If you needed to buy 33 XBOX's, where would you?

[Anthony1]

I need to buy 33 Xbox systems for something, and I'm trying to determine where I would have to buy them from. I would rather not pay the full $149.99 plus tax, for each XBOX I would need. That is basically about $162 each with tax. So that would be a total of $5,346.00. That's alot of cash.

I might be willing to buy a lot of 33 used XBOX's, but I would have to have a 90 day guarantee on them.

I wonder if anybody is on ebay selling large lots of XBOX's.


I also would need to get 33 XBOX HDTV Video packs, and 35 extra controllers.


I know that the High Def video packs are $19.99 and the S-Controllers are $29.99.


Hmm. I know that this is kindof a ridiculous question to ask, but if you for some strange reason were in the market to buy 33 XBOX's, 35 extra controllers and 33 High Def cables, where would you buy them, to try to pay the lowest price.

[norkusa]

Sorry, I can't help you but please tell us, what the hell do you need 33 Xbox's for??? Are you building a bomb?

[Anthony1]

Sorry, I can't help you but please tell us, what the hell do you need 33 Xbox's for??? Are you building a bomb?


Actually, I'm going to combine all the systems and re-engineer them to be able to use it as a communication device to my home planet.

[Ed Oscuro]

Keep entering the store, making sure each character in my party had their inventory stripped down beforehand and give Talim the Bag of Holding (he can carry more than Talia due to his high STR bonus, though you wouldn't know it from the way he fights and parallel parks). Make sure you aren't playing the new Bard's Tale at the time.

[Ed Oscuro]

Actually, I'm going to combine all the systems and re-engineer them to be able to use it as a communication device to my home planet.
An EM-BAR-GO, you know, ever heard of it?

All my XBoxen are staying safe and sound under Tinfoil Dome, thank you very much.

Seriously though, if you're going to rebuild some anyways, why not try a bunch of bad 'uns off eBay? You can always keep using the same drive across different units.

[postulio]

get em used at gamestop, i think they are like 130 or so used. maybe 120. and you might catch a promotion for a free game or two.





now please tell us what theyre for.

[grayrobertos]

id phone microsoft up directly, thats probably more than some game shops get in a year, small ones anyway. Get them direct wholesale. You so realise that you can only link 16 lol

[Ed Oscuro]

16 to stare down the other 16, and one to referee

[tholly]

id phone microsoft up directly, thats probably more than some game shops get in a year, small ones anyway. Get them direct wholesale. You so realise that you can only link 16 lol



can you link 16??? i was under the impression you could only link 4 with 4 players on each?

[mr_jiggles_13]

jerry rig some routers and you can have 16 boxes going at the same time. or just buy an expensive router.

[shvnsth]

stores don't make any money off the consoles, so buying them direct wouldn't do you anything. they make the $ off the games

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=48752&item=6939045506&rd=1
check that out, its 20 xboxs from ebgames

[Porkchop]

You might contact these Llamma. They may be able to help you out. I have never done business with them has anyone here?

http://www.llamma.com/xbox/xbox-PS2-Game-Cube-Wholesale.htm

[Anthony1]

16 to stare down the other 16, and one to referee



Bingo

[bargora]

16 to stare down the other 16, and one to referee

Bingo
Willis, please explain further.

[classicb]

go north to Oregon no sales tax

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

That's a lot of Ecks Bawks there, my friend. But perhaps they could be welded together into a sizable vat that could be filled with - you guessed it - warm chocolate puddin'. :D

[classicb]

I don't know why but I keep cracking up everytime I look at this thread. Of course only Anthony would want 33 XBox's and 33 High Def cables but what puzzels me is the 35 extra controllers.

Anthony you have to take pictures of whatever you are doing with all this stuff. I hope its not just Rom storage. Or are you the guy selling all those modded Xbox's on craiglist.

[Anthony1]

16 to stare down the other 16, and one to referee

Bingo
Willis, please explain further.


I'm strongly considering opening a place of business that would feature two sets of 16 XBOX's linked together for a little game that most people have heard of. The extra XBOX is for a deluxe station that would feature a 120 inch screen. That particular XBOX wouldn't be hooked up to anything, but would be used mainly as a demo station for whatever is the hottest game out at the time.

