Floorplan Concept

[consolegamer]

This is a proposed layout for the center. I wanted some feedback from the seasoned experts.

The green area is the counter area. The purple areas are for computers and consoles. Specifically, starting the from the left, 8 consoles, then 10 PCs, another 10 PCs, and finally 10 more PCs. The dark gray areas are for seating. The large blue areas (8x10) are for consoles. I intend to put TVs on the wall and arrange two smaller couches in each section along with a coffee table. These will be for casual, group gaming. I could potentially do two screens on a shared center table with seating for four on either side. These blue areas could also support 6 more tables for consoles or PCs adding an additional 12 seats for tournaments or private events. The overall area is 46x29 (with a few extra inches per dimension put rounded down). Physical consoles would be in the green areas. PCs would be racked in the back room.

[Deeds]

I always had my counter by the exit.  Just in my mindset it reduced potential theft. 

-deeds

[consolegamer]

I definitely have the spacing available to move the counter to the front but it would force me to have a pole to the ceiling for the HDMI wires to reach the console areas. It would also require me to have the cooler and any foodstuff practically unattended as I wouldn't necessarily want those moved as well. Trenching isn't really an option either. So, while I may have a potential of theft for mice, keyboards, and controllers, but more so just the mice and keyboards as controllers will be "checked out" and thereby traceable, I'd rather have an open front. At most, I will probably have a podium in the front with a person acting as a host/greeter. I'm not going to allow people just to wander in and roam around unwatched. They'll be greeted and explained the concept. It will be more a sales experience than anything else. Everyone that walks through that door is going to be pitched on the benefits of social gaming and encouraged to sign up for a membership for marketing purposes. If you don't play today, I'm going to encourage you through direct marketing to come back and try it.

[RsteeleAUG]

Our costumers must pass me at the front counter to leave the store. I like this for many reasons. Namely anything they have in their hands they have to walk by me with. We've lost 1 controller in a year and a half. My snacks and drink cooler is also by the front counter.

Our floor plan is also very open I can see from the front of the store to the back wall. So anyone doing anything I can put my eyes on them. That plus the security cameras keeps everyone honest. Even things that are checked out/signed out and numbered can be taken. Anyone that would purposefully steal from you will not care if you throw them out or ban them. The trick is to not let anything get taken to begin with.



This was our original lay out that I sketched by hand. It pretty much stayed the same with some small things moved around.

[Alomax]

Two things.

One : I've always disliked the layouts that use long rows of stations.  I much prefer a layout that clusters them into small groups of 4-6.  This also usually allows you to fit more stations in the same space, but without crowding anyone.

Two : Theft isn't as big a problem as most people think.  Anything is stealable if you really want to take it.  Checking out mice and keyboards will be far more trouble than it's worth. This also applies to wired controllers. Just zip tie them to the backs of the PCs, or the backs of the desks, and you'll prevent the impulse thefts.  The number one anti-theft tool you have? Other customers.  If you have a cool environment, and everyone knows each other, and your and your staff are friendly, everyone is going to be watching your back for you.  That said, get a camera system.

[johnlarson]

I think having the front counter at the entrance is a good idea, so you can greet customers when they come in the door.

I like long rows with no more than 10 per row.

Is there a bathroom?  Storage room?

[consolegamer]

I did do a cluster concept. I'll dig it out and post it for review.

I wouldn't check out mice and keyboards, only wireless controllers. I don't necessarily want the consoles on the floor so I would need to use wireless controllers. I would have the PCs in the back room so I could definitely "lock down" the wired mice and keyboards using the zip tie concept. And, I would do such a thing if for no other reason than cable management. I will have a camera system. Four cameras. One per corner.

I will have a smaller separate counter, almost like a podium, for greeting and informational purposes in the front space. I have no intention of hovering in the back ignoring people. I will be up front, very personable, very social, and selling, selling, selling. I don't want a huge counter right in the front of the visible door space. I don't want people passing by to see "counter". I want them to see in and see gaming.

The two windows won't be see through so having a counter in either window won't be distracting or distract from the experience. I'm going to use this window application they have that puts printed graphics on the window that has small dots in it. Not visible from a distance but allows you to see out and lets in modest amounts of light.

If I were to move the entire back space into either one of the "blue" corner areas, it's very workable. It would give me more area to work within but would sacrifice one of the console areas. But, I'm still debating over even having consoles. I'm leaning strongly towards pure PC. I'm still in the planning stages so all of this feedback is great to consider.

The rows in the first picture are no more than 10 per.

Customers will use the mall bathroom. I won't need (nor want) to offer public bathroom access. There is a back room (not pictured but accessible through the door pictured) that's approximately 236 square feet and a bathroom for employee use. I have the ability to use mall storage if I need more room. The back room will house the racked PCs along with some extra air conditioning just to be safe since I'll be housing 30+ computers in the space.

[consolegamer]

This is an alternate layout with the side systems in a more "pod" like format. The green area would be a counter and contain the POS, drinks, foodstuffs, etc. The blue area would be a casual area for eating, drinking, talking, etc. I would probably put a TV on the wall.

