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Need opinions on a business idea. (POLL)
Divion
Member UncommonPosts: 411
So me, and my room-mate have started talking about going in on partners on a small-busniess upstart... he is not a very intelligent guy, but hes a hard worker, and will follow my lead, and provide capital to help make it happen, the thing is we havn't decided what to sell, or what service to provide..
So i was thinking of an idea.. and considering the nature of the idea, and the nature of this website i'm curious (call it market research) as to if it would work or not...
The idea is a Gaming Cyber Cafe / Pub(Bar) Hybrid.
I'm 26, i started gaming when i was 5, built my first PC when i was 8 ~ Now that i'm grown up, and live like an adult, i still have my desires to game, but i find there are obstacles in the way of it....
In the past when a married man or woman didn't want to go home after work, and get nagged they went to a Pub, had a few beers, watched a sports game, and just chilled then went home, and delt with his hectic life on the homefront.
So the idea is to take the new breed of adults (the "adult gamer"), and the idea of the watering hole pub, and combine them...
So how many of you adults that game.. are tired of going home, trying to play WoW, LoL or any other game, and get nagged by your wife/girlfriend to get off that "stupid game", and do housework, take of the kids, ect?
Tired of your girlfriend complaining you spend too much time on your PS3 playing CoD?
Would you be willing to pay, and hang out somewhere in a -bar- like atsmosphere where you can not only game on top of the line high end gaming machines, and play console games on high end LCD Big Screens, but enjoy a beer while doing it, or have some short-order snacks?
Is this something you think would be marketable?
Comments
But to answer your question, yea.. I think i would pay xD
I have some unfortunate news for you bud. Apparently some jerk with access to a time machine liked your idea so much that he stole it and then time jumped back to the late 90s to open up his own string of what you were going to call "Cyber Cafes". If it's any consolation most of these places barely lasted a year or two before people without money realized the library was cheaper and people with money realized their homes were more comfortable and convenient.
Did well in Asia though....
Hey, but don't be too discouraged. I have quite a few exciting business venture ideas to run by you and am more than willing to bring you in on the ground floor. Picture this: A type of restaurant that serves grilled favorites like steaks, burgers, and hot dogs.... but...... also has large televisions on all the walls showing all kinds of different sports. Sports while you eat grilled food and drink beer!! I'm thinking of calling them "Televised Athletics Barbecues".
They only work as well as they do in Asia because if teenage kids were home, they'd be forced to do chores or study. It's about the only way to escape the evil of "Asian parents" while continuing to be lazy and play video games all day. Prolly becomes a habit that's hard to break, over time.
In the western world only two people use internet cafes; tourists without smart phones, and the guy jacking it to porn who scares off those tourists.
Even the computer section at the average library is full of whackjobs - and people FORCE their kids to go to these dens of pedophiles and lunatics. Stupid.
Ditch the idea entirely.
Writer / Musician / Game Designer
Now Playing: Skyrim, Wurm Online, Tropico 4
Waiting On: GW2, TSW, Archeage, The Rapture
Dear Mr. Unintelligent Conscending Person,
Please consider the fact, that you obviousily didn't read what i wrote ~ Cyber Cafe's are FAR from the idea i have ~ The idea was to create a "Bar/Club" atmospheric hangout/wateringhole coupled with mainstream gaming concepts ~ Far from the idea of a Cyber cafe where you can get a muffin, and check your email, or use AIM ~
I didn't want to get into heavy details due to the obvious fact of idea theft.
