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OPINION ON IF PC'S ARE NEEDED FOR A GC TO BE SUCESSFUL??

Last post 05-31-2008, 1:45 PM by ZaCkO. 40 replies.
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  •  05-10-2008, 11:30 PM 186211

    OPINION ON IF PC'S ARE NEEDED FOR A GC TO BE SUCESSFUL??

    Hi everyone!  I'm thinking about opening a GC but having PC's I dont think is an option.  As far as my knowledge goes, I've been a console only gamer my whole life and dont really know ANYTHING about PC gaming or PC requirements/setup/equipment for gaming.  Also, it seem like a decent PC for gaming would cost about $2,000 and up per/PC.  Where as a console would be $300 for example.  My question and concern is...Do you think a GC with consoles only (when I say consoles I mean 360, PS3 and Wii**about 10 of each**) would workout/survive???  Any thoughts would be very much appreciated. 

                                Thanks a bunch,  DJ

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  •  05-10-2008, 11:56 PM 186214 in reply to 186211

    Re: OPINION ON IF PC'S ARE NEEDED FOR A GC TO BE SUCESSFUL??

    Decent PC + monitor + desk + chair = $1,250 or so

    Console + chair + LCD + mounting brackets or table + cords so consoles can be placed behind front desk counter = $1,250 or so

    Basically the same.  ;P

    I wouldn't say it's necessary, but highly desired IMO.  There are many things one can do on a PC which you cannot do on a console.  I.e. a good 25%+ of my business is Internet users.

  •  05-11-2008, 9:10 AM 186230 in reply to 186214

    Re: OPINION ON IF PC'S ARE NEEDED FOR A GC TO BE SUCESSFUL??

    I am always amazed how much money people invest in PCs for their GC.    To me a decent gaming machine is around 800$ everything included.  First of all buy them from a wholesale supplier and secondly, assemble them yourselves.  

    Everyone is happy here with my Dual Core 3G and Geforce 8500GT systems on 19" Wide LCD screens, cheap mouse, cheap keyboard.   


    -=Mario Laflamme
    L'Atelier du Jeu
    St-Hubert, QC
    www.atelierdujeu.com
  •  05-11-2008, 10:47 AM 186232 in reply to 186230

    Re: OPINION ON IF PC'S ARE NEEDED FOR A GC TO BE SUCESSFUL??

    Just as Zen saids, PC and console units are the same cost aprox $1,000 in my case and you can aproach a bigger market having all gaming plataforms.

    Agustín Cruz Lozano
    BitNet México
    www.bitnet.com.mx
  •  05-11-2008, 1:16 PM 186240 in reply to 186214

    Re: OPINION ON IF PC'S ARE NEEDED FOR A GC TO BE SUCESSFUL??

    Having a PC or 2 available for internet use I understand.  But it just seems for gaming, you need to worry about graphics card, speed, virus's, memory and no idea on how to stop people from cheating.  Maybe its because I've never gamed on a PC that was meant for gaming??  I dunno I guess when I'm ready I'll join iGames and talk to more people about PC setup and use.  Maybe that'll help.  Thanks again!!
  •  05-11-2008, 6:10 PM 186248 in reply to 186240

    Re: OPINION ON IF PC'S ARE NEEDED FOR A GC TO BE SUCESSFUL??

    DJ NIKEL:
    I dunno I guess when I'm ready I'll join iGames and talk to more people about PC setup and use.  Maybe that'll help.  Thanks again!!

    wow, and we didnt' even have to threaten to break his kneecaps Stick out tongue 


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  •  05-11-2008, 10:40 PM 186257 in reply to 186211

    Re: OPINION ON IF PC'S ARE NEEDED FOR A GC TO BE SUCESSFUL??

    determining whether you should have PCs is more of a matter of market rather than a question that can be answered easily here... either way you will need liscences for the games you offer in your GC... i am sure once you are a member someone can help you set up a plan of action for determining how the gamers in your area are distributed... if you have alot of PC gamers you won't be able to run a GC effectively with just consoles... PCs are not very hard to deal with... an XBOX 360 is a PC with a stripped down version of windows... if you really need help find a computer person in your area to be-friend so you can get into the basics easier... i'm a computer programmer so the basics are rather easy for me... viruses can be a pain but they are not hard if your security setting are tight enough... i'm sure inside you will be able to learn enough about security to keep viruses at bay... i prefer to kill them by hand but that's not an option when you have multiple machines to care for... i would refer you to an app that helps with finding and tracing viruses, but, it won't do any good until you understand computers more... for the record i play games on all of the platforms mentioned and i know that it is easier (for me) to troubleshoot a PC connection to the network than an XBOX 360 connection (microsoft sucks at easy to understand error messages i.e. blue screen of death and red light of death)... a PC at least has 3rd party software available to give you a better picture of what is wrong... by the time you are ready there will probably be more GCs with vista (yuck) as there are alot of popular games that will be vista only in the coming years... basically the choice should be made based on the customers like and dislikes rather than what you want to deal with otherwise you might be better off finding a different type of business to run... everyone has to learn alot in order to succeed in the GC industry, so learning should be your main goal at all times... what you learn can help you adjust your business to the market so you can enjoy having a GameCenter... 

    keep in mind that i do not have a GameCenter yet so if anyone disagrees because they know from experience being an owner, feel free to correct me with facts and the unavoidable referal to the member forums

  •  05-15-2008, 11:17 AM 186647 in reply to 186257

    Re: OPINION ON IF PC'S ARE NEEDED FOR A GC TO BE SUCESSFUL??

