Are you thinking of starting a video game cafe in 2019? Then you have chosen a growing business across various parts of the world. Owing to the rate at which new games are entering the market every year, it is clear that many people are interested in computer games.
It is obvious that not so many can afford the cost of buying a game license or the hardware required to run the games. This is the reason many gamers play their games in sessions at various game cafes in town. In this post, I give you a detailed guide on how to set up your games center and make profits.
We will not be looking at the obvious steps like searching for an appropriate location or getting a business license. This post addresses the technical part of setting up your hardware, software, and recommendations. Each step is necessary to avoid any mishaps during the gaming session and to meet the needs of your customers.
1. Get the Perfect Hardware
Video games tend to consume much computer resources, and you need to get high-quality hardware for your games cafe. Investing in hardware for your games cafe will help you to avoid inconveniences that could make you lose your customers for a competitor. The things you need to consider include:
1.1 Invest in a Powerful GPU
Your computer’s graphics card determines the display of the objects you are viewing on the monitor. To make your customers’ experience great, make sure that you install fast GPUs on the machines you want to use for gaming in your cafe. The process may not be simple, but without good graphics cards, games may not display correctly in HD.
1.2 Get HD Screens
Great display of video games also depends on the screens you have. Large screens are ideal for video games to give the players a great view from a distance. This will help them to prevent damaging the eyes while playing on computers.
However, the screen size alone is not sufficient, you need to get the right resolutions. If you are going for screens between 27 and 32 inches, then the resolution should be 4k. However, smaller screens can take a smaller resolution to render the game’s graphics perfectly.
1.3 Buy Game Consoles
Different gamers have distinct preferences. Some gamers prefer playing their games on a console while others like the PC games. But not all games on Consoles are available for download for PC gamers. Buying a gaming console will help you to accommodate more players at your cafe and suffice their needs.
Another advantage of consoles is that it is hacker are not interested in them. For instance, the Xbox One does not allow you to install anything not digitally signed by Microsoft. So, it is hard for hackers to ruin your systems.
1.4 Buy Quality Headsets
Nobody wants all the noise in a gaming cafe. Different people playing their games want to concentrate on their screen and sound (if it adds value). To help keep the sanity in your cafe and facilitate other activities, get quality headsets for the gamers to use while playing.
2. Find Suitable Software
Apart from the hardware, gaming also needs lots of knowledge and experience in handling the related software you need to run the games on the PCs. You have to pick the right software that will not fail you when your customers want to play.
2.1 Pick the Right OS
PC gaming requires that you be keen on the type of operating system you want to install on the computers. We know that Windows has the largest coverage when it comes to PC games. But it also offers better graphics rendering when compared to Linux and MacOS.
However, the choice may also depend on the hardware you have, for example, you cannot install macOS on any PC apart from a Macbook. The best operating system for PC gaming so far is Windows 10. In the case of consoles, you can pick any that meets your needs and has a wide variety of games. The various inbuilt operating systems for consoles are optimized to offer the best user experience and rendering of the available games.
2.2 Picking an Antivirus
Many games (especially computer games for PCs) are targets by viruses. Once a computer virus infects a game, it is easy for it to destroy the data on the system. The malware may also steal the user’s information and send it to the hacker’s server who will get access to their credit card information and other personal information that they can misuse.
You should pick the best antivirus for gaming PCs to protect your systems and your customers. Antivirus software helps to keep your computer safe and facilitate the user experience by suppressing any notifications that could distort the progress of the games. Make sure that you pick an antivirus that offers online protection and has a gaming mode feature.
2.3 Get Updated on the Drivers
Drivers help in system detection and hardware performance. With the best graphics cards, you need to install updated drivers to match for the best gaming experience. Different graphics cards have distinct drivers regardless of whether they are from the same publisher or manufacturer. The drivers also need to be up-to-date to offer the latest fixes and support.
3. Make Adequate Planning for the Internet
The internet is one of the major considerations when starting computer games. Modern gamers play their games online to keep track of their progress, compete with online opponents, to get rewards for various stages they complete, and many more. People who play paid games online need to log in and enter their subscription details before they access their games. Here are the things remember regarding internet connection at your games cafe:
3.1 The Type of Connection
Various internet companies offer connection options to choose from. But you first need to be sure that the location you choose for your cyber can receive the connection you need and that the signal is strong. Choosing the type of connection may depend on various factors.
Most wireless connection devices have limits to the number of computers that can connect simultaneously. If you have more devices to connect, you may be required to upgrade your plan or go for a different provider that can support as many devices as you wish to use.
The other factor to consider here is the type of computers you have. Some systems lack the capability to connect to the internet using wireless connections. This may be due to a lack of wireless drivers for the OS you installed or the hardware was not designed with the feature. In such cases, you may need to consider having a wired connection.
3.2 Choose Your Subscription Cycle Wisely
The internet providers have terms that govern their data subscription. Before you sign the agreement, ensure that you are planning ahead for all the payments you will be making to the company. Signing for a short duration may catch you before you make enough money to pay for the connection. A long duration may also accumulate charges that you may find hard to pay. Choose an adequate duration as per your abilities and expectations.
4. Plan for Updates
Any system and software updates are necessary to ensure that you receive all the security patches and bug fixes. Updates also add features to games and improve the user experience. There are three main updates to prepare for:
4.1 Game Updates
Depending on the game developer or publisher, you may receive the updates often as they are released. Game updates are necessary but not mandatory. It is ideal to download updated games for better experience. You can, however, avoid the updates if they do not force you to update before playing. This often happens if you must pay before getting any updates for your current games.
4.2 OS Updates
Your computer’s operating system may need to be updated often. In the case of Windows, the updates happen automatically as long as you are connected to the internet. Various updates help to improve your system performance and compatibility with new software (read games) in the market.
4.3 Antivirus Updates
Many of the gaming computers antivirus software updates are released annually. You need an annual budget to renew your antivirus license to secure the computers in your gaming cafe. The antivirus updates are inevitable if you care for the safety of your customers’ information and your computers.
5. Hire a Standby Technician
Wondering why? Planning for the unexpected is ideal when it comes to the gaming business. They help to diagnose the system problems and take actions to prevents any data loss or damage to your machines. Having a standby or full-time technician helps you to avoid the hassles of moving around town to fix your systems when the need arises.
The Bottomline
You might be wondering how expensive it is to start your own gaming cafe in town. As you have already seen, this does not only need you to dip into your pockets but also spend sufficient time to make the choices right before you proceed. To cut down the process, you can start with a few PCs and add more gaming devices as your business picks pace.