In a town near where I live, there's a coffee shop where they give you the first chapter of a book, and if you like it you can buy it from them. Why not convert this in to computer games? In a cyber cafe where you can surf the net, they could put certain demos on the computer (Changed every month for new games), and the person can play them, buying them if they like them.
-- Bugsy, Jun 21 2002

this is the kind of no-brainer idea that works.

Plus it's even easy for anyone with $200 to try:

1) find cyber-cafe that doesn't sell games 2) buy a few games with online demos 3) talk the owner into a deal like: give him/her a chunk of the profit for any games that are sold on their machines...if he/she allows you to install the demo and encourage people to play the games 4) install the demo. Put up some signs.

OK, it's not _Easy_ exactly. but it's not hard. THe hardest part, in my experience, is finding an internet cafe owner who's game to try. :)

genius. pure genius.
-- white, Jun 21 2002


Baked. I work in a computer shop in the local high street, and we let the guys play our games for free, and then make an expensive copy for them if they want to play it at home.
-- [ sctld ], Jun 22 2002


Bun. If only I had some venture capital...
-- Chrontius, Nov 21 2006


If you add manga/comic book/pop-novel/magazine racks to this place with rental/buy option. Add limited time movie rental option via Blockbuster or some other venue. THEN, once you make more money, add some good-looking cosplayers to perform songs/plays every now and then in a designated area.

Bwalla. It would be like the ultimate Otaku/Comicon-fanbase Paradise.

^This might be already baked in Japan, California or some Asian country. But I would gamble that something like this is not that readily available on the East Coast United States. This stuff is becoming more fashionable in the United States (or at least that appears to be the trend). With Superhero movies in abundance and nerdom starting to rule over Asgard... Maybe it is time for something of this sort to arise.

Actually, now that I think about it. Put this place at the center of Hot Topic, GameStop, Blockbuster, Barnes & Noble and the Food Court and you would barely even need to provide anything besides laptop computers, decent Wi-Fi and a space that connects all of above mentioned venues and allows for customers from any of those places to chill without fear of random workers coming up and accusing you of trying to steal their stuff.

Oh yeah. Add kung-fu movies, DDR competitions, and karaoke competitions every now and then +Costumes just for fun.
-- Auxunauxia, Aug 22 2012


I'm guessing cyber cafes are going the way of video arcades. In asia there are still lots of video arcades and cyber cafes, but in north america and europe not so many.
-- rcarty, Aug 23 2012


If you own a computer good enough to play decent games, and you have a good internet connection, why are you in an internet cafe?
-- bs0u0155, Aug 23 2012


I think that's part of it. When I was in my pre-teens i was just old enough to catch the end of the video arcade craze. Having the most recent consoles didn't stop me from going, because the video arcade was a unique social experience and a hub for idle youths. Plus only arcades had shooting games with guns you could aim and shoot. Video arcades died in north america with the dsitributor electrical system in cars and gas stations with two or three bay shops. The beginning of a more rational world.
-- rcarty, Aug 24 2012



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