Using The Cell And The Ps3 For A Venture Capital Moneymaker

Internet cafes, video gaming dens, and coffee shops have one thing in common - a social area for people to come, enjoy each other's company and either watch or play games to pass time. Why not combine the elements with the newest next-gen console into a gaming haven where people can play, enjoy company, and see the best the Console world has to offer.

What you'd need...

2500 to 3000 sq foot area separated into a playing area and a cafe area. Estimate 250 sq ft for each play area.

The play areas need to be separated into long trapezoidal shapes with the PS3 and a large screen TV such as an HDTV or LCD display set up at the narrow end. If you are grouping multiple PS3 units together, set up the play areas in a hexagonal shape with the PS3 units at the center, and the doors to the play areas on the outside.

Each play area needs to be framed in glass, preferably safety glass such as you'd find in schools with the wire mesh, or high tensile plate glass - either way, it needs to be coated in a metal tint on both sides. This tint must be a metal foil and is critical.

The metal foil, if grounded properly, will act as a Faraday cage and stop wireless radio interference from leaking outside of the PS3 play area. Ensuring multiple units can be used without causing radio or bluetooth interference.

At the far end, have a large couch raised about 2ft off the floor by a ramp or low rising stairs, in front have a group of 3-4 comfy chairs - totalling room for 7 people to sit down.

Each PS3 can have 7 controllers running wirelessly via bluetooth connection which means each unit can have 7 players running at once. On a wide screen TV - all 7 can see what they are doing individually, or if you have the ability, set up small lcd monitors on or in front of each chair as well for individual controller feed with the main screen showing the full game overview.

Outside of the play areas, which being encased in glass can have spectators watching and cheering on players, can be a coffee house environment with wireless internet available as well as specialty coffee and perhaps donuts or other easy snacks.

Charge a reasonable rate to play the multiplayer games such as $5 an hour per player, you each PS3 will be generating $35 an hour for about $2 in electricity and air conditioning.

Set up other consoles such as the Nintendo Wii for more wireless play and the XBox 360 for the full spread and widest variety and you can have a gaming haven for under $500k that will quite probably pay for itself within a year. Set up properly, without alcohol and it may even be permitted to run 24 hours a day, to enable massive long term gaming to take place in a safe, fun, and supervised environment.