If I end up doing this, I'm going to need 33 XBOX's, 33 High Def A/V adapters, 35 extra controllers for 2 player games like sports and fighters (3 of the extra controllers would be for the special projection room, for 4 player gaming on the huge screen. I'm also going to need 32 computer monitors, most likely 19 inch monitors, and 36 decent chairs in terms of comfort. I'm also going to need 32 2.1 speaker/subwoofer systems for each game station, and a top of the line audio setup for the special projection game station. Oh, I also need 32 ethernet cables and a number of switchers. I'm also going to need a setup for a snack bar/soda area.

The business model is based on paying a fee to use the facilities. Fee's will be based on how long somebody will be spending time at one of the gamestations. People that enter will pay for a certain time period, and will get a colored band representative of that time period. For example, half hour, 45 mins, 1 hour, 1 1/2 hours, 2 hours or even a special 5 hour pass.


Certainly, the majority of the time I would imagine that the game that will be played the most is the one that immediately comes to mind. But there will also be tournaments for a particular football game, and some of the various fighting games, and possibly some of the other sports. Racing games and anything else that utilizes the link feature will also be in the rotation.

Now, the deluxe game station that features the 120 inch screen will be used for a number of things. But for example, if we are having tournaments, then the final championship match will always be played on that.


I actually had much more grandiose visions of having up to 160 people being able to play simultaneously, and also having a retail video game store located in the store, in addition to a nearly full service burger/pizza type joint. There would also be a lounge area with internet stations and stuff like that. A place for DS gamers to gather and do their wireless thing. I would also a "Retro Zone" that would feature systems of the past. In fact, I was planning on having Atari 2600's and stuff like that hooked up to actual TV's that would have been available then, and the decor surrounding each retro game station would be themed to the year that the particular system came out. You would be able to walk down the line and sample every major gaming system that came out since the 2600.

Basically, I was looking for a Borders books or Virgin Megastore type of feel, where gamers could go to this Video Game Superstore and literally spend hours and hours in there. We would handle everything that any gamer could desire. You could buy new games and systems, you could buy old games and old systems, basically everything you could do at a Gamestop, we would have all the magazines and video game related books and stuff like that, a nearly full featured restaurant and the ability for 160 gamers to be playing on 40 different large screen displays. 4 controllers to a display.

But I did a bunch of research on it, and I determined that it would cost nearly a million dollars or even more to open up what I originally had in mind. I'm still going to look for a multi millionaire investor that would be interested in turning this concept into a nationwide chain, that would basically become the Chucky Cheese for the 21st century, catering to the 18 to 40 video game nut crowd. The reason for the 18 year old thing, is the fact that mature games would be played on many of the screens, and I wouldn't be interested in any lawsuits.

Anyways, if anybody knows a multi millionaire investor that would be interested in this idea, I have extremely detailed plans relating to this business model.

You might think that I've let alot of the idea out of the bag in this post, but it's just the tip of the iceberg, in terms of the business plan that I have devised.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Hmmmmm...a rent-a-LAN setup using consoles instead of PCs? Hmmmmm. I dunno, there are places in this general geographical area like Strike/Net that have gone under for lack of support (they sponsored the first OKGE, and then I believe the show outlived them).

Maybe if you incoporated the LAN party thing into something like a pizza restaurant (hey, it worked for Chuck E. Cheese...for a while!)...but then you're looking at a certain amount of overhead to maintain/repair/replace controllers that would inevitably have stuff spilled into them or would otherwise be taken out of commission.

[classicb]

even if you scale it down I think you should still have the "retro zone" my friends who come over love playing my older systems.

[Anthony1]

Hmmmmm...a rent-a-LAN setup using consoles instead of PCs? Hmmmmm. I dunno, there are places in this general geographical area like Strike/Net that have gone under for lack of support (they sponsored the first OKGE, and then I believe the show outlived them).

Maybe if you incoporated the LAN party thing into something like a pizza restaurant (hey, it worked for Chuck E. Cheese...for a while!)...but then you're looking at a certain amount of overhead to maintain/repair/replace controllers that would inevitably have stuff spilled into them or would otherwise be taken out of commission.