But generally speaking, it would be a club/bar atsmosphere, the aesthetics would be similar to a night club or high end bar ~ A DJ would be present, a bar serving beverages of the Adult variety ~
Picture this, you walk in, There is Lights flashing, Music playing, a Bar tender serving patrons, the room is dark, loud, women are dancing.. it's just a club right? --- WAIT, what is that.. another room? You walk into it... a crowd is gathered around 2 men... what are they doing? they are cheering... oh they are having a Guitar Hero Battle! on a 72 inch Flat screen! WOOH~ another crowd, it's DDR!? ~ Thats pretty cool... nothing too new though... wait a minute another room? You walk in, and see 20 guys enjoying a beer, all with head sets on, infront of high-end gaming Desktops, they are decked out in all the fancy stuff, bright LED lights, nitro loops, and razer gaming inputs/outputs, all of them are wearing head sets, and talking on microphones, they are isolate from the music, and celebrations of the other 2 rooms, what are they doing? Some are tied into WoW raiding together, some are playing LoL and getting quite pissed over a game they are losing, couple guys are laughing while they troll people together on Minecraft ~ Well it's basiclly a huge lan-party, thats cool.. moving on you see a closed door, you open it, and find a nice islolated mini-theater, a few people are watching Iron-Man 2, you sit for a few, then you decide to head home, on your way out you see a last room in the far back, it says "WiFi Room", you enter, and find some people casually talking while sitting on super comfy chairs, and playing on their tablets, phones, and Laptops....
/end vision.
I'm not trying to recreate a cyber cafe, i'm trying to marry gaming to social functions, to bring the gamer out of his seclusions, and to give the gamer a place he can go socialize, and get his game on, give a place for gamers to come together, and actually socialize, to give that husband who can't play Call of Duty at home because his kids are up his ass, or his wife is nagging him a place to enjoy a beer, and work on his Aim while people cheer his killing spree...
Mind you this place would not be a place for kids, or teens.
Hey, but don't be too discouraged, if it works out, i'll make sure to tell the patrons about this condescending guy online who thought it would be "Just another cyber cafe".
The club-going crowd has smart phones, what the hell are they going to need your built-in granny computers for?
"this place is soooo [insert year here]"
Besides, you can't raise enough to start that kind of business, nor are investors going to jump in without you or your friend being Richard Branson. No clout means no go... it's just not feasable, whatsoever. Even if Apple tried to make a themed bar, it's bound to fail.
Then again, it's all about marketing... but people into 'geek sheik' simply don't go to clubs in the first place. I doubt wannabe models, pornstars and all the beautiful people are going to be interested in the place. I see it as a "Hooters for neckbeards", and there is something wrong with that.
Gaming + Social Functions fail because of these reasons;
Every table has it's own thing going on, and is drowned out by the noise and attention breaking factors of *every other table* there. Nobody will hear what's going on at their station, and headsets are lame.
It will attract gamer-types that clash; you get some Civ4 players at a table next to a dozen loud Marvel Vs Capcom players and you immediately have a group that isn't coming back.
Who the f**k wants to pay by the hour (or whatever) for a game they can play at home. It's the classic bar situation of "do I get drunk here, or at home for a fraction of the price?".
There is a place called Dave and Busters that is an arcade for adults, it has a dress code, will card you at the door - and it SUCKS!!! Plus, the only time you hear of that ZP guy's Mana Bar is during expos... because the business there prolly blows at all other times of the year.
The problem with the idea is the same behind this recent commercial for super soakers;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28Sttdz7ngU
What the f**k are these adults doing with squirt guns and a crappy alternative rock band? If you weren't offended at the prospect that "this is what they think of all of us that grew up with super soakers", then you must be oblivious by nature. It's the same for a bar that centers around video games - and activity we loved as kids, and never really grew out of - in a social environment meant for adults... it clashes, and it's kinda offensive at the core because "mixing the best of both worlds" doesn't not f**king work here.
The super soaker ad would have worked if it was centered aroud a wet t-shirt contest - in somewhat the same fashion in that Guitar Hero and Rock Band *has* worked in some bars, but only as a tie-in to how popular kareoke is. Don't confuse it for *regular* gaming working it's way in, because it's not. Bars are still about music so loud that you have to shout one-liners to the strangers you are trying to pick up. Never gonna change.
