I moved to Cairo, Egypt some months ago and I brought my PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Wii with lots and lots of games, controllers/joysticks, comic book/sci-fi/anime posters and I realized that I would really like to open my own video game / internet cafe hangout.

In Cairo, I've noticed that electronics (including gaming consoles) are really expensive and not everyone can afford them. So, there are little video game (of mostly PC games) shops for those who can't afford gaming consoles. The thing about these shops is that they look very sterile, boring and more like a dentist's waiting room than a place to have fun.

I would like to have a really cool, upbeat, fun and cheerful hangout for kids and young adults. For instance, I used to live in Orlando, Florida and every year, they would have an one-week-a-year event called "Otronicon" where they took a science museum and turned it into a HUGE gaming-console arcade and it was such an awesome place to be for gamers.

So, my question is: If you didn't have a gaming console and wanted a place to play games and hang out, what would you like to see in it and what would keep you coming back?

For instance:

- soda and snack vending machines
- comfortable seating
- big-screen TVs

Thanks!

AIR CONDITIONING!  Trust me on this one.  There's nothing more obnoxious than the heat that emanates from a couple of dozen monitors in the middle of the summer.

If there's one thing that all internet cafes have in common, it's a dirty washroom.  Make it a priority to keep the thing clean.

Make sure to have plenty of caffeine drinks and snacks available.  You want to be able to suck every dollar out of your customers.

Also consider getting a space that is big enough for the computers to be five in a row (side by side).  It just works better when you have teams going against each other, as it'll also reduce ghosting.

See if your cafe can have some private rooms in it.  You don't want the place to get too noisy.

I would put less emphasis on stuff like seating and earphones.  Your customers won't care enough to not break them.

I would vote for coffee.  Definitely, coffee.

i think whatever you've plan it just stay focus to give the customer relax situation since egypt is kind a hot country