Yeah, this is kindof the idea. Basically the customers would be paying for access to the facilities. I can't charge them to play Halo 2. I can't charge them to play a Madden 2005 tournament or SNK vs. Capcom tournament or whatever. Because if I did, then I would get sued like crazy. Once Microsoft, EA and SNK and Capcom eventually found out about it. I don't think I can even mention the names of those games in my advertising or anything like that. But what I can do is have the facilites set up proper, and have the games available to be played according to how the patrons want them to be played. Then I can charge them based on time using the facilities. Certainly, food and drink must be added to the equation. That would be a huge part of the profit margin. Soda's cost like 10 cents and can be sold for $1.65 or whatever. Coffee's, expressos, etc. Muffins, candy bars, stuff along those lines. Bascially stuff that stoners would want.

My ideal customer would be a hard core stoner that would want to play Halo 2 all day long, minus quick 5 minute breaks to the parking lot to hit his hippie lettuce, and then back in the dungeon to frag and eat some munchies.

Sorry, no outside food or drink allowed. So if you want a bottled water, then you are going to have to caugh up the $1.25 fee.

I'm also looking into the possibility of an agreement with a Pizza place that would be very close to my location. They would deliver pizza on a regular basis to be sold by the slice. They would also cater for birthday parties and other parties in which the facilities would be reserved for special groups, either before or after normal business hours.

[kai123]

I don't see a business like this succeeding. I have been to places similar to what you are describing and it isn't fun. Why would I go there when I could easily setup my own lan party and have more fun doing it? Cheaper food and a more relaxed environment. With Xbox Live added to the equation I don't even need a lan party. Tournaments are a good idea but most people will only show up for the tournaments. Arcades died because people can play the exact same game at home for a one time price up front.

If food prices are too expensive then I would just leave a bottle of water in my car and go outside to get a drink or go to Mcdonald's to snag some food then come back. How will you make money if people don't buy food or water? Charging $5 bones an hour or whatever won't cover your expenses as far as I can tell. I wish you luck but I have my doubts.

Also your TVs need to be bigger than 19". I wouldn't want to sit for hours playing Halo 2 splitscreen on a 19".

[Gemini-Phoenix]

I'd find a wholesaler. Simple as. Buy them in bulk at cost price which would probably be around $85 maybe a bit more??? Same goes for the controllers - You'd get them cheap by buying in bulk from a wholesaler too.

[-hellvin-]

I don't see a business like this succeeding. I have been to places similar to what you are describing and it isn't fun. Why would I go there when I could easily setup my own lan party and have more fun doing it? Cheaper food and a more relaxed environment. With Xbox Live added to the equation I don't even need a lan party. Tournaments are a good idea but most people will only show up for the tournaments. Arcades died because people can play the exact same game at home for a one time price up front.

If food prices are too expensive then I would just leave a bottle of water in my car and go outside to get a drink or go to Mcdonald's to snag some food then come back. How will you make money if people don't buy food or water? Charging $5 bones an hour or whatever won't cover your expenses as far as I can tell. I wish you luck but I have my doubts.

Also your TVs need to be bigger than 19". I wouldn't want to sit for hours playing Halo 2 splitscreen on a 19".

Agreed. It's tough enough to get a pc lan house started rather than a console one. It's hard to keep these places fun or interesting at all when you can enjoy the same thing at home without having to sit with a bunch of asshole strangers. You'll constantly have to deal with annoying kids and provide food.....I dunno, I wish you luck, but personally the first time I visited the pc internet house I was told about while my friends were there it was absolute chaos and all I wanted to do was get the hell out of there. Closed about 2 months later.

[Flack]

My ideal customer would be a hard core stoner that would want to play Halo 2 all day long, minus quick 5 minute breaks to the parking lot to hit his hippie lettuce, and then back in the dungeon to frag and eat some munchies.

You might want to leave that part out when pitching your idea to a multi-million dollar investor. You don't see a lot of nationwide chains getting off the ground with this as their specific demographic.

[digitalpress]

I don't see a business like this succeeding. I have been to places similar to what you are describing and it isn't fun. Why would I go there when I could easily setup my own lan party and have more fun doing it? Cheaper food and a more relaxed environment. With Xbox Live added to the equation I don't even need a lan party. Tournaments are a good idea but most people will only show up for the tournaments. Arcades died because people can play the exact same game at home for a one time price up front.

If food prices are too expensive then I would just leave a bottle of water in my car and go outside to get a drink or go to Mcdonald's to snag some food then come back. How will you make money if people don't buy food or water? Charging $5 bones an hour or whatever won't cover your expenses as far as I can tell. I wish you luck but I have my doubts.

