A few days ago, me and my friends come across a once famous internet café (IC).  Sad to see they have to closed their business.  Along the way, we discuss about this trend where many ICs in my country are starting to close their business.  Yes, there are also new ICs coming to the business.  However, a statement come out from my friend’s mouth:

“I think Internet Cafés will eventually dead.”

And I asked why.  He reply with a logical reason.  He said:

“It’s simple.  Because internet price is getting lower and lower.  People start to be able to afford 24/7 internet in their home.  So why would they need to go to the internet café?”

Good point.

BUT, I have my own opinion.

What we have in my country, is not a real internet café.  In Korean terms, they are just Internet PC Banks.  An internet café should emphasize more in their café, not just the PC.  Well, if we refer to an Internet PC Banks only, yes it would be dead.  Only some of them will survive because they’ve already had base customers.

IC picture taken from MMOSite photo album

Now, how would you survive through technological change?  You shouldn’t fight it, but you should make technology your “ally”.  One of marketing expert in my country was once saying this in his seminar, “If you want your business to survive and even getting stronger, you have to eat, sleep, and dream with your business!”  What he means, is that you need to really think, every time, every second, and every day of your life about how to make your business being better than yesterday, a kaizen spirit of Japanese.  I can not just point the “way” for internet café to survive.  But I can give some example about how to make technology your ally.

One of the good program that benefits both game publisher and internet cafés is what IAHGames did with Granado Espada.  They give extra buffs such as more experience and more drop rate at certain internet café.   They also held some events at their IC.  This is a good way to make profits.

Another good program is to held some educational events at IC.  Like the one that currently Valve trying to build in our country.  So besides just a renting place for internet surfing and gaming, people will start to come to your IC because there’s a value added.

Other way of attracting people to come to your place is to have a competition.  Local tournament with a good promotion can draw so much attention.  One of surviving café in my town was once held a tournament that can draw as much as 1,000 people while that IC is just about 100 metres square.

An E-arena in Korea

And my last example lies in the last word of IC, CAFÉ!  Yes, you sell internet so that people can surf and gaming through your connection.  Selling lower rental fees won’t help your place because everybody can do it and the cost of internet bandwidth is getting lower and lower.  But talking about café, you will talk about taste of your food, atmosphere, special services, and many more.  These area can be your differentiation points toward fierce competition and price wars.

I can imagine where people come to one IC because they held special events in their café for certain online game, and their customer services are wearing some costume that represent the game, while some of the menu ALSO taken from game.  Well, I don’t mind paying more for playing internet at that IC with that kind of atmosphere.  More over, I also will spend some money buying food and beverages with that kind of unique menu.

So, will Internet Cafés dead because the price of internet is getting lower?  It depends on how the owner of IC prepare their selves.  But for me, they still have a future.