Social Gaming Centre - Galway

WiredMan

Hi all,

As per this forum's charter - I am a Director of Wired Gaming.

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Wired Gaming is a Social Gaming Centre (opening in September) in 2 Dominick Street Upper, Galway City.

We have just launched our website at www.WiredIreland.com.

Wired is not just about the games, it's about the people playing them and the social experience they have. Our mission is to make that experience the best possible.

To make Wired the best social gaming experience possible we encourage community participation. That means we want our Members to take part in Wired, helping to shape what it is and what it will become. Our website is designed with that in mind, giving all our Members infomation and a place to suggest, discuss and decide on a variety of topics (including games & events).

To find our more please check out the website.


Thanks guys,

Mark (aka Wired|Rabid)

tman

Fair play for getting that together, looks like it could be a bit of a laugh.
I might even pop down to teach you younguns a lesson one day

WiredMan

Thanks man,

To be honest I thought people would start jumping down my throat for posting about it here.

KdjaCL

Looks good, should get some consoles in tho. Some games like PES and fighters are easier to play on them.


kdjac

MooseJam

curious about licensing - did you have to buy a copy of every game for each seat ?

WiredMan

MooseJam wrote:

curious about licensing - did you have to buy a copy of every game for each seat ?

Yes, it's one of our biggest expenses (next to the computers themselves).

KdjaCL wrote:

Looks good, should get some consoles in tho. Some games like PES and fighters are easier to play on them.

To be honest with the right PC gaming equipment and games I don't believe we'll have any need for consoles. I know that the console is much better for certain types of games (soccer being one) but people can play them at home any time.

Saying that we will probably have at least one Wii hooked up to a flatscreen but that'll be a bonus for Members (messing about between games and during events).

KdjaCL

Some haggling with a local game shop for a banner could get you all the games for free.


PC gaming is dying, console gaming and touraments are becoming the new "lan" xbox Pro Evo event in the xbox place has a **** load of players in it.

Its a lot easier to walk in and play a console game, games are over a lot quicker too so money could be made.

kdjac

WiredMan

KdjaCL wrote:

PC gaming is dying, console gaming and touraments are becoming the new "lan" xbox Pro Evo event in the xbox place has a **** load of players in it.

Its a lot easier to walk in and play a console game, games are over a lot quicker too so money could be made.

I keep hearing that pc gaming is dying, can't see it myself though. It has a smaller user-base than consoles yes, but it has and will continue to grow.

I've been operating in Athenry (Co. Galway) for three years with a gaming centre and we did quiet well with PCs alone. Our systems take all the hassle out of it, each game is patched, configured and tested to a high quality standard to ensure that the gaming experience is the best possible.

PC games aren't quick like a console game, but then the best of them have a lot more depth too.

WiredMan

KdjaCL wrote:

Some haggling with a local game shop for a banner could get you all the games for free.

Oh how I wish that were true. I've tried to deal with games-related companies like that but the most you'll ever get is 15% (and that's if you're lucky).

MooseJam

how do you get around the "please insert cd", have you got a special version ?

WiredMan

MooseJam wrote:

how do you get around the "please insert cd", have you got a special version ?

I'll answer most questions but how we run our systems is definately private (though for more information you can check out the About sub-menu on our website).

MooseJam

no worries , the whole set up is very impressive, I'm sure you'll do well, perhaps a Dublin center sometime in the future if you are successful

TheAlmightyArse

Seriously, get some consoles in. If you want to sell gaming as a social activity, sitting everyone down on their own at separate screens with headphones on doesn't sound like the best way to go about it. Some couches, some beat-'em-ups and some raucous racing fun on the other hand: deadly buzz.

Doodee

KdjaCL wrote:

PC gaming is dying, console gaming and touraments are becoming the new "lan" xbox Pro Evo event in the xbox place has a **** load of players in it.

Its a lot easier to walk in and play a console game, games are over a lot quicker too so money could be made.

kdjac

heh, it aint dying, its going underground, unfortunately thats where you find all the fun stuff in life

WiredMan

TheAlmightyArse wrote:

Seriously, get some consoles in. If you want to sell gaming as a social activity, sitting everyone down on their own at separate screens with headphones on doesn't sound like the best way to go about it. Some couches, some beat-'em-ups and some raucous racing fun on the other hand: deadly buzz.

