Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

"Is it safe to share the game console?"

It is believed that many post-80s and post-90s generation have similar memories: after school, about three or five students, with a few dollars saved for breakfast in their pockets, quietly ran to the "small black house"_game room near the school, rubbed a few console games, and became the strongest hero in the virtual world...

With the full popularity of computers, coupled with the post-80s and post-90s generation growing up, the "small black house" carrying childhood memories of a generation has disappeared. Now, after 00, who was used to playing mobile games, they would not even know that such a game room once existed.

If the "game room" that has disappeared "returns" again, will the post-80s and post-90s generation be surprised? Recently, some netizens revealed to understand notes, in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and other, first-tier, new first-tier cities in a number of commercial complexes, all appeared console game halls.

The game hall mainly promotes PS4, Xbox, Switch and other console "sharing" rental. A large screen with a game console, a small tablet to choose games, two game controllers, plus a comfortable sofa chair, constitute a game slot, the overall layout is no different from the Internet cafe.

The console has built-in mainstream genuine games and 3A masterpieces. Compared with the former "small black house," the game hall is no longer located in the hidden corner near the school, but chooses to open the store "openly" in the open core area of the complex.

On some of the console game hall's promotional materials, the operator's definition of the project seems to be very "Internet"_"shared console." Seeing this, I believe many people have the same doubt. Once the game room that was once judged as "hao has no vitality" is labeled as a sharing economy, can it be transformed into a fresh air outlet?

"01""Shared hosting" charges are not cheap? I understand the notes and search for the word "shared host" on the review application. Indeed, in different cities, I found relevant information of many similar console game halls, and selected several console game halls located in Guangzhou and Shenzhen to find out.

Almost all console game halls are opened in the core areas of mature business districts and commercial complexes on the third and fourth floors of open space. Some even opened at the elevator entrance of the complex. It was difficult for customers passing by not to notice the existence of the console game hall.

After scanning the "boot QR code" on several store devices, I understand the notes and find that the host "sharing" of the game hall adopts time-sharing rental mode, charging 30~50 yuan/half hour, which is not cheap. Among them, Shenzhen Luohu a host game hall charges the highest, boot an hour asking 158 yuan.

If the group purchase website first group purchase, then consumption, the price will also be relatively affordable point, 2 hours of package is about 90 yuan. Any console game hall, almost all PS5, XBOX, Switch"Royal three home" host can choose.

As for games, such as "God of War,""Mario Odyssey,""Halo" and other platform masterpieces, such as "Two in a row,""Breakup Kitchen" and other two-person interactive games, there are all kinds, in the time-sharing rental period, can play at will, game progress will also be saved in the customer's corresponding account.

However, it was already 2022. Would there really be people playing games in the arcade? Understand notes observed Shenzhen Pingshan a console game hall operation. Within 3 hours, only 2 passing customers started spending, and the game duration was also "starting price" for half an hour.

"Today is Saturday. There are quite a lot of people who start playing games. There are almost no customers on weekdays. "An administrator at the scene said that the console game hall opened in February this year, while he only joined the job last month." Previously, the game hall was unattended, and customers scanned the code to start up independently. "

However, due to the unattended game hall, often filled with cool in the mall, rest of the elderly aunt, the screen on the desktop is often destroyed, helpless, game hall operators can only hire someone responsible for management. However, even if there were no people to cool off and rest, the business of the game hall was not that good.

Even on the busiest weekend in the shopping mall, there will be no more than 10 customers starting up in one day."I heard that there are more people in the stores in the urban area, especially on holidays, but they are rarely full. It may be too expensive. So at first I was very conflicted about whether it was a good job to take care of the arcade. "

However, the operator of the game hall told the administrator that the main consumer group of console games was not children, but adults who had "host feelings" and certain consumption ability and did not have the latest generation of consoles at home."People born after 80s and 90s played the console when they were young, at least played the first few games of the series. "

Therefore, similar to "target group" passing game hall, many will be attracted by the latest console, the latest game masterpiece. Once you experience the latest masterpiece, customers often find it difficult to extricate themselves and continue to recharge their purchases in the game hall.

It can be seen that whether it was once a "small black house" or the current "shared host," merchants still want to harvest the same batch of post-80s and post-90s consumers. However, the primary and middle school students of that year now have independent consumption ability, attracted by a game, do you want to "rent a machine" clearance?

"02""rent machine" clearance is not cost-effective game console, buy is better than rent?

In a chain console game hall in Buji, Longgang, Shenzhen, a young couple sat on a big sofa. The girl was facing the screen, rubbing the handle and brushing the plot of "Kona·Spirit Bridge," while next to her, a boy was burying his head and swiping his mobile phone.

"She (girlfriend) loved the game so I looked at Taobao, the console and what the game cost. "See understand notes to chat up, the boy put down his mobile phone, smiled and said, originally, he was shopping with his girlfriend in the supermarket, suddenly attracted by the elevator console game hall.

Therefore, he suddenly scanned the code to turn on, intending to experience half an hour. But unexpectedly, as soon as the handle was in hand, his girlfriend became obsessed with one of the console games. However, when he checked the price of the console and the game, he decided to place an order.

