Just like No defense said.
If you build it, they will come. we have a Shit ton of ppl going to a college for some sessions, but an arcade? ha! we will that placed packed everynight.
PG county area has alot of space. So does Montgomery county. Montgomery county is a nicer place too. business tend to last longer in MC then PG…
I don’t live in MD, but it sounds like a nice idea to me. If you decide to undertake this I wish you the best of luck.
I suggest something fairly central to both DC and Baltimore.
I’m writing under the assumption that this would be your first time opening a business. Excuse me if it is not. I am guessing that that is the case only because you chose to ask about it here.
A lot of people post threads about this kind of thing, and even more people have the ideas floating around in their heads. There is a reason (many, actually) that so few of them actually grow to any semblance of fruition. All personal reasons aside (such as finding the necessary strength or funding), one of the most major reasons is that the more they do their homework and look into it, the worse of an idea it looks to them.
I will not question whether you have the vision and the passion and the drive and blahblblhabhlab all that stuff that you will require to truly make this happen.
However, if you’re serious about doing this, (assuming you don’t already have a relevant educational or experiential background) for your own sake please please pleeease make sure you get some good hard solid business advice. It’s one thing to be really enthusiastic about a crazy dream, but it’s a whole different game trying to orchestrate your imaginary construct into a reality. That is to say, you can’t just will it into existence; it takes a lot of forethought and planning. More importantly, just because you opened it doesn’t mean it will be successful; this also requires a lot of forethought and planning. Unless you’ve already got your chips stacked, making a mistake with a venture of this nature/magnitude is probably something you could literally not afford to do. Be smart.
For the kind of establishment you want to run, the old adage of “location, location, location” I think strongly applies. Take into account factors like schools, shopping centers, population density, travel routes, ease of access, parking, driving directions, public transit, and the location of other similar businesses. Pick the very best spot you can possibly find and finance. It will (help itself) pay off in the long run.
Research this a shitload, man. A fucking TON. Find the most successful internet cafes and LAN centers in your city and state and go to them to see what makes them tick. Find the ones that aren’t doing well and puzzle out exactly why that is. If you have any meaningful arcades left in Maryland, go there and have a look. If you know of any that closed, try and track down the owners and ask them why. Same goes for the surrounding states, if at all possible. Be wary of advice from any place that could feel threatened by competition for such a niche audience. I would definitely contact guys like Shogo from Denjin Arcade and Fubarduck from Arcade UFO and ask them everything they have the patience for. VirtuaFighterFour’s mention of Ed from Arcade In A Box was a really good idea too. You will probably have to drive some distance away to start getting nice advice. Intel, information, knowledge… you want it all. If this sounds like too much time or work or trouble to bother, then I promise opening a business isn’t right for you.
Also, be absolutely sure that running this place is what you want out of your life. Absolutely certain. I cannot stress this enough. Running it will likely become your life, whether it be out of necessity or out of love. For an initial period of indefinite length, your lifestyle will have to revolve around the business, or it will die. (I deliberately left “it” as ambiguous. Dark humour.)
By the way, it’s nice to see one of these topics from someone who isn’t new to the community. :lol:
well, I dunno anything abut anything dude but… try getting some hot girls to hang out there once you get it all set up
sweet idea but i think you would be better of keeping it as an internet cafe with like a games section…we have something similar over here!
as people have said start up cost would be DOWN RIGHT FIERCE…
plus i mean i’m playing sf etc… for about 17-18 years but thats us the interested few,
it may be good for business to include other games than just fighters…
halo, call of duty these games would bring in the bucks and probably cover the cost of the fighting game section with no worries when the interest for sf4,ssf4,blazblue and all the new hype dies down again and halokid101001 goes back to halo you will still have his custom:chat:
Gross.
And you should be buying him dinner first…or something.
Dinner in exchange for playing VF4 FT?
Sounds like a deal to me.
I helpfully highlighted the point at which you started to lose money.
Metro accessible!
Well, it’s obvious but make sure to start off with a large event and have a weekly schedule of things. I would try to make sure the location is closer to VA (anywhere south of Baltimore). VA heads show up to UMBC but I don’t really see DE and PA folks there.
Not sure how viable our area is in spending money for this stuff but you have my best wishes.
I strongly agree with this because some of your potential customers might not drive or be too young to drive. You should look into putting it in Silver Spring like suggested earlier or dare I say a place like Rosslyn or possibly Chinatown in D.C.(That might be too expensive). I say good luck on this and I know I will attend.
I third this. Do this and have at least near daily tourna… er tournament prizes bringing in good competition in and I can pretty much guarantee that I’ll come every now and then.
Sounds like a cool place but I really don’t see it being successful unless you find a better business model. Having people hang out all day at your business for $8 is not going to work. I mean even if they eat one meal what is that another $8 on top? If you are averaging $16 a person (If that) minus food cost, rent, payroll, what are you walking away with? I’m guessing you’d be taking a loan to set up the business so say after payroll and rent, taxes, all that and you have business partners, a cook, you’d have to average like $300 a day just to make it worth your while. Assuming I think I heard 3 business partners, at 40 hours a week (expect to spend more then 40 hours a week at your business BTW especially early on) that’s $870 profit a week to have all 3 of you make minimum wage.
I don’t want to piss on everyone’s parade, but seriously it’s not doing anyone any good if you only stay in business 2 months. If you are starting a business your #1 goal should be to make money. I feel like you are doing this more just to have a cool place to play fighting games. Start over, forget about fighting games, and aim for making money otherwise failure will ensue. Real talk.
There is a business somewhere that makes money and is a cool place to play games. I hate to give away a good idea for free, but, find a college, sell cheap but good food, and have video game tournaments. If you want games to be the main focus of your store open a half comic book shop half arcade.
It would be a great investment to keep the arcade community alive but you would also need a marketing plan to promote the Grand Opening if you do decide to go with it. Now about the charging I would say somewhere between $5-$10
I don’t want to have to say this but it’s true.
This will not work as a business.
As depressing as it may be to admit: you’re absolutely right. Something like this may sound impressive and festible; but, you’re basically trying to create something that doesn’t have high enough demand for. Arcades are fine and dandy; sure, but even they struggle with their “various” amount of games (including those [like in the local area of mine] that have those kiddy "Chuck E Cheese’s-style games).
Something like this sounds interesting; but it wouldn’t last much longer than a month or two (if even that). The start-up costs are way too high for something that wouldn’t last that long. You could always try to get your liquor license and serve up some beers ($5 a pop, or more - to make sure you get some real profit). But with paying for leasing, employees (not like people would work for free), the maintenance for the machines, and the startup loan … you’ll be going under quite quickly. I hate being somewhat-pessimistic; but think about it in depth.
my 2 cents.
I would say 10 dollars, unless you are able to entice me from outside. Posters of fighting game babes on the windows with neon flashing lights and perhaps speakers on the sidewalk blasting some fighter tunes…then I might pay 20. Throw in some hot girls in fighter cosplay as doorgirls and I might pay 30.
Inside to make more profit youd have to have pay to play tourniments and overcharged refreshments and snacks with a no outside food or drink policy at the door. Also sell plastic models of all the fighting characters you have in the place.
Finding the right neighborhood would be key. One near an anime or games convention, college, or vintage video game shop would be good.
I would love that place and go there every weekend.
I think maybe at this point the best direction for this thread is how to make a business involving fighting games that will still make money.
Sounds like an interesting idea. I agree with the others and say around $10 but you should also make it a more generalized internet cafe with a games section. You could also serve coffee there. I think I would definitely show up if I was local.