2 ms·

Doesn't Korea still have tons of these? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_bang https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_bang Not because they don't have computers and i

Doesn't Korea still have tons of these? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_bang https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_bang Not because they don't have computers and internet at home, but because they don't have overpowered gaming computers at home, and to socialize. Although I did like the picture in this article with old guys in Hong Kong playing mah-jong in gaming chairs - more of that please? Do we need computers to play games with each other in a comfortable room with refreshments? Could somebody turn the lights on?

bitwize 3y ago
> Not because they don't have computers and internet at home, but because they don't have overpowered gaming computers at home, and to socialize. I used to frequent one of these in Boston. The target market was primarily Asian students attending American universities, who didn't have powerful gaming PCs or who left theirs at home. I went there to try out some of the more popular games like Overwatch and League of Legends, because I didn't want to gum up my PC with whatever spyware/copy-protection malware the gaming companies saw fit to install.
- NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
  Back in the mid-90s, when Laser Tag was peak nerd entertainment, there was an arena nearby that offered MechWarrior-style LAN combat. It was super amazing, more than a typical arcade experience, because you got encased in this cabinet with all the controls your body could handle, to run a gigantic MechWarrior with/against all your closest friends. We went in a fairly large group. I don't recall the capacity of the game or the LAN, but obviously limited by number of rather expensive pods. It was exciting, but also really confusing to me: I didn't know the controls, the environment, or the object, and so I just sort of flailed and listened to my friends yelling and shouting, until time expired.
  - bitwize 3y ago
    I played one of those once! You got in this pod, I think it was called a Tesla pod. Screens surrounded you in every direction, a bit like an SGI CAVE, and you had what looked like real mech controls in front of you. It cost an arm and a leg to play, and I lost right away. But for about 30 seconds, it was amazing!
musicale 3y ago
> Not because they don't have computers and internet at home, but because they don't have overpowered gaming computers at home, and to socialize. Gaming cafés are great, exactly for the reasons you mention. Moreover, everything is preinstalled so you don't waste time setting things up or downloading gigabytes of patches. And they usually have food and drink options, events and tournaments, etc. Hopefully they will continue to expand in the US. The larger-scaled "LAN gaming centers" look pretty cool as well. MMOs and large-scale games are really fun to play when everyone is in the same room. Consoles are a nice addition too; 8-12 player LAN Mario Kart (for example) takes a lot of hardware and time to set up on your own, but it is a lot of fun to play. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAN_gaming_center https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAN_gaming_center

bitwize 3y ago

> Not because they don't have computers and internet at home, but because they don't have overpowered gaming computers at home, and to socialize. I used to frequent one of these in Boston. The target market was primarily Asian students attending American universities, who didn't have powerful gaming PCs or who left theirs at home. I went there to try out some of the more popular games like Overwatch and League of Legends, because I didn't want to gum up my PC with whatever spyware/copy-protection malware the gaming companies saw fit to install.

NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
Back in the mid-90s, when Laser Tag was peak nerd entertainment, there was an arena nearby that offered MechWarrior-style LAN combat. It was super amazing, more than a typical arcade experience, because you got encased in this cabinet with all the controls your body could handle, to run a gigantic MechWarrior with/against all your closest friends. We went in a fairly large group. I don't recall the capacity of the game or the LAN, but obviously limited by number of rather expensive pods. It was exciting, but also really confusing to me: I didn't know the controls, the environment, or the object, and so I just sort of flailed and listened to my friends yelling and shouting, until time expired.
- bitwize 3y ago
  I played one of those once! You got in this pod, I think it was called a Tesla pod. Screens surrounded you in every direction, a bit like an SGI CAVE, and you had what looked like real mech controls in front of you. It cost an arm and a leg to play, and I lost right away. But for about 30 seconds, it was amazing!

musicale 3y ago

> Not because they don't have computers and internet at home, but because they don't have overpowered gaming computers at home, and to socialize. Gaming cafés are great, exactly for the reasons you mention. Moreover, everything is preinstalled so you don't waste time setting things up or downloading gigabytes of patches. And they usually have food and drink options, events and tournaments, etc. Hopefully they will continue to expand in the US. The larger-scaled "LAN gaming centers" look pretty cool as well. MMOs and large-scale games are really fun to play when everyone is in the same room. Consoles are a nice addition too; 8-12 player LAN Mario Kart (for example) takes a lot of hardware and time to set up on your own, but it is a lot of fun to play. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAN_gaming_center https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAN_gaming_center