Also your TVs need to be bigger than 19". I wouldn't want to sit for hours playing Halo 2 splitscreen on a 19".

Agreed. It's tough enough to get a pc lan house started rather than a console one. It's hard to keep these places fun or interesting at all when you can enjoy the same thing at home without having to sit with a bunch of asshole strangers. You'll constantly have to deal with annoying kids and provide food.....I dunno, I wish you luck, but personally the first time I visited the pc internet house I was told about while my friends were there it was absolute chaos and all I wanted to do was get the hell out of there. Closed about 2 months later.

I disagree with both of you! My buddy Sean has a store in the Chicago area with 16 PC's connected and there are ALWAYS people playing in there. It's very little overhead once the set-up is done and he's made plenty of money on his set-up already. Remember - teens don't always have access to the funds, space, or expertise to set up their own LAN system. He has very few adults in this area.

[Flack]

For a while I kicked around the idea of having an old school arcade somewhere around here. The problem I ran into was, how to keep the money coming in. I thought about having LAN games, arcade games, food, a jukebox, etc ... but all I kept thinking in my head was, I would be creating a cool place to hang out that didn't make any money.

When it comes to arcade games, I've heard that on average, a good game in a good location will bring in $25/week. That of course doesn't include licenses, maintenance, etc.

I would have rotating tournaments every night. Monday is Halo night, Tuesday is Football Night, etc.

I wouldn't partner with a pizza place, that's too much money you'd be losing. I'd sell hot dogs that cost you .25 to make and sell em for $1.50.

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PJQ/is_10_1/ai_110307633

[Avatard]

The place sounds awsome, but if it will work or not....

Do you live in a college town?

I know a guy here who has a small LAN setup, about a dozen people max, but its incorperated into a computer repair shop.

[classic gamer]

While reading "The Ultimate Guide to Video Game History," Don Valentine's name seemed to come up in every new startup company. I believe he is/was in California.

Sounds like a great place. Don't know if it would be a good business venture, but it would be a fun place to see.

BTW if this works out please consider Colorado (north of Denver) as your second location (I will be mnoving there in a few months).

[Maddrox]

Well we have a lan place here that has like 20 computers and 16 xboxs.. And the main way they get their business is every friday night, they have a lock- in. You pay like 30 dollars for half a large of pizza,breakfast, and drinks.You get to play from 9:00pm to 9:00am. So this may be a good way for 32 xbox's to go into use :)

[Maddrox]

Well we have a lan place here that has like 20 computers and 16 xboxs.. And the main way they get their business is every friday night, they have a lock- in. You pay like 30 dollars for half a large of pizza,breakfast, and drinks.You get to play from 9:00pm to 9:00am. So this may be a good way for 33 xbox's to go into use :)

[Avatard]

ZOMG!!! Double Post!!!!!111!!oneone!!

[thehistorian]

There was a place in Tallahassee, FL a big college town, that lasted less than 6 months. "Juggernaut Extreme Gaming" and I think the owner was named Mark. It was located near a $1.00 theater, Chuck E. Cheese and a Fun Station(Arcade/Putt-putt/go-cart/batting cage). The kids and I passed it often, but it never really seemed crowded. They did however serve beer and pizza! The waitresses, who dressed like Lara Croft, were known as "Juggernauties". They had 10 or so stations with 27” Sony Wegas displays, each with a PS2 and a XBox. They also had at least one 60” HDTV Big Screen with same setup. Additionally they had pc stations with games loaded. You needed to be 18+ to enter without a guardian. There rate was $6.00 per hour. In the end I think they tried practice fake gambling events to drum up business.

Again, this set up didn't last very long in a college town.

[Gamereviewgod]

Also keep in mind the XBox may be outdated by next year if the Xbox next hits. That's a lot of money to throw down for a system that may be considered outdated soon.

[Anthony1]

There was a place in Tallahassee, FL a big college town, that lasted less than 6 months. "Juggernaut Extreme Gaming" and I think the owner was named Mark. It was located near a $1.00 theater, Chuck E. Cheese and a Fun Station(Arcade/Putt-putt/go-cart/batting cage). The kids and I passed it often, but it never really seemed crowded. They did however serve beer and pizza! The waitresses, who dressed like Lara Croft, were known as "Juggernauties". They had 10 or so stations with 27” Sony Wegas displays, each with a PS2 and a XBox. They also had at least one 60” HDTV Big Screen with same setup. Additionally they had pc stations with games loaded. You needed to be 18+ to enter without a guardian. There rate was $6.00 per hour. In the end I think they tried practice fake gambling events to drum up business.

