiring, hire some women. Don't go all out trying to hire really good looking ones, just some decent looking women who have a knowledge of things geek. If they main adequate decorum, they can be a boost to return rates, without you having to be exploitative..just get a good mix of people in there. People who like your business idea, but aren't misanthropes. Simpsons Comic Book Guy is just going to get jumped in under a week.

On the other side of the coin, the people who don't know anything about games and don't care to learn are going to get chided out of the building. Have the right people on board is going to be key. You don't want EB syndrome, either.

Have people smoke outside, and make sure there's adequate ventilation. Computers + tons of bodies in seats = lots of hot air.

Most importantly...calculate out the numbers beforehand. Figure out what you're going to need to break even after determining exact operational costs and make sure you're charging enough. Have a promotional thing with a nearby school, or community college that has a draconian computer lab, and get people in to "beta" the store for you. That'll spread word of mouth, and you're set after that.

Good luck. Fight the good fight.