    As some advice, from a programmer to programmer, why try to deal with the viruses, we both know they are impossible to hunt them all and kill, virus protection can't stop them all. Get licenses and buy deepfreeze. It will get rid of all your problems with spyware and viruses and you won't have to touch a computer again for those problems. If you have used it before, then you should know how to program some copy/paste processes and parition the hard drive to advantages where deepfreeze works in every occasion.

    Also above somewhere, 1200+ for console rig? Hmm are you buying the parts wholesale? Because the computer rig at 1200 is right, but the console... you can get at least 400 dollars (unless you are including the rocker game chair) cheaper even including all the parts you wrote down (newegg). Plus are we forgetting to take into account buying seperate games for each console vs. buying simple licenses for computers. But as some mentioned above, yes it depends on the area. What do the people want? Best to find that out.

    ZaCkO


    Who is your attitude?
  •  05-22-2008, 6:40 PM 187072 in reply to 186647

    Re: OPINION ON IF PC'S ARE NEEDED FOR A GC TO BE SUCESSFUL??

    Do yourself a big favor and stay out of this business it is a loser 98% of the time. Dont believe me? Buy a cheap membership here and look back  at the forums.  Ayone who disagrees is 1) new to this business 2) making money in some other way than pc gaming 3)in the 2% and probably barely hanging on 4)just plain deluded. I tried this for 3.5 years a couple of years ago. We were the stuff in my area but like all the rest eventually it turned into a loser and I barely escaped!!   From the bottom of my heart do not do this!!!!  There,you have been warned. P.S If you must do it buy your computers etc... from someone getting out of this business. There are plenty to buy from.    Okay attack  me at will.
  •  05-22-2008, 6:53 PM 187073 in reply to 187072

    Re: OPINION ON IF PC'S ARE NEEDED FOR A GC TO BE SUCESSFUL??

    But it's a good thing you're not bitter about it.Confused

    Also, 30% of statistics are wrong 80% of the time. 


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  •  05-22-2008, 7:03 PM 187076 in reply to 187073

    Re: OPINION ON IF PC'S ARE NEEDED FOR A GC TO BE SUCESSFUL??

    Really i am not i swear. I got a lot of great info from I games. I just cringe when I see someone walking to the edge of disaster.
  •  05-22-2008, 7:09 PM 187077 in reply to 187076

    Re: OPINION ON IF PC'S ARE NEEDED FOR A GC TO BE SUCESSFUL??

    While your input for new centers about the hazards of starting a GC is welcome, your negativity and sensationalist warding off ("this business it is a loser 98% of the time") of people is not. I'm sorry your venture did not work out for you, but do not present your experience as a standard.

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  •  05-22-2008, 7:18 PM 187078 in reply to 187077

    Re: OPINION ON IF PC'S ARE NEEDED FOR A GC TO BE SUCESSFUL??

     With all do respect it is. As far as my experience the difference between mine and most is I had success at all. I posted I asked for it .
  •  05-22-2008, 10:36 PM 187097 in reply to 187078

    Re: OPINION ON IF PC'S ARE NEEDED FOR A GC TO BE SUCESSFUL??

    Wow!!  What a response.  Clearly you had a bad exprience.  This is by no means a high profit industry, but operating a viable and successful GC is completely possible.  It does take some careful management and good decision making, along with appropriate funding.  To be honest, those are essential in starting just about any business. 

    We do not sell anything other than games (and snacks), we do not do any side business, we are not hanging on by a thread, and I am completely and totaly new to any form of retail business.  I think that establishes a falicy to almost all of your points.  I am an amatuer, in every sense of the word.  I am not a die hard gamer (this probably works out to my favor), I do not think I am going to get rich, nor do I think I will ever replace my prior income, but I most definately do think our business is littered with endless ptoential for success.  Not to mention success can, in fact, be measured upon many different scales of achievment.

    By all means, I think most of us warn against potential GC owners thinking they are going to make the best GC in the world and retire in five years.  But to make the comments you did is not only wrong in all matters, but inappropriate advice.  Clearly you are entitled to your opinion that GCs are not viable business, but I think there are more than a handful of us here who would totally disagree with you.

    So now, just to satisfy my desire to sensationalize my response.  LOL

    You lost, no extra credit for failure.  No teachers to feel sorry for you, no welfare to save you.  You jumped in, did it wrong, and lost.  I do not feel sorry for you, as clearly you did not learn anything from the exprience other than how to treat your failure as a world fact.

    Weee...sensationalism....fun fun!

    To get back on topic (as though it will stay there), I do not believe you needs PCs.  IMO, all you need is to identify what your market will support, get focused on that audience and don't sit and play games, like our add-on, in this conversation. =)

     

     


    www.crazypenguinsgaming.com
  •  05-22-2008, 11:01 PM 187101 in reply to 187072

    Re: OPINION ON IF PC'S ARE NEEDED FOR A GC TO BE SUCESSFUL??

    gault:
    Do yourself a big favor and stay out of this business it is a loser 98% of the time. Dont believe me? Buy a cheap membership here and look back  at the forums.  Ayone who disagrees is 1) new to this business 2) making money in some other way than pc gaming 3)in the 2% and probably barely hanging on 4)just plain deluded. I tried this for 3.5 years a couple of years ago. We were the stuff in my area but like all the rest eventually it turned into a loser and I barely escaped!!   From the bottom of my heart do not do this!!!!  There,you have been warned. P.S If you must do it buy your computers etc... from someone getting out of this business. There are plenty to buy from.    Okay attack  me at will.

    All businesses, not just this one, have high failure rates. Most happen from under capitalization in the beginning. Some happen because ignorance breeds stupidity. If you don't do the homework, you won't pass the test. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Pick up and move on, learn from your experiences, good or bad.

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