dannymccann
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Registered: 9th Aug 06
Location: Doddington, Lincolnshire
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On holiday I had an idea about a new business that I havent seen around here - LAN Gaming Centre. Either for PCs or consoles, games like COD, PGR, GTA etc where people pay per hour and come as a group of friends to play against each other, with all the benefits of lag free gaming, but on their own screen (none of this split screen crap).
Including things like a small restaurant and bar on site, I thought it may be pretty profitable if I priced it for the large student population in Lincoln....just wondering if anyone would pay per hour to play against their mates in this way, or is online "free" gaming good enough....?
Then I thought about the possible amount of legislation, obviously theirs the 'Think 25' shit for alcohol, but even for the age limit on some games, like GTA, where kids will have access to them at home but wouldnt be allowed by law to play them in my 'arcade' so to speak?
Anyone looked into it before?
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Aaron
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Registered: 9th Aug 04
Location: Cottingham, East Riding
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This is something that i;ve thought about in the past. I'd love to have a place like this.
I haven't actually done any business work on it, but its a top idea.
EDIT:
I'd have multiple rooms for each platform. i.e. a PS3 room, XBOX room, Wii Room and PC Gaming room. Screens would be fooking huge etc 
If i was stupidly rich, i'd start it up just for fun, and wouldnt be bothered if it didnt make any money...i'd be happy if it just paid for its self in terms of bills etc.
[Edited on 09-09-2009 by Aaron]
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willay
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I remember years ago these things popped up and never seemed to last long, I think theres alot of overheads and you dont get much trade during the day. Most students who have abit of clue would lug their console/pc+tv to their mates house and have a LAN gaming session.
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Marc
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Location: York
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Kind of like a fancy arcade. I suppose the price per hour would be a huge factor for most people. As said about the screens, they would have to be pretty special to persuade people in to going there in stead of staying at home.
Sounds expensive though, by the time the place has been kitted out with the screens and surround sound.
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willay
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you wouldnt have surround sound, they would have decent ear phones.
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dannymccann
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Registered: 9th Aug 06
Location: Doddington, Lincolnshire
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I havent yet costed anything up, its more of a muffled idea at the moment. Ive never seen one before, apart from the big BlizzCon festivals etc in America, and there are one off weekenders etc around the country but not really a static business...
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willay
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Multiplay have turned it into a business, I went to one of their massive lan partys with 1000's of gimps in Newbury race course years ago.
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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Didn't work out too well for these guys 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega_Sektor
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Liam
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Registered: 19th Jan 06
Location: Stafford
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See these kind of places everywhere in Greece/Crete/Rhodes, always packed over there.
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Marc
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Location: York
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quote:
Originally posted by ed
Didn't work out too well for these guys
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega_Sektor
One PS3 and one 360 
Virgin should brand it all
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dannymccann
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Location: Doddington, Lincolnshire
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Liam - kind of where I got the idea from, in the European countries its a real big thing, but is this because they dont have the best access to computer equipment / internet connections in their own home, like we do over here?
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willay
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that and its probably too fucking hot to be outside all the time, most these LAN centres have air con 
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dannymccann
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Location: Doddington, Lincolnshire
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True also, I was in Spain last week turning into a lobster at 34c 
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bigboykarl
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Registered: 19th May 09
Location: South Yorkshire
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there used to be one years ago called playing fields in whitfield street w1..just behing tottenham crt rd....used to go with mates play red alert..total annhilation..delta force..etc
used to cost £6 an hour then (approx 10-12 years ago)
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Sunz
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Registered: 12th Jan 07
Location: SE England
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I think it will be hard to make a profit when you can do it cheaply at home
Would need something special to make people go there instead of playing at home.
Good food and drink
pool room
bowling alley, something else for people to go there for.
Don't personally think just lan gaming alone will work to begin with.
£6 an hour 
[Edited on 09-09-2009 by Sunz]
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ed
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quote:
Originally posted by Marc
quote:
Originally posted by ed
Didn't work out too well for these guys
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega_Sektor
One PS3 and one 360
Virgin should brand it all
I think a retard wrote that. The one in Brum had a room with PS3's and a room for 360's. Was more about the PC's though.
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bigboykarl
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Registered: 19th May 09
Location: South Yorkshire
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think you'd get kids party bookings sat and sun
but you'd struggle in the week.....i thought about doing this 5 years ago i was going to buy a local dvd rental shop and put a lan in the back with 10 p/cs but it was about the time of the emergence of love film blockbuster on line and assorted companys ...so i thought the risk was too great...
main problem is start up costs e.g 10 ps3 10 copys of cod4 10 32 inch monitors 20 chairs 10 desks,shop..etc even bulk buying you've got 7/8k spend and at £3 p/h you have 2500 hours before start up costs are recovered
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*JonnyG*
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Registered: 2nd Jun 08
Location: Lincolnshire
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Am sure they is already1 in lincoln.
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
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Im not reading the whole thread as it seems far too geeky for me, but if you are seriously considering this then look into sponsorship for various things in there.
For example, if you were looking to get LG screens, contact them directly and you may get an amazing deal. If they can get their screens in front of 100's of possible customers then thats a huge pull for them.
Same can be applied to loads of things in there...seats, desks, caffine drinks, etc.
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Marc
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Location: York
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What about the licencing of the games though? Seems a bit of a mine field?
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Marc
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Plus, regardless of how technology has moved on, you would need some N64's and Goldeneye!
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Cosmo
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quote:
Originally posted by Marc
What about the licencing of the games though? Seems a bit of a mine field?
Same would apply for them IMO as it would for other sponsorships. If you can show them that you could advertise their product to many many potential home based customers then it could be a massive opportunity for them, enough to lower the cost a huge amount.
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dannymccann
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Registered: 9th Aug 06
Location: Doddington, Lincolnshire
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The game licensing was the thing I was most concerned about, but yea that could be the way forward in contacting the manufacturers directly.
No chance would I be charging £6 an hour, I would be aiming to make a small profit on the actual gaming but then the side activities such as selling alcohol (alcohol license), soft drinks, arcade games and pool tables etc would make up the rest of the takings.
Would be looking to offer the services as team building events to companies and what not. Weekends I could see being pretty busy, week days being empty but week nights (6pm - 12am?) seeing a decent share
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Marc
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Registered: 11th Aug 02
Location: York
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So its beginning to sound like an arcade, bar and game shop rolled in to one!
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MJFF88
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Registered: 30th Apr 08
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quote:
Originally posted by willay
Multiplay have turned it into a business, I went to one of their massive lan partys with 1000's of gimps in Newbury race course years ago.
iSeries? Been saying I'd go to one of them since about i25. Its now at i34 or something
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