Again, this set up didn't last very long in a college town.


Hmmm, interesting. THis would be somewhat similar to what I would be doing. The $6 per hour rate is similar to what I would be charging. I'm not so sure I can get a liquer license though, but the food element has to be a part of the equation. In regards to the 18+ without a parent or guardian, I would have to do this as well, at least whenever "mature" games are being played on the stations. With Halo 2, this would be the majority of the time.

[Anthony1]

Also keep in mind the XBox may be outdated by next year if the Xbox next hits. That's a lot of money to throw down for a system that may be considered outdated soon.


Certainly, this is definitely something that I had to take into serious consideration. But the actual reality, is that a switch to PS3 or XBOX 2 or whatever wouldn't be that big of a deal.

Sure there would be an initial spike in cash outlay to convert over, but if the business is successful, then that really wouldn't be an issue.

There is a possibility that I could end up starting this business with XBOX 2 or PS3 or whatever, instead of XBOX. But that will be determined after I go to e3.

Will these systems actually release in 2005, and will they have link capabilities, etc, etc.

It would be nice to start with the next level hardware right from the get go, because that would be an attraction in and of itself. Plus, you would be assured of a 5 year run of it being the primary gaming devices out there. There would be some difficulty from the fact that you would have to pick one of the horses, either Microsoft, Nintendo or Sony, and hope you made the right gamble, but eventually, you could just add the other systems into the mix as well.

[Oobgarm]

There is a store here on the east side of Cincinnati that is kinda like that, but the only thing that keeps it going is that has tabletop gaming. Maybe the demographic here sucks, but gaming at home just seems more feasible. For the $$ spent at a LAN, it could go towards XBOX Live, a game, or whatever.

[tholly]

there is a small shop like that by me

they have PC gaming and XBox + XBox Live + Food + associated with Game Crazy .......... and, i have only ever seen one or two cars in front of it....and im assuming the one car i always see is the owners or a workers car

[Anthony1]

For a while I kicked around the idea of having an old school arcade somewhere around here. The problem I ran into was, how to keep the money coming in. I thought about having LAN games, arcade games, food, a jukebox, etc ... but all I kept thinking in my head was, I would be creating a cool place to hang out that didn't make any money.


http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PJQ/is_10_1/ai_110307633


That's an interesting article. I actually didn't know that there is an underground industry in this field. I mean, I know that there is for PC gaming, but I didn't know that people were actually trying it with console games.

I see PC lan places here and there, but I've never seen a console based one.

I think that there are some differences, First of all, if I went to a PC lan place, I would expect to be using top of the line PC's. That would get very expensive. The constant need to upgrade and all of that.

In my situation, I would be dealing with $149.99 XBOX systems. Much less than trying to put together kick ass gaming PC's. Even if I went to XBOX 2 or PS3, you are talking half the price of a decent PC gaming rig.

[Anthony1]

There is a store here on the east side of Cincinnati that is kinda like that, but the only thing that keeps it going is that has tabletop gaming. Maybe the demographic here sucks, but gaming at home just seems more feasible. For the $$ spent at a LAN, it could go towards XBOX Live, a game, or whatever.


Well, my original concept, is one that is very different from the whole lan thing with just basic tables with PC monitors on them and crappy folding chairs with 36 PC nerds all huddled together in a little room drinking their mountain dews.


In my original concept, I wanted to make it more like a living room type environment, with sofa's and decent chairs and stuff, with people playing on large HDTV's and stuff like that.

The key thing to the whole idea is to create an environment and a community feeling that makes gamers feel like they are missing out on something if they aren't there.

Sure, they can play the same stuff in the comfort of their own home, but the idea is for gamers to come together and enjoy the hobby together at a place where they can enjoy themselves and mingle and bullshit with the other gamers.

My original idea was one that would have the whole lan thing going on, but that wouldn't be the whole story, there would be a retail store, basically a GameStop or GameCrazy type clone, and a eating area, and a lounge area for people to just kick back and discuss the latest gaming issues.