Actually I disagree. Many PC games take much more team-work than their console counter-parts, this means people have to interact to play them properly/well (making them more social). Add to that the fact that everyone there has something in common, liking games.

Wired began three years ago in Athenry (Co. Galway) and during that time there were many many friendships formed. We're as much about the community as the gaming itself and that's important to us. It's important to us too that we're giving people another social outlet, there's very little to do in this country (for entertainment) besides drink.

I personally quiet like consoles, though I don't play them so much. In fact as far as I'm concerned they help PC gaming. It is consoles that have made gaming in general such a part of our culture.

Thanks for your words of encouragement guys. I'm not some big business man, I'm a gamer who believes in (and loves) what I do.

ZorbaTehZ

Interesting choice of location.
Cue competition with a certain other nearby establishment?

WiredMan

ZorbaTehZ wrote:

Interesting choice of location.
Cue competition with a certain other nearby establishment?

I knew someone would bring that up. My own opinion is that competition is healthy.

I wanted a premises in that area, I grew up in the city and went to school in the GTI. Also the fact that it's got the best customer base.... The one we got was pretty much our only choice (very few in that area of the right size), unless we wanted to wait a few months for another to come up.

I'm not going to say we're better though, that's for people themselves to decide.

jonny72

KdjaCL wrote:

Some haggling with a local game shop for a banner could get you all the games for free.


PC gaming is dying, console gaming and touraments are becoming the new "lan" xbox Pro Evo event in the xbox place has a **** load of players in it.

Its a lot easier to walk in and play a console game, games are over a lot quicker too so money could be made.

kdjac

I don't understand when people talk about PC gaming dying? how on earth can it be dying? people are buying more PC's than ever, I know tons of people who have switched from consoles to PC, I don't know one single person who's decided that a console is better for online gaming. I mean theres 4 million people who use the xbox live service, thats barely half of the amount of people who Just play warcraft..

There are 100's of professional PC gamers, the prize money is growing every year, I mean theres a tourney that is giving away 60,000 dollars for first place in a game thats not even out yet.

christophicus

TheAlmightyArse wrote:

Seriously, get some consoles in. If you want to sell gaming as a social activity, sitting everyone down on their own at separate screens with headphones on doesn't sound like the best way to go about it. Some couches, some beat-'em-ups and some raucous racing fun on the other hand: deadly buzz.

There used to be a place like this in Waterford, I think they have moved into the general internet cafe business now though. But is was a great laugh especiacially when all 40 or so places were full. Everyone was talking to eachother and were far from being obsorbed in their own little world infront of the moniter.

Fairplay to you wiredman, i only wish there were more such places around the country.

WiredMan

I've added 3D renders of Wired Gaming to our Gallery.

You can see the Overview below:

mcgovern

jonny72 wrote:

I don't understand when people talk about PC gaming dying? how on earth can it be dying? people are buying more PC's than ever, I know tons of people who have switched from consoles to PC, I don't know one single person who's decided that a console is better for online gaming. I mean theres 4 million people who use the xbox live service, thats barely half of the amount of people who Just play warcraft..

There are 100's of professional PC gamers, the prize money is growing every year, I mean theres a tourney that is giving away 60,000 dollars for first place in a game thats not even out yet.

There are over 6 million Xbox live users for a service that is not even 5 years old yet and a lot of them will say the console is better that PC for online gaming.
MMORPGs are just starting on consoles, but you will see large numbers playing them on consoles in the near future.
There are also many professional console gamers and again, this number is growing.
None of your points prove that PC gaming is not dying and even Microsoft themselves, with their new Gaming for Windows scheme, are showing that they can see the decline in the attractiveness of PCs for gaming.

WiredMan

mcgovern wrote:

There are over 6 million Xbox live users for a service that is not even 5 years old yet and a lot of them will say the console is better that PC for online gaming.
MMORPGs are just starting on consoles, but you will see large numbers playing them on consoles in the near future.
There are also many professional console gamers and again, this number is growing.
None of your points prove that PC gaming is not dying and even Microsoft themselves, with their new Gaming for Windows scheme, are showing that they can see the decline in the attractiveness of PCs for gaming.

