Taking our community to the next level

2

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  • SnarkasmSnarkasm Madison, WI Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    ICRONTIC EUROPEAN ADVENTURE GO

    :D / :(
  • ardichokeardichoke Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    Snarkasm wrote:
    ICRONTIC EUROPEAN ADVENTURE GO

    :D / :(

    Icrontic EuroTrip what? Where's the twins?


    What does this say here.... hmmm.... YOU MADE OUT WITH YOUR SISTER!
  • KwitkoKwitko Sheriff of Banning (Retired) By the thing near the stuff Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    Charlotte, NC or Charleston, SC. Just sayin'.
  • Nate_LapTNate_LapT Ferndale MI. Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    wow, how I find this thread today, I have a business plan all written out to support a 75 system center. btw detroit is prime right now for a new one.

    For anyone that doesnt know, I have been researching this idea for the past 8 years, I just dont have the funds to pull it off myself, and a location of such is going to cost about $300k to pull off.

    This type of biz has to be done EXACTLY right or it is prone to FAIL within 6 months. I have seen it, experienced it, and have learned from the 300 centers that failed last year alone

    Few things I dont mind sharing,, overhead needs to be trimmed as low as possible, and with room to shrink, rent needs to be a low as possible too, and funds need to be in tack to keep the place open for 12 months without making a dime each month. These are common sense things, but lots of people over look these with the theory "If I build it they will come" LMFAO and as I said, I have SEEN it happen.
  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    darn it darn it darn it.

    The closer this comes to fruition, the closer I come to Detroit.

    I'll tell you, this idea has been in the back of my head, and it's bugged me since the original post date. Frick. Do want ICHQ-HQ, ...
  • KoreishKoreish I'm a penguin, deal with it. KCMO Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    How big would this building be if you plan on hosting all these different types of events? I suppose it wouldn't have to be to big for anything other than the LAN but if you're going to have people living in or around it for a week at a time I would imagine it would be of decent size. Which costs money.
  • Nate_LapTNate_LapT Ferndale MI. Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    I know lan centers that fit around 30 pc's in a 1500sq' space, but thats all they fit. 30 is about the max for that size.
    Depending on how big of sections they are thinking I would say 2500 would be the min space required to work/play comfy.
  • leishi85leishi85 Grand Rapids, MI Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    IC Shanghai?

    OMG, i don't live in michigan anymore, how the F am i gonna make it to the D easily now???
  • Nate_LapTNate_LapT Ferndale MI. Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    why would you leave the D?
    oh well you'll be back, EVERYONE comes back!
  • leishi85leishi85 Grand Rapids, MI Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    i'm afraid not in the near future (unless i get fired from my current job soon, hahahahah).

    I am going to a exhibition in dec in vegas tho, i will probably make a stop in michigan to visit family and friends. Hopefully, i will make it to ann arbor and detroit too.
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    Hey if this took off, you could EMPLOY me. Thus I could move to be closer to such a wonderful group of people. WIN.
  • CyrixInsteadCyrixInstead Stoke-on-Trent, England Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    I will visit someday if it's successful!!

    ~Cyrix
  • QCHQCH Ancient Guru Chicago Area - USA Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    FYI... we housed 60 PC's in an 800 square foot tent. ;)

    1500, properly laid out can fit 60 PC's, an office, a lobby, and kitchen and business sized bathrooms. With the state of the economy, rent/lease for space should be much easier to bargain for at a lower cost.

    I keep getting flashes of the coffee house... first floor then the basement. 1500 sq' building with full basement.... PLENTY of room for gaming and maybe even sleeping. ;)
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    QCH wrote:
    I keep getting flashes of the coffee house... first floor then the basement. 1500 sq' building with full basement.... PLENTY of room for gaming and maybe even sleeping. ;)

    That's what I keep thinking, too. I'll sign up for barista duty.