I could added 8 more stations (4 per side) and encroach slightly on the counter and casual area without too much impact especially if I tighten the spacing between areas. Currently, I have set aside 6 feet per desk edge (3 feet per side). This should give each user plenty of room to get in and out of the chair without hitting the person behind them and allow a a user to walk between seats without hitting anyone as they make their way through the aisle.

This would give me 40 stations with the ability to go to 48. Since I intend to rack all the PCs in the back, I can be flexible with how many stations I keep active in the beginning and allow lots of spaces for BYOC. I will provide monitors at every seat along with mouse and keyboard and headset. For a casual observer, all seats would look the same, regardless of a PC being in the back feeding it or not.

I seriously doubt I'll max out all the seats with PCs at the start. I'm still determining how many I want to provide. The absolute minimum would be 16 and I may go as high as 32.

[Deeds]

Two : Theft isn't as big a problem as most people think.  Anything is stealable if you really want to take it.  Checking out mice and keyboards will be far more trouble than it's worth. This also applies to wired controllers. Just zip tie them to the backs of the PCs, or the backs of the desks, and you'll prevent the impulse thefts.  The number one anti-theft tool you have? Other customers.  If you have a cool environment, and everyone knows each other, and your and your staff are friendly, everyone is going to be watching your back for you.  That said, get a camera system.

Alomax had nice customers I had thugs come in sometimes trying to be hard.  I had theft problems and looking them straight in the eye and saying did you take anything fixed alot of that.  I had 20+ cameras at 2nd center because of stupid freaking theft, I had someone that had the balls to lift a damn TV and try to walk out and say if you touch me I'll sue you for abuse....Can't stop me from throwing something in front of you once your out of my establishment and tripping you and you bust your face and my TV (I'd rather lose a damn TV then a damn hoodlum walk out with it)  Damn rednecks have alot of balls lemme tell ya.  (I've gotta friend that had pretty much the same shit happen to him (same group of assholes) and he just busted the TV screen as he walked out and said I got insurance)

They don't just steal your games, consoles, and equipment.  They try to steal anything that not freaking bolted down.  I lost stand-ups.  I lost candy and cokes.  I've lost Empty dispay cases.  I lost MOVIE posters on my walls.  But guys this is worse case scenarios we had a group of shit heads that roamed around and did this to all businesses in this area until.....One day they were unable to continue for reasons unknown.   God theft pisses me off.  Worse damn thing I ever had to contend with. 

-deeds

[consolegamer]

Wow! Were you in a rough part of town or what? That's some brazen individuals.

[Deeds]

Wow! Were you in a rough part of town or what? That's some brazen individuals.

Nah not really we just a had a group of kids that thought they were untouchable...And being minors, they damn near were.

-deeds

[Alomax]

Alomax had nice customers I had thugs come in sometimes trying to be hard.  I had theft problems and looking them straight in the eye and saying did you take anything fixed alot of that.  I had 20+ cameras at 2nd center because of stupid freaking theft,

Yikes!  The only thing we had stolen in the 3 years I was at LSG was a video card from a PC that was out of order for a week so we didn't notice it was gone. (somewhat our fault for just leaving it out there too).  We had the kid's name within a day thanks to other customers, and he tried to return the card and beg forgiveness...... right as we where doing paperwork with the police. /facepalm

We had the thugs on our side mostly   We had some truly intimidating looking customers that hung out there, they grew up coming there and loved the place. 

@console gamer - I like that layout better.  I would try removing the center lane and extending the side pods out a little to see how that feels.  The nice thing about the side-pod arrangement is that you can leave less space down the middle because chairs will never be backed into it.   If you like the center lane though, I'd add a gap in the back for people to walk through so they don't have to go all the way around to get across.

[johnlarson]

I like the new layout.

[consolegamer]

I had considered doubling the stations per side having a single center lane for walking. It works and gives me up to 64 seats if I extend up just a bit more. I'll definitely go that route if I find utilization creeping up and I want to max out the space.

I doubt I'll add a gap at the back because of wiring concerns. I don't intend to trench and will use a floor raceway down the middle. Keeping this configuration will enable me to keep all of that hidden and under the desks and away from people walking over them and potentially tripping. I need to feed two Ethernet cables per station. I may use a channeled baseboard to feed the side pods, counter, and casual area or may go inside the wall depending on accessibility. I may opt for a pass through tube for the center stations placed at desk height and use wiring channels on the tables. My bundle size would only be 16 cables per.

However, I'm still up in the air about keeping the stations at the desk or racked in the back. I like racking them in the back but if I want to offer BYOC for the spaces, I'll need to practically double my breakers or be very diligent about powering down my PCs and sharing the same breakers.

[AVDad]

Without starting another thread I am hoping to get some feedback on the layout we are working on. We are happy with it except for the isles between the stations might be a little tighter than I'd like but our mock up made it doable workable.


Thanks in advance to all.