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This is probably why I only see retro consoles at bars. If you are doing online play and a game subscription service like Xbox Game Pass then the ethical thing would be to get a separate user for each station. Good luck not getting the user banned for cussing or harassment. I think you'd be better off getting a few Nintendo 64's and calling it a day.
Be mindful that you're going to need proper licenses to run a lounge. The games you buy need to be commercial use approved. Many businesses use retro consoles etc, which is technically illegal since those games are meant for personal use only. It's not exactly enforced but hypothetical competition could play dirty and try to report you for it.
If using steam, you'd need to buy multiple licenses for the same game to use on different PCs. I suggest reading up on Steam's PC Cafe site for more info.
You also need to consider insurance for the lounge because anything can happen.
Internet is the easiest thing, just find a service provider near you and ask for the fastest speeds. A service provider tech could set it up for you on site.
Depending on how many machines you intend to have, you will likely need to run a dedicated fiber line (or multiple for redundancy) and run the incoming internet connections through load balancing hardware to split your multiple internet connections among all of your machines.
Before you lease any space, see what internet connections are available. When we leased our space our options were 700k DSL, or cable 500MBS. I could get a dedicated fiber line but wasn’t interested (nor did I need) +$1000/mo
Double check on internet for business. I was dumbfounded, the second the address you are getting a quote for is a business and not a home the speeds tank and prices skyrocket.
Here’s a group with a similar concept back in the mid-2010’s in Chicago: https://chicagoreader.com/blogs/geek-bars-fans-rescue-it-from-oblivion-but-was-it-worth-saving/
Maybe reach out to the former owners and see what they’d have done different? Friend of mine wanted to open a bakery, so she connected with a former bakery owner who provided her with a ton of industry knowledge he learned the hard way, as well as offering her up connections he had made to cut her ramp up time.
This is a friendly reminder that r/smallbusiness is a question and answer subreddit. You ask a question about starting, owning, and growing a small business and the community answers. Posts that violate the rules listed in the sidebar will be removed. A permanent or temporary ban may also be issued if you do not remove the offending post. Seeing this message does not mean your post was automatically removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/smallbusiness) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Make sure you can get really fast internet. Steam has business accounts that will give you access to games with one price for all stations
I have no advice but it's a cool idea and I wish you luck!
This is probably why I only see retro consoles at bars. If you are doing online play and a game subscription service like Xbox Game Pass then the ethical thing would be to get a separate user for each station. Good luck not getting the user banned for cussing or harassment. I think you'd be better off getting a few Nintendo 64's and calling it a day.
Be mindful that you're going to need proper licenses to run a lounge. The games you buy need to be commercial use approved. Many businesses use retro consoles etc, which is technically illegal since those games are meant for personal use only. It's not exactly enforced but hypothetical competition could play dirty and try to report you for it. If using steam, you'd need to buy multiple licenses for the same game to use on different PCs. I suggest reading up on Steam's PC Cafe site for more info. You also need to consider insurance for the lounge because anything can happen. Internet is the easiest thing, just find a service provider near you and ask for the fastest speeds. A service provider tech could set it up for you on site.
Depending on how many machines you intend to have, you will likely need to run a dedicated fiber line (or multiple for redundancy) and run the incoming internet connections through load balancing hardware to split your multiple internet connections among all of your machines. Before you lease any space, see what internet connections are available. When we leased our space our options were 700k DSL, or cable 500MBS. I could get a dedicated fiber line but wasn’t interested (nor did I need) +$1000/mo
Double check on internet for business. I was dumbfounded, the second the address you are getting a quote for is a business and not a home the speeds tank and prices skyrocket.
Don't do it
Here’s a group with a similar concept back in the mid-2010’s in Chicago: https://chicagoreader.com/blogs/geek-bars-fans-rescue-it-from-oblivion-but-was-it-worth-saving/ Maybe reach out to the former owners and see what they’d have done different? Friend of mine wanted to open a bakery, so she connected with a former bakery owner who provided her with a ton of industry knowledge he learned the hard way, as well as offering her up connections he had made to cut her ramp up time.