    Can we employ someone like Sledge to smash the laptops of people mooching off WiFi without buying a drink?
  • Nate_LapTNate_LapT Ferndale MI. Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    well with a coffee house style lan you cant pack the isles so tight, people get pissed when kids wander down the isle to their spot and they get bumped while sniping someone. 60 under a tent is different then 60 in a 800sq' building.
  • Nate_LapTNate_LapT Ferndale MI. Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    I was also taking into consideration of all the extras that wernt needed under the tent, aka toilet space, counter space, coolers, and if it would be coffee house style the counter space would be quite big to accommodate everything, not many properties have basements, though I do know a current location that is I think 1800sq' at a decent rate, and the basement is free.
    along with the eating area/lounge that most coffee houses have. that'll take up some space, maybe 200sq' or so.
  • GnomeQueenGnomeQueen The Lulz Queen Mountain Dew Mouth Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    I think that this place might work easiest in a college town- somewhere where you know college students will come to study. It's the only place I've seen independent cafes survive.

    As far as the whole lan thing works...I haven't actually seen any businesses that exist for the sole or main purpose of just providing a lan, since most people do that in their basements now a days (or backyards). Feel free to tell me if I'm wrong. For that reason, I would think it'd be easier to set up the place as a cafe of some sort WITH the ability to reformat the layout to accomodate a lan.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    As far as the whole lan thing works...I haven't actually seen any businesses that exist for the sole or main purpose of just providing a lan

    http://www.google.com/#hl=en&safe=off&q=lan+center&aq=f&oq=&aqi=&fp=i7xqt1XgzY0
  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    LAN centers are pretty huge. Think of people, like Kingpin, who don't have broadband internet at their disposal but LOVE to game? Or people who have had their PC thrown out of their car while it barrel rolls down the freeway into a billboard?

    If the price is right, and more importantly the community is right, a LAN center will find lots of use.

    couple that with beverages and a swank atmosphere, oh yeah.

    Leishi, what expo in Vegas? CES? (that my be January, can't remember)
  • GnomeQueenGnomeQueen The Lulz Queen Mountain Dew Mouth Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    Thrax wrote:

    I said that I hadn't seen one, which doesn't mean that they don't exist- more that they aren't COMMON, which reinforces my comment that it would be easier to create a cafe like place which can double as a lan than a location specifically FOR a lan.
  • KoreishKoreish I'm a penguin, deal with it. KCMO Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    Prime mentioned classes too. Assuming that these classes are held on a regular basis and have 20-30 people like a normal class there would most certainly have to be a permanent setup of some sort. If they're going to put in everything Prime mentioned (which would be really kick ass) they're either going to need lots of space or a very, VERY good design.

    Personally I would think a two story building(not sure how many square feet) would fit the bill. First floor be an internet cafe with all the swank, and the second floor be for the classes and LANs.
  • WinfreyWinfrey waddafuh Missouri Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    UPSLynx wrote:
    Or people who have had their PC thrown out of their car while it barrel rolls down the freeway into a billboard?

    We actually didn't hit a billboard. It looked torn to shit before we got there.
  • CBCB Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Der Millionendorf- Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    He was being hypothetical.
  • NemikanNemikan Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    The cafe isn't a bad idea... but remember that the more things that you involve the more people they need to hire...WAIT I KNOW SOMEONE WHO NEEDS A JOB!
    *cough GQ cough*
    The cafe would be pretty cool, a free highspeed wireless internet location with fruity drinks / alcohol etc... although those places are somewhat common.

    The thing that makes it stand out would have to be the lan gaming place. That wouldn't be difficult, the only issue is lan gaming places are EXPENSIVE. In order to consider yourself a "lan" your going to need at least 6+ computers (and 6 is pretty small) so thats going to add up if each computer is about $1k each...and then have to update them every 3ish years.

    Then you also have to purchase games with multiple license keys, and figure out a way around all that. Then theres also the issues with people coming in and doing illegal things on your internet. All sorts of things start to add to the complications of it... so just in starting out would probably be one or the other. Cafe being the easier of the two (imo) due to so many being in existenace already.

    What I would love to see... is a place for playing card games / board games. Heck even selling any cards from the most recent block of magic would be pretty cool, and should get some nice funds. If you host MTG tournaments every month, that will draw a nice crowd as well! Some people drive really far just for a tournament.

