Gaming Internet Cafe - Tech Support Forums

J1mmy · December 10th, 2005, 11:17 PM

Hi there,

What sort of spec PC's would i need to open up a multiplayer gaming internet cafe?? Nothing too expensive, and how much do you think each PC would cost and what about suppliers??

**phenious** · December 10th, 2005, 11:24 PM

I would say you would need about $20,000 to start out a decent lan party when you figure in a location, 10 machines (anything less is boring), screens, networking, internet, staff, getting people to know you ect. A decent gamming rig can be had for about $1000. Find the current recomended specs for Quake 4 and the top games out currently and get nothing less than their recomended specs.

Also, search the forums for other threads about opening a cafe' it has already been discussed multiple times

J1mmy · December 10th, 2005, 11:42 PM

I see, will i need multiplayer gaming lisences too??

xelnanga · December 11th, 2005, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J1mmy

I see, will i need multiplayer gaming lisences too??

One of the best gaming deals for internet cafes is steam. They offer pretty cheap deals for multiple accounts.

Why a $1000 for each computer? I think 700 is enough for each, becaus the major games everyone will play will be:

any steam games
any blizzard games <--- REALLY Popular
and maybe some other few mixes of other mmorpgs.

as for monitors, I think you don't need lcd, you can go with cheaper models 15 inches.

But it all just comes down to 3 important things.
1. location
2. quality (place setting, neatness, etc.)
3. employees (get a lot of people who knows a lot of gamers! that will help

)

Lord_Infamous · December 11th, 2005, 09:39 PM

careful, i dont go to any but i have seen many gaming internet cafes close fast.

butch81385 · December 11th, 2005, 09:43 PM

you may want to talk to washe, he runs one called the Trench (if my memory serves me right).

zSilverFox · December 11th, 2005, 09:46 PM

Oh boy...

Well, first you'll need to find a good location for the place. Then, see how much it'll cost you to set up something there.

For machines, it depends on what you'll be having. An X800GTO with a gig of cheap RAM in each one should do you well. Valve has an Internet Cafe license that you can purchase.

Also, have a PC tech support thing there as well. And refreshments and food, like Bawls, Monster Energy, Jolt, etc. Many a gamer will love you for that, provided the prices aren't rapage, and they can't be purchased from other locations real close for cheaper.

For monitors, a 17" that runs 1280x1024 should do you well enough. I believe you can buy them in bulk from failed internet cafes and such.

OH, AND A COFFEE MACHINE! HAVE A JAVA MACHINE OR SOMETHING! IT IS A MUST!

Good luck on your venture. Most cafe's fail within a year or so, at best. Make sure you do as much homework as you can.

PS One last thing: Be there at opening. Hold a competition or two, and stuff like that. Also, interact with gamers. Talk at the refreshment stand, and see what they would like improved, gotten rid of, etc.

bombledmonk · December 11th, 2005, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelnanga

Why a $1000 for each computer? I think 700 is enough for each, becaus the major games everyone will play will be:

Not if your including moinitors.....

zSilverFox · December 11th, 2005, 10:04 PM

It costs about $150 for a decent gaming monitor, provided you stick with CRT and don't blow money on LCDs.

LaptopExtreme · December 11th, 2005, 11:29 PM

Lord Infamous is correct, I've seen so many internet cafe's pop up and die out really fast. I agree with zSilverFox also, CRT's are a lot cheaper and better refresh rates. Another suggestion is to lease are your systems. You can keep them up to date, very little up front costs, and if there's a problem, the company you bought it from will service it. You can also try to write off the lease costs too.