Gamers Cafe Possible?

[sTpny]

Hi all,

A while back, back when I was still living in a world of Windows and Gates, a friend of mine wanted me to help him establish, and then to run, an gamers cafe, where people could get together and play video games. He was thinking playstation, I suggested PC, but either way, the cost of the venture was too much. Now, though still a linux newbie, I can see that we may have overlooked a possibility. What do you think? Could a 'Gamers Cafe' be done in linux? I've seen a few decent games for linux, but how many games are there really? A few? Lots? What are to good ones? I don't actually think we would need very many games, but a good selection is always better. Has anyone ever heard of a Gamers Cafe? Running on Linux? I use ubuntu, and love it, but would another distro be better suited for this? Any and all thoughts on this subject are greatly appreciated, because talk about a dream job!

Thanks in advance,

sTpny

[Artificial Intelligence]

Any linux distro is good as any (both in gaming and applications).

When you're thinking gaming café with linux, is it with open source games or everything?

[Lord Illidan]

Personally, I think it would be best to analyze what kind of games your target audience wants to play. No insult to open source games, as I play them myself, but if I was a hardcore gamer, I'd rather play, say Cod 4, or BioShock, than Open Arena or Nexuiz.

That said, some good games can be found, like Wesnoth, Warsow, or Tremulous. Perhaps a dualboot would be a good option. That way you can advertise the fact that you have OpenSource games available to be played on the network, and you can also appeal to hardcore gamers.

Oh, and as regards the distro, Ubuntu is not bad. Strip it down of unnecessary fluff, or use Xubuntu.

[basketcase421]

It all comes down to what your taget audience will pay for. Will they be happy with what options are available on the Linux platform? Or will they be expecting the big name M$ titles? Though it is an intersting idea, and one you should look into.

[compiledkernel]

Hi all,

A while back, back when I was still living in a world of Windows and Gates, a friend of mine wanted me to help him establish, and then to run, an gamers cafe, where people could get together and play video games. He was thinking playstation, I suggested PC, but either way, the cost of the venture was too much. Now, though still a linux newbie, I can see that we may have overlooked a possibility. What do you think? Could a 'Gamers Cafe' be done in linux? I've seen a few decent games for linux, but how many games are there really? A few? Lots? What are to good ones? I don't actually think we would need very many games, but a good selection is always better. Has anyone ever heard of a Gamers Cafe? Running on Linux? I use ubuntu, and love it, but would another distro be better suited for this? Any and all thoughts on this subject are greatly appreciated, because talk about a dream job!

Thanks in advance,

sTpny

This is honestly something even I have entertained for some period of time. The best conclusion I can come up with is to start the cafe aspect first, and then slowly introduce the gaming aspect into it. Internet cafe's are extremely popular and viable on a business level so actually starting one shouldnt be hard. Theoretically you can , if you live in the US, Franchise to a company called Daily Grind. Once done on that level, they give you enough flexibility in doing business to actually get away with hosting Gamer LANs and stuff like that. If you are cornerstoning your business on the gaming aspect, at least where I live, youll fail because there are already 7 or 8 such businesses, and half of them are slowly going under.

[Darganot]

They have these in many major cities...Philadelphia where I grew up has many. I used to go to one in a town called Doylestown back when I was in High School and we'd play counterstrike. This was in the days before massive online gaming and not having a rig of my own at the time it was neat to get the full experience for just an hour or two.

You'd be surprised how many gamers are just as hardcore as you but can't afford a machine to run them on much less any kind of monthly fee.

[rastari]

dual booting would be a good idea that way you can target a larger audience and the more games the better really p.s if you have the same games as other places as well as open source ones you will stand out

[Crafty Kisses]

Dual booting is a fantastic idea, I think more Cafe's should do this, I know I'd go to more if they offered Open Source games. :)

[Ferrat]

Dual boot is one way to go, I know I read a year back or so about someone with a similar idea, the question is, do you really need it to be a gamer café?

Sure Gamers make up a large market but an internet café isn't just gamers if you market it right, personally I think a lot of these places need to think outside the box, sure you can have a gamer corner and game events in the evenings/nights but if you can provide a wider range of service I think you could also (depending on location) take in much more business.

If your goal is to get active customers as well as raise awareness that there are options out there are other ways that just games.

1. "Free" WiFi with purchase making it possible for business people to take their laptops and sit in a calm and comfy environment while working / having lunch and so on (this also attracts students if you're in a place where there are students) like 1hour for just a coffee and a sandwich or likewise. (for a viable option you should make it so that you calculate it that you don't need the WiFi customers to make it go around, this way you can provide it as a bonus and don't need to charge much at all for it since it's pure profit)

2. Have a gamer / geek corner where you have the "monster" gamer computers that can dual boot, also have some Linux "propaganda" there and people that can use it and show the benefits (for ex. have a few computers with just Linux and make them cheaper to use since you don't need licenses for them)

3. Have a few low end computers with Linux that people can use for checking mail, MSN and just browser with, make sure you mention that they run Linux and it's just as simple as windows as well as free = lower costs compared to Windows systems.