Writer / Musician / Game Designer
Now Playing: Skyrim, Wurm Online, Tropico 4
Waiting On: GW2, TSW, Archeage, The Rapture
You obviousily don't have the same vision i'm having for it, yes it's a good idea.
Yes it might be OVERLY ambitious, the start capital would be very large, and it's not the sort of venture that investors would invest in~
It would work depend on specific market responses, geographical location, intensive marketing, and what have you.. i know it could be done, this idea is not fully original, i seen a similar premise done when i was growning up, the owner had moderate success but his location was horrible, and a none-existent marketing plan led him closing doors after 5 years, and considering his failures, and short-siteness, and the narrow approach to the overall model, 5 years is quite impressive.
Done corretly, with the right approach it is more reasonable then starting up a PC Repairshop, Gym, or Pizza/Sub shop in an already heavily saturated metro area (That im located in) ~
The only major downfall is the start up expenses, it would be quite risky to throw that much capital into something that requires allot of fine tune modeling, but risks must be taken if one is to be successful ~ So you don't like it? Good, there are plenty of Fort 500 Plat 250 companies started by visionaries surrounded by skeptics.
Thats the key to it all, make that vision a reality, if it doesn't work.. it doesn't work.
You also seem to think Gaming is still a niche hobby held by anti-social emos, and the like.. open your eyes, gamers are now more common then you think, among both genders, it's become readily accepted.
Thanks for your imput though.
- Todays smart phones kill half your idea already.
- Up keep of your computers will help do you in. Don't forget they better be good gaming computers. And what are you gonna do when someone walks away from a computer and it's all screwed up ?....The type of people that play games will not pay you an extra cent.
- Players would almost have to bring in their own computers, as they would have to have their games installed.
The best thing you could do is a FREE gaming club, with a small snack bar. Even this will be hard this day and age as THE MAN will discourage this with taxes and rent !...................The idea sounds fun...........an entire guild in one room playing together would be great. But don't forget THE MAN will squash you like a bug, and lets not leave out copy rights, THE MAN will be watching !!!
1980's = good idea
2012 = very bad idea
THE MAN wont's your stuff..............
one opened up in city i have been to visit family in, followed by a dedicated gaming center that was mildly successful and opened up a second location, then a couple of other gaming centers.
All of them are now out of buisness.
98% of the teenage population does or has tried smoking pot. If you''re one of the 2% who hasn''t, copy & paste this in your signature.
Theres an arcade thats been around for about 1-2 years in my area. Its a typical arcade with games from Japan. Seriously whenever I walk by I see 0 people. When I do see people in it its weird nerdy guys who are still in High School. They have not only arcade games but console games to play on hd tvs. I've been by at least 5 times, and been inside twice to play a Gundam game and its always just my friend and I.
I think it'll be hard to open up a gaming cafe/bar. I know there was one when I was in middle school at least 12 years ago that was pretty popular, of course its long gone. I think it'll also be a hassle if people puke all over the computers, or since they're drunk or buzzed and break something by accident. I know this is looking at the down sides of it but I seriously don't see how a place like this can make money. We're in 2012 now and I'm sure all these places are long gone. Others might think differently.
Also what if your wife/girlfriend nags and question where you're at? They're still going to nag and at least at home you can play for free. Plus just saw an article I believe on gamasutra about how japanese arcades are dying. Basically they go to arcades to test the game, but eventually itll come out on console so they can just buy it and play it at home. Its basically the same concept of having an arcade but with some beer and snacks.
"Is this something you think would be marketable?"
You asked for an opinion, correct?
Well I'd say based on a preponderance of opinion here and the poll numbers the answer would be NO
Did you get what you asked for?
"Hey, but don't be too discouraged, if it works out, i'll make sure to tell the patrons about this condescending guy online who thought it would be "Just another cyber cafe".
"You obviousily don't have the same vision i'm having for it, yes it's a good idea."
"Dear Mr. Unintelligent Conscending Person,"
"he is not a very intelligent guy,"
I'd also say based on your attitude, as displayed here, that even if it's marketable your implementation would fail.