"Forty-five dollars for half an hour is too expensive. And playing a game also have to run over (shopping mall), very inconvenient. "The boys have calculated an account. At present, the price of a PS5 host is 4000 yuan, and a game is 400~600 yuan, but it can cost the same. They can only play 50 hours of games on the" shared host."

Based on the calculation of the main line process of most console 3A masterpieces for 20 hours, users spend four or five thousand yuan, which is only enough to clear two 3A masterpieces in the console game hall. It is estimated that even the side tasks are difficult to experience completely."What's more, her (girlfriend) likes PS4 version of the game, buy a medieval PS4 console only more than a thousand. "

Senior host players tell you to understand notes, even if consumers are attracted by a host 3A masterpiece, buying consoles and games in one step is still more cost-effective than renting "shared consoles" in shopping malls. If you get tired of playing later, you can also sell the console and the game back to health.

In this way, the console game hall opened in the complex, the positioning of the consumer crowd also becomes very clear: friends meet shopping, attracted by the game propaganda, at the same time there is a "kill time" demand, they suddenly scan the code to start up, play together such as "Mario Party,""Double trip,""Breakup Kitchen" and other family games.

When you're done, you leave. Maybe you don't even need the archive function. After all, there were very few casual gamers who went to the mall to play expensive console games. Unless you visit the mall where the game hall is located again, players may "rub" a game by the way and kill time.

Affected by the epidemic, a large number of new console games that should have been released in 2021 have been postponed to this year and next year.

A series of 3A masterpieces have also driven the growth of the game console market. The China Cultural Entertainment Industry Association predicts that the domestic host market size will reach 10.27 billion yuan this year, and maintain a growth rate of about 20% in the future, expanding rapidly.

However, the seemingly thriving host consumer market does not have a place for "shared hosting." It is obviously difficult to harvest post-80s and post-90s players with "feelings" in the game hall labeled "sharing." As a result, only franchisees were harvested by "shared hosts."

"03" returns quickly and with high returns? In order to understand the complete business model behind "shared console," I contacted an operator of a console game hall who transferred it online and tried to have an in-depth conversation with the operator of the game hall as an "interested person."

However, the operator, nicknamed "A Fu," said that as early as last month, the console game hall he joined in had been "lucky" to give it to others. At the same time, he also to "come over" identity suggested to understand notes, do not join any console game hall.

"There will be no pie in the sky. Any project with no threshold and high return must not be touched. "Talking about the experience of joining the game hall, Ah Fu seems very helpless. About seven months ago, when Fu swiped Short Video, he accidentally swiped ads for "Shared Hosting."

Because advertising claims, as long as the accurate selection of crowded city business circle, layout on a few game consoles, you can lie down to make money, advertising even promised, only a month time, franchisees can smoothly return to the capital, and then quickly realize profits.

"I feel very excited about the project with fast return and high repurchase rate, so I contacted BD. "As a post-70s generation, Afu obviously doesn't know much about the game console and game industry, but in retrospect, the brand that initiated the project to join can be said to be a steady profit.

Under BD's enthusiastic guidance, the game hall he joined was located in the atrium of a shopping center in Tianhe, Guangzhou, with a monthly rent of 18,000 yuan. In addition to the rent, he also has to pay the brand party 20,000 yuan joining fee,"as for the game console and screen, also have to buy with each other." "

Fu said the purchase price of a PS5 device is about 5000 yuan, and the purchase price of an XBOX device is 6000 yuan. Combined with the size of the site, and under BD's suggestion, he purchased and put in a total of 10 game console equipment, including decoration and sofa, which cost him nearly 60,000 yuan.

"Moreover, each month's turnover, but also let the brand side pumping (ie commission) 10% as a management fee. "Seeing that the cost of investment is almost impossible to recover in a month, he began to comfort himself, changing his goal and adjusting the expected time of return to half a year.

However, after the game hall officially opened, Ah Fu was completely disappointed. He said that the location of the game hall is regarded as a place where the flow of Guangzhou people is relatively concentrated, and the consumption capacity is quite high, but the "turnover rate" is quite low, with 8 customers per day and about 1 hour per capita game time.

"The monthly turnover is just over 20,000 yuan. After deducting rent and brand management fees, I still lose electricity. "After half a year of operation, seeing that there is no hope of returning to the original and the losses are expanding, Fu has to learn from the brand BD" painting cake "and give the top hand of the game hall to the next" big complaint seed "to continue to operate.

Inquire on the official website of the "shared host" brand, understand the notes and know that at present, the project party has hundreds of affiliated game halls. Investment bankers revealed that the above scale of joining, if placed in the capital outbreak period a few years ago, can finance a large sum of money.

However, in recent years, the industry investment and financing as a whole tends to be cautious, so shared projects, including "shared hosts," can only turn to the franchise system, using information asymmetry to fool ordinary franchisees to pay, help the project share costs, and even make money.

In addition, even if "shared console" games are purchased from officials, legal risks have been involved in using genuine games authorized for "home users" for commercial operations. However, these are franchisees can never know from BD mouth "material."

This article comes from Weixin Official Accounts: Understanding Notes (ID: dongdong_note), Author: Kagura Editor: Qin Yan Photography: Mu Zi

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