How many times have you been to a GameStop and there are guys there that just want to talk about video games, and they just want to celebrate the hobby. But they are inside a small GameStop store with employees that are very busy, and it's crowded in there, and they really can't relax and talk about and enjoy their hobby.

Well in my dream store/arcade/restraunt they would be able to go there and see people playing games on huge screens, there would be a full retail store in there, a retro games area, a DS area for people to bring their DS systems for wireless gaming, food, books, magazines.

In the lounge area, there would even be a couple of TV's that would have MTV on, or ESPN or whatever.

It would basically be the ultimate place for people to go to celebrate their video game addiction with others. The key is to have a place like this and to make money leave everybodies pockets. I wouldn't want the customer that just comes in and walks around and looks at everything, but doesn't buy any food, or play the games or buy anything from the store or all of that. That would be the key.

Maybe I would simply have to charge an admission to get in. Like a Movie Theater. Everybody pays to get in, and that gives you access to all the gamestations, but everything else would be in there as well.

I would want gamers to spend like 3 or 4 hours there or more at a time.

[dendawg]

First off, Anthony1, I'd like to congratulate you for having the cajones to even consider such a risky venture. :hail: Here's a little bit of advice:


What others have said is correct. If you're serious about this, you really need to rethink your demographic. Granted, stoners/slackers would make a good market, but it should be diversified to also include girl gamers.
Since you seem to be aiming toward the 20-something market, maybe you should also consider using vending machines for the majority of the stuff you plan to sell. It would be pretty much a turn-key operation, and would lower your staffing expenses.
You might want to also consider eventually add some PC's and PS2's. They have a hefty share of the market, too, and not adding them could alienate the very people you wish to attract.
Two sites: Acts of Gord (http://www.actsofgord.com) & Customers Suck! (http://customerssuck.com) Mandatory reading for anyone who has been or will be in the service of customers. 8-)

I wish you all the best in your venture.

[Anthony1]

I don't see a business like this succeeding. I have been to places similar to what you are describing and it isn't fun. Why would I go there when I could easily setup my own lan party and have more fun doing it? Cheaper food and a more relaxed environment. With Xbox Live added to the equation I don't even need a lan party. Tournaments are a good idea but most people will only show up for the tournaments. Arcades died because people can play the exact same game at home for a one time price up front.

If food prices are too expensive then I would just leave a bottle of water in my car and go outside to get a drink or go to Mcdonald's to snag some food then come back. How will you make money if people don't buy food or water? Charging $5 bones an hour or whatever won't cover your expenses as far as I can tell. I wish you luck but I have my doubts.

Also your TVs need to be bigger than 19". I wouldn't want to sit for hours playing Halo 2 splitscreen on a 19".


You bring up alot of interesting points.

1. Your main question is, "Why go somewhere and pay money to do what I could do at home?"

The answer to this is that there are several reasons why somebody would want to go here instead of just playing the same thing at home.

1. Environment - The gamers would be in an environment with other gamers, and the hype factor would just be much different than sitting at home alone on your sofa playing video games. At my store, you would be in a much more exciting environment, something that just can't be recreated at home.

2. Community - The main selling point is that it allows true die hard gamers to come together. Now, if you have a bunch of buddies and you get together to have Halo 2 lan parties and stuff like that, then sure, maybe you don't need to come here. But if you are a guy that doesn't have a ton of friends that are gamers, then this is place that you can come to, where you know you are going to find other people that have the same love for games as you. It's a community thing.

3. Competition - There are alot of gamers out there that think they are the best at such n such game. Well, at this place, you would be able to prove it. Madden tournaments, Halo 2 tourneys, Dead or Alive Ultimate tourneys, stuff like that.

4. Show off Factor - Some people will probably get a kick out of playing games with total strangers watching them play. It's like a celebrity factor. The way I would have the store setup, is that you would be able to walk by the front and actually see Gamers playing in front of large HDTV's right there in the window. It's kinda like those old Handball courts that have the back wall made out of clear plastic so people can watch them play. You feel a rush knowing that you have people watching you play.




By the way, regarding the 19 inch monitors. Well, these would be personal game stations. You wouldn't be sharing the screen with anybody else. You would have your own private view. In Halo 2, it actually allows 16 xbox's to be connected, so each of the 16 people have their own personal view. That's why I said 33 XBOX's. 16 on one side, 16 on the other, and one for the deluxe GameStation.