"You also seem to think Gaming is still a niche hobby held by anti-social emos, and the like.. open your eyes, gamers are now more common then you think, among both genders, it's become readily accepted. "
LMAO! Most here know this, far better than you.
"Thanks for your imput though."
No, Thank YOU, for the laugh.
If you cut it too short you can always nail a piece on the end.
If you cut it too long then what the hell are you gonna do?
I think you should start with the pub, and deal with all the issues of just running a pub. If you become successful, THEN try to add the gaming side. A pub is a beast all it's own. The regulations, expenses, managing employees, trying to control the atmosphere, etc. are all huge issues. I fear that if you start with both the pub + videogames, you won't find your target market.
You might also find that the pub by itself would be profitable, and there was no need to add videogames.
OR you could go the other route, and start with the video game cafe and slowly add alcohalic features to it. But as others have said, in the US, videogame cafe's had no market. Adults just videogame when they feel like it, and kids have the freedom to do so here. While Asia and Europe had plenty of people who wanted to videogame outside of their home, or didn't have the means to videogame at home.
Taru-Gallante-Blood elf-Elysean-Kelari-Crime Fighting-Imperial Agent
I love gaming at home, but my nagging dog is starting to get to me.
She sits at my side and just stares at me, disappears for a moment to get some water, comes back, then sits in the exact same spot.....you guessed it...stares at me. It is driving me crazy.
I dunno, the whole idea of a pub generally is the social part. So I see this as a great idea for loads of middle aged men to go down to your little cyber cafe to play their favourite MMO, FPS or w/e. Good luck anyway.
We're all Geniuses. Most of us just don't know it.
Be brutally honest you want to start up a bar/club forget about the othe rpart for now.......one of the most expensive and most likely to fail things to get into. Its in a fight with restaurants as the most likely to fail with a big loss.
Now you want to throw on top of that computers and you want to charge people for what they either can do at home(play games) or what they can do with their cellphones......
You have no idea what you are doing whatsoever. Simply true..
Your idea is just a nuanced verson of something that has already failed in the 90's
You admit yourself it would take a large investment.
You'd have more luck just opening a regular bar...and most likely it would fail within a few years as most do.
Your idea......
---I'd tell your friend to take his money get a personal accountant and invest it instead of blowing it on a pipe dream.
////////
Now for someone who already has a bar thats stable..your idea of providing console game platforms for the drinkers to play..Sports games would be big...against each other is as applicable as darts. It could work it depends ALOT on the clientel of the bar in question though.
Computer games?..doubt that would work and most games bar types would want to play would be better on consoles anyway.
Also I am not sure but there is probably some legal things you would have to look at in terms of charging people to play console games in a bar/club..I'm sure theres a work around but I'm also sure you make a profit someone else wants their bit too;)
Advice-- IF you have enough financial means to even realistically contemplate starting up such a thing..then start by purchasing an existing bar (or club) and running it as such...the size of the glasses used can cost you 10's of thousands of dollars a year in that business......
It's obvious you just need to put down the controller for 30 seconds, look at her, and go "good girl; who's a good girl?!"... then pet her a bit, and go back to the Xbox once she lays down and sleeps.
Dogs are simple, girlfriends aren't.
Writer / Musician / Game Designer
Now Playing: Skyrim, Wurm Online, Tropico 4
Waiting On: GW2, TSW, Archeage, The Rapture
I line in Englewood, Colorado. A close suburb to Denver and there was an idea like this called on target. At first this place was HUGE. You would pay $2 for every hour you wanted to play and on fridays they had a $20 special where you could play from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. 12 hours of gaming for $20 and they had every game you could think of. I think its a really good idea, however this placed died down because the employes would also play on the computers/PS3/xbox while the customers did so there was horrible customer service. Also they started to turn into real ass holes so the company went out of business.
However the idea is a really good one, people will be willing to pay money to play and not get nagged and what not.