    If you make a place, sell a few things that sell well, maybe the top selling games, i'm sure you can get some money there, along with having a location that is just a GREAT hangout spot, I feel it should work out great.
  • Nate_LapTNate_LapT Ferndale MI. Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    Nemikan wrote:
    The cafe isn't a bad idea... but remember that the more things that you involve the more people they need to hire...WAIT I KNOW SOMEONE WHO NEEDS A JOB!
    *cough GQ cough*
    The cafe would be pretty cool, a free highspeed wireless internet location with fruity drinks / alcohol etc... although those places are somewhat common.

    The thing that makes it stand out would have to be the lan gaming place. That wouldn't be difficult, the only issue is lan gaming places are EXPENSIVE. In order to consider yourself a "lan" your going to need at least 6+ computers (and 6 is pretty small) so thats going to add up if each computer is about $1k each...and then have to update them every 3ish years.

    Then you also have to purchase games with multiple license keys, and figure out a way around all that. Then theres also the issues with people coming in and doing illegal things on your internet. All sorts of things start to add to the complications of it... so just in starting out would probably be one or the other. Cafe being the easier of the two (imo) due to so many being in existenace already.

    What I would love to see... is a place for playing card games / board games. Heck even selling any cards from the most recent block of magic would be pretty cool, and should get some nice funds. If you host MTG tournaments every month, that will draw a nice crowd as well! Some people drive really far just for a tournament.

    If you make a place, sell a few things that sell well, maybe the top selling games, i'm sure you can get some money there, along with having a location that is just a GREAT hangout spot, I feel it should work out great.


    HA 6 pc's thats no where near min for a lan center, 12 is min of any one system, being pc xbox or whatever.

    A decent system that wont need upgraded for 2-3 years costs $1-1.3k on average.


    Games and licenses are easy, there is license management software called Smartlaunch everything is automated, you write all the batch scripts and it launches them. I used to do this on a day to day basis. The license to run the software costs about $33/system

    Illegal stuff, that is where a decent router comes in, either buy an expensive router, or build a linux box and load up some decent filters, you can get most of the crap you dont want. then it comes back to smartlaunch you can do ANYTHING with that, view what someones doing, kick them and ban them from your system.

    Internet connection, T1 is expensive, but nice for gaming. DSL/Cable is fast but laggy. so most centers get both and run filters to push gaming on the T1 and port 80 ect on the DSL/cable. very easy to do.

    Table top space, this can be done in the lobby area, though a bit hard to monitor for charging wise, not many centers do this so pricing is a winged situation. Maybe like $5/person/day for table space.

    The atmosphere is what brings people in. They have to want to come to hang out.


    heh, I find it funny that my friends down at gigabits are still #1 on google for lan centers.
    and if you guys arnt aware of igames.org they manage all tournaments and have direct connections with all the publishers for deals on games and showcases on games.
    they also have a center search, and a great members only forums which has ALL the info you guys have talked about and more from owners over the past 10 years.
  • QCHQCH Ancient Guru Chicago Area - USA Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    Sledgehammer ran a Gaming Center in California. Ask him the details.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    We're not aiming for a strict LAN center here, fellas :D
  • leishi85leishi85 Grand Rapids, MI Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    UPSLynx wrote:
    Leishi, what expo in Vegas? CES? (that my be January, can't remember)


    not CES, it's not related to consumer electronics, the expo is called Power Gen, it's for the power industry, stuff like switchgears, high voltage transformers and such.
  • Nate_LapTNate_LapT Ferndale MI. Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    We're not aiming for a strict LAN center here, fellas :D

    No lan center is strictly a lan center, most are pc repair shops, video stores, comic book shops, the lan is just secondary income.

    Were just shooting the shit about how a lan center in general is ran.

    A decent cafe could get by with 12 pc's and say 8 xboxs and not take up too much room of a cafe.

    Just saying if you are incorporating a lan center model into a store there are minimums needed for it to run successfuly. throwing 3 xboxs in the corner and a few pc's on a wall wont = a fun gaming experiance, thats more of a icafe where someone checks there email. and thats about it.
  • leishi85leishi85 Grand Rapids, MI Icrontian
    edited July 2009
    speaking of LANs that are not strictly LAN.

    just the way i like it.

    you need to run it like this, every geek boy gets a girl to accompany you, ;D
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