Some people like consoles, others like PCs. Wired Gaming happens to be a PC based gaming centre but that's not meant as an insult to consoles, we just happen to think PC gaming is "better".

Yes console gaming is more popular and yes it is becoming more recognised in the "Professional" scene, but that doesn't mean PC gaming is dying. It's not a world where it has to be one or the other, both will coexist.

Microsoft's decision to extend Live to the PC is more about trying to dominate the whole gaming scene than trying to "save" it. They also want the "casual gaming" market on the PC, which is huge. At the end of the day Microsoft have done it for the money, they wouldn't have invested in it if they thought it was "dying".

TheAlmightyArse

What with the Sims, World of Warcraft, those wacky Koreans and the fact that everyone has access to a computer and the internet, it is a bit silly to say that PC gaming is dying. A good thing too, since the free-for-all, online PC indie scene is one of the niftiest things to happen to gaming ever. Well, in my eyes.

EDIT: Also, as WiredMan says, the notion that the world isn't big enough for both console gaming and PC gaming is a bit silly again. The world is very big.

mcgovern

I'm not saying PC Gaming is dying, I'm merely saying that the points brought up to show that it wasn't were either wrong or irrelevant.
Its still obviously a massive market, but consoles are starting to do all the things that a PC can and take away from a PCs attractiveness.

jonny72

mcgovern wrote:

There are over 6 million Xbox live users for a service that is not even 5 years old yet and a lot of them will say the console is better that PC for online gaming.

Whats your point? theres over 9 million world of warcraft players for a game that is not yet 5 years old and a lot of them will say the PC is better than the console for online gaming

MMORPGs are just starting on consoles, but you will see large numbers playing them on consoles in the near future.

You will also see large numbers playing them on pc..

There are also many professional console gamers and again, this number is growing.

There are many many more on the PC and this number is also growing??

None of your points prove that PC gaming is not dying and even Microsoft themselves, with their new Gaming for Windows scheme, are showing that they can see the decline in the attractiveness of PCs for gaming.

PC gaming is not dying, it is growing. I have no doubt that console online gaming will reach and surpass it in a few years, but eh if something is still growing then its not exactly dying, thats my point..

Tar.Aldarion

How much to play and what tournies will be going on? Sounds good, I do live on Dominick st after all

WiredMan

Tar.Aldarion wrote:

How much to play and what tournies will be going on? Sounds good, I do live on Dominick st after all

Hi Tar Aldarion,


The tournaments will, in general, be chosen by the community (through the website). Members will make suggestions and the most popular will be put into a poll on the website.

It's important to us that everyone is facilitated for, so if anyone wants to host an event we'll assist them. During these event prizes will be given (by us) based on attendance (the more attendees the better).

Events are posted to our Events system on the website, where Members can sign up for them and leave comments.


We've just announced a League system also which is currently in the works, where Teams play against each other to rise up the ranks. It'll be mostly automated through the website, where members can create and manage Teams (add, invite and kick members) and send challenges. Once a challenge is accepted the match is played (at a date/time agreed to by both teams) in Wired, after which an assigned Referee (member or staff) will post the results to the website.

Rewards/prizes are awarded weekly to Teams at the top of the League. Any game can be played with up to 6 people on each side.

See the website for more details.


Pricing has yet to be officially announced, this is a strategic decision and not us trying to keep members in the dark (the prices have already been set in stone, just can't release them yet). Giving value to our Members is important to us though, we give 1 FreePlay Point with each hour (9 FP Points = 1 hour) along with 6 mins (3 mins per 30 purchased) for the person to choose/load their game. Purchasing time is bulk will also lower the price.

Time on your account doesn't expire and there is no penalty for logging in or out, so if you buy half an hour (33 mins) and use 7 mins, you'll still have 26 mins left for next time.

Membership is €1 (once off charge) and comes with the Wired Gaming Card (to top-up, log in and out) and an hour of time.

Tar.Aldarion

Sounds good, I'll bookmark your site and have a look at prices/tournies.
I'm liking what I hear in your post there.

WiredMan

We're keeping a low profile at the moment (at least where advertising is concerned) while we work on the premises. We're planning to launch early September.

If you register on the site we'll be sending all Members an invite to a special pre-Launch event.