Also for this "hybrid" café to work you really need to work on layout, the feel of the place and make sure you have good service, this way you don't paint yourself in to a corner of the market but try to reach as many as possible making it a good café with computers instead of a hall of computers that serve coffee, stale bread and stinks of sweat which in my experience often is the case with a gamer café.
Make it light and fun and promote Linux for ex. make Ubuntu available and perhaps have a few "try out Ubuntu / Linux gimmick events" and have like coasters with a few Linux facts or comparisons to Windows and the perks that comes with open source etc.

Just an idea but I think you would have more luck with that, then a pure gamer café if your aim is to use Linux as a base also most places doesn't offer stuff like that so there is an untapped market in many places where as gamer café with their pimpled faced, fourteen years olds that doesn't sleep and doesn't shower in many places are a dime a dozens.

[sTpny]

Hi Again,

Wow! Thanks for all the feedback. Here is some more information to clarify.

To start, this is not exactly a "Gamers Cafe". At least not in the classic sense. I've never actually seen a gamers cafe, as we have nothing like that where I live, so I wouldn't actually know. I live in a smaller city, and I doubt that something strictly games oriented would be accepted in the community, or be viable as a business. The "Gamers Cafe" aspect is simply to make it attractive to the primary target audience, which is all the teens in the area. You see, there is nothing here for the teens to do, so they just run around getting into trouble. Yesterdays paper, for instance, had three teens being arrested for burning down a new retirement complex that was being built here. So the "Gamers Cafe" aspect is really just a draw to get the kids in the door. There would be a fee for both memberships and drop-ins, but poor teens would not be excluded just for being poor.

Once inside, I know I can help them. The trouble is really that the government has cut them too deeply trying to fix our deficit. They cut funding for almost everything related to music or the arts. Physical Education, which is so important for teenagers, has also been cut. There use to be several youth drop-in centers in the city, but those also got cut. So now, instead of playing sports or music, they are out smoking crack and meth, and getting into all sorts of trouble. Some would say that are bad kids, but I know that they are mostly just angry and bored. So my secret agenda is really just to fill up their extra time with activities that are more constructive than smoking crack and starting fires. A 'Gamers Cafe' simply provides a means to that end.

For the games, I was thinking on starting with open source games, and then maybe forming some affiliations with various software design companies, to see if we could possibly get some other games to play, even if they are in beta. There is an emulator for almost everything, so I wouldn't be limited to only linux games, of which I currently have about 100, and some of them are loads of fun! Most are simple little games though, but that's ok. Since I have no competition here. Also, it's not all about the games.

Kids are kids, and the "Gamers Cafe" aspect should get them in the door. After that, they can figure out for themselves that it's not all about computer games. Has anyone read Piers Anthony? In one of his books he describes a game where contestants play various games in a competition for an ultimate prize. Each round of the game begins with a small competition to determine which game is to be played, so that no player can ever be certain about which game is to be played, or under which conditions. Games could be computer oriented, or more physical. For instance, two combatants could sit down, one wanting to play a first person shooter, the other, a simple game of fish, but through a simple competition, it could be decided that they will play two on two basketball, with the winner being declared as the first team to sink five baskets. Neither player got what they wanted, teaching that you don't always get what you want. Then, because the game is two on two, each player would have to find a second person to play with them, bringing about the players networking and social skills. Then there is the basketball game itself, which can be physical to the point of exhaustion, and it involves competition, as well as cooperation. I don't recall the name of the series, but I do remember that the idea of 'The Game' was interesting, and I'd like to duplicate it, because I think there is a lot of good that can be done with it. Because players never know what game they will play, they have to become well rounded individuals in order to be competitive, and even if they are content with a bottom rung, just playing the games could be beneficial, and would most certainly be lots of fun. Players could certainly just sit down and play whatever they wanted on the computers, just not when playing in 'The Game'. The prize could be anything. A new iPod, or a seasons pass to the local ski-hill. Whatever. So long as it's worth competing for.

I'd also like to have a music studio and an art room, because as I said, these programs recently suffered some deep cuts, and I really think they made a big mistake by cutting them. The music room would be stocked with instruments and lessons would be available for anyone who wanted to learn. The art room would likewise be equipped. Also, 'The Game' as described above, would include competitions involving art or music, so these rooms would also be for play.

The Gamers Cafe would only actually be a gamers cafe for part of the time. In the morning, it's a computer lab, available for public, private, or commercial use.
In the afternoon, it becomes a software design company, (Did I mention that I'm a computer programmer?) In the evening is when it's a gamers cafe, and at night, it's a computer/life-skills school.

I'm in the process of putting all the pieces in place, and I would like to go ahead with this idea. Please don't think I was being misleading in calling my youth center a gamers cafe. I just really don't have a name to describe it. Anyhow, the feedback is appreciated. Tell me what you think. Also, anyone interested in opening a similar center where they are? We could collaborate.

TTFN

Tony

[jorgerosa]

Kool, i´ll keep an eye on this thread too, since i want to do the same here, in my country.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=741386