Gamerz Paradise at 2nd & Santa Fe closed!

[OKC4me]

Anybody know why? Dang, we went there alot and drove by there yesterday, and its cleaned out! I thought they were doing pretty good!

[hipsterdoofus]

I figured anyone using a "z" to spell "gamerz" is due to fail...

[OKC4me]

Maybe somebody should have told them how to spell it.....

[fuzzytoad]

I've never seen more than 2 or 3 people at a time shopping in there at various times of the day, not even on the weekends.

The selection there never really seemed very good either, unless you wanted really old primus guides.

And they never had a copy of battletoads.

[OKC4me]

This was a place that had video games you could go in and play. Xbox, PS3, etc. You paid to play by the hour.

[fuzzytoad]

This was a place that had video games you could go in and play. Xbox, PS3, etc. You paid to play by the hour.

oh, I'm thinking of the games exchange place then.

[hipsterdoofus]

This was a place that had video games you could go in and play. Xbox, PS3, etc. You paid to play by the hour.

That sounds like a place likely to fail in Edmond, where most people have their own consoles....

[OKC4me]

oh, I'm thinking of the games exchange place then.

Yea, you're thinking of game exchange. This place was on the NE corner in the same building as a cleaners.

[ImTheDude]

That sounds like a place likely to fail in Edmond, where most people have their own consoles....

Exact samething I told my wife. With "live" gaming, I don't understand why anyone would go somewhere to play other people.

[Okiemomx2]

Does anyone know a business similar to Gamerz? I was planning to host a kid's party there.

[scootinger]

Really, pretty much every gaming "cafe" like this is doomed. You aren't going to get a lot of people when game consoles aren't that expensive and rather common...most kids have (or know at least one person who has) a game console and the newest games, especially in Edmond. I knew from the moment that I saw that "Gamerz Paradize" was going to open that (sadly) it wouldn't last long. There used to be another one in Edmond over at 2nd and Kelly (in the center that used to have Big Lots) but I think that it only lasted a few months. I'm not sure if it's still around but there's also Cyber Quest a few blocks south of Britton & May in Oklahoma City which appeared to be somewhat successful and lasted at least a few years.

Interestingly it looked like they had to go through a lot to open the business due to zoning restrictions: The Edmond Sun, Edmond, OK - Gaming business aims at teen market “The youth of this community need facilities like this to keep them off the streets. There are very few organized, safe activities in the city of Edmond for kids to go to.” I really don't think the kids "on the streets" are the ones who can or would want to pay $6 or $7 an hour to play video games.

I don't mean to sound insensitive towards anyone...honestly, I truly hate to see small businesses fail and do feel bad every time I do see a local business fail. But the truth is that the vast majority of gaming cafes are unsuccessful...it's just not a good business model.