[Flack]

I could see the deluxe gamestation also being used to run ads when not in use. Using software for your PC at home you could pretty easily edit up a 5 minute loop of gameplay and commercials. When no one's on it, you could run that loop. Not only would it attract players, but it also might give you a venue for selling ads to local game/rental/other shops.

Do you think a payment system like a roller skating rink would work? Something like $20 for 3 hours, and then close for an hour to clean up and reset everything and then do it again.

[Sanriostar]

Sorry, I can't help you but please tell us, what the hell do you need 33 Xbox's for??? Are you building a bomb?


Actually, I'm going to combine all the systems and re-engineer them to be able to use it as a communication device to my home planet.

Pffftt. Please. Everyone here knows you need a silver umbrella, radial table saw, extra wire, and a Speak N' Spell to do that...

And a gerainum helps too...

[Avatard]

$6 an hour? Ouch. At that age I know I'd never spend more an hour than I make an hour in a job. Heck, I still wouldn't spend $6 an hour to play XBox. Halo is awsome and all, but dang.

[Vectorman0]

You might contact these Llamma. They may be able to help you out. I have never done business with them has anyone here?

http://www.llamma.com/xbox/xbox-PS2-Game-Cube-Wholesale.htm


I have done business with him. He is quite friendly, and would definitly be a good source of xbox's to consider.

[Anthony1]

$6 an hour? Ouch. At that age I know I'd never spend more an hour than I make an hour in a job. Heck, I still wouldn't spend $6 an hour to play XBox. Halo is awsome and all, but dang.



Actually, my pricing would be like this:


You would pay in 30 minute increments, but you would save money for longer time.

30 minutes = $3.95

45 minutes = $4.95 (save a dollar)

1 hour = $6.45 (save $1.50)

1 1/2 hours = $8.45 (save $3.50)

2 hours = $10.00 (save $6.00!)

5 Hour Deluxe Gamer's Pass = $20.00 (save $20.00)


Players would get colored wrist bands that would be related to their time they have and their entry time.


I know that these prices are high compared to some of the places that you have been. Apparently $5.00 per hour appears to be like a standard price. But in my establishment, you are going to be playing on HDTV's and things of that nature. I'm going to have to charge more in the beginning.

Actually, until there is any direct competition, I can see myself keeping these prices for some time.

I still think it's worth it. You have to understand that going into an environment with the hype and electricity, that it's going to have, that you are going to have to pay for that. I think most people that become regulars there will opt for the $10.00 2 hour pass. That's similar to a movie theater. The real die hards will go with the Deluxe 5 hour pass for only $20.00. In fact, when I get to a point where I'm close to a certain capacity, that offer won't always be available.

[tholly]

$6 an hour? Ouch. At that age I know I'd never spend more an hour than I make an hour in a job. Heck, I still wouldn't spend $6 an hour to play XBox. Halo is awsome and all, but dang.



Actually, my pricing would be like this:


You would pay in 30 minute increments, but you would save money for longer time.

30 minutes = $3.95

45 minutes = $4.95 (save a dollar)

1 hour = $6.45 (save $1.50)

1 1/2 hours = $8.45 (save $3.50)

2 hours = $10.00 (save $6.00!)

5 Hour Deluxe Gamer's Pass = $20.00 (save $20.00)


Players would get colored wrist bands that would be related to their time they have and their entry time.


I know that these prices are high compared to some of the places that you have been. Apparently $5.00 per hour appears to be like a standard price. But in my establishment, you are going to be playing on HDTV's and things of that nature. I'm going to have to charge more in the beginning.

Actually, until there is any direct competition, I can see myself keeping these prices for some time.

I still think it's worth it. You have to understand that going into an environment with the hype and electricity, that it's going to have, that you are going to have to pay for that. I think most people that become regulars there will opt for the $10.00 2 hour pass. That's similar to a movie theater. The real die hards will go with the Deluxe 5 hour pass for only $20.00. In fact, when I get to a point where I'm close to a certain capacity, that offer won't always be available.


thats still overpriced....for 10 hours (2 of your long passes) i would have $40....almost enough to buy a brand new game that i could likely get more than 10 hours of play out of

also, HDTV isnt all that impressive (a lot of people have HDTV in their homes)
i dont, but i have a 27" with my xbox hooked up component and that is impressive enough

unless all the stations had huge (at least 40" HDTVs) then your place wouldnt be too impressive

your food prices are a little outragous too...if im only playing for an hour or two there is no need to buy food from you...i coudl just eat before i showed up

[Anthony1]

Based on alot of the great comments that everybody has provided, I've decided that I'm going to have to alter this business slightly.

I'm definitely going to have to have 3 gaming sections. The primary gaming section, with the 33 display's, is going to be the 18+ section. To play there, or even watch, you will need to be 18 or older, or have a parent or guardian with you. To the far right of the building will be the "young gamer" section. This section will actually feature systems like Genesis, Super Nintendo, PS1, GameCube, stuff like that. Dreamcast. Cheaper systems. The games will all be super kid friendly, and cuddly, for the moms that bring in their older teenagers for the Halo 2 action, and their little 7 year old brother. The little 7 year old brother will play in this section. In fact, this section won't only have video games, but also a general little kid play area. In fact, I'm thinking about having almost a day care type situation available. I know a lady that might be willing to work full time with a daycare type operation in that part of the building. Then the other area would be the inbetween area. In between 18 and the little kids. Here there would be Dreamcasts, PS2's, GameCube's, XBOX's, PS1's, stuff like that.

Yeah, I'm definitely going to need 3 seperate sections, and one of them will include a drop off type daycare.

The pricing would probably vary somewhat, depending on which section the person is going to. And for the Day Care service, the price would definitely be what is normal for that type of service.

[Anthony1]

thats still overpriced....for 10 hours (2 of your long passes) i would have $40....almost enough to buy a brand new game that i could likely get more than 10 hours of play out of

also, HDTV isnt all that impressive (a lot of people have HDTV in their homes)
i dont, but i have a 27" with my xbox hooked up component and that is impressive enough

unless all the stations had huge (at least 40" HDTVs) then your place wouldnt be too impressive

your food prices are a little outragous too...if im only playing for an hour or two there is no need to buy food from you...i coudl just eat before i showed up


Well, you know what? Stay the F home. Just kidding. But seriously, if you think it's a ripoff, then don't play there.

I'm willing to bet that enough people will be willing to pay that. If I'm wrong, then the price will be lowered slightly, If that still doesn't do the trick, then the experiment fails, and I lose the money and time that I invested in the project.

In my City, nothing like this is available. I would have the market to myself, until somebody sees what I'm doing and decides to clone it. That is one of the things that I'm most worried about it.

The places that people have mentioned, that folded, and closed down, the PC Lan places that people talked about. I wonder how much advertising these people did?

I can tell you that I will have radio spots playing on certain stations targeting my exact desired demographic.

I will make sure that every video gamer from 15 to 35, in my local range, is aware of my business

[spoon]

You might contact these Llamma. They may be able to help you out. I have never done business with them has anyone here?

http://www.llamma.com/xbox/xbox-PS2-Game-Cube-Wholesale.htm

I have. Everything went just fine.

[tholly]

I will make sure that every video gamer from 15 to 35, in my local range, is aware of my business


that could be a problem...as stated before, arcades closed down because the gamers could play at home for free

most people that are interested in Lan and Online Halo 2 already have this available and can play 16 player games online without having to pay by the hour, or even get dressed and leave the house

they can do the same thing in the privacy of their own home without other people around bothering them

[Anthony1]

I will make sure that every video gamer from 15 to 35, in my local range, is aware of my business


that could be a problem...as stated before, arcades closed down because the gamers could play at home for free

most people that are interested in Lan and Online Halo 2 already have this available and can play 16 player games online without having to pay by the hour, or even get dressed and leave the house

they can do the same thing in the privacy of their own home without other people around bothering them



And these of course would be the people that wouldn't be interested in the services we provide.

Certainly, not every video game player that lives within range is going to be interested in this. But I'm going to say that if it is setup properly, and run properly, and advertised properly, then it will be quite profitable. Friday and Saturday nights are going to be tournament nights, with prizes given out. I'm sure those will be the real money making nights. Certainly, Saturday and Sunday will be big days too. Especially for the younger kids.


But yes, there definitely will be gamers out there, that will look at this place and wonder why the hell anybody would spend any money there. Certainly for those people, this would not be a place they would want to go.