medcom.id, Jakarta: Internet cafe was a lucrative business at the beginning of internet penetration in Indonesia. However, the industry declined due to rapid development of mobile gadgets.
Most internet cafes in Indonesia are intended for browsing activities. These internet cafes cannot compete with smartphones and tablets which able to connect people with the internet anywhere and anytime.
However, there are internet cafes that successfully adapt with the situation, gaming cafes.
Supported by various online games and growing number of gamers in Indonesia, gaming cafes are the perfect solution for those not having a gaming computer.
As regular internet cafes are falling, gaming cafes are rising.
"Gaming cafes are increasing in numbers. It is because the number of games and gamers are growing," said the country product manager of CyberIndo, Jeannifer Suryajaya, to Metrotvnews.com at a gathering between CyberIndo and internet cafe owners in Bandung last week.
Similar view was also given by the product , product manager of PT. Nusantara Jaya Teknologi, Benny Lodewijk. According to Benny, currently the internet cafe business is evolving.
"The image of internet cafe is no longer for browsing, with low specification computers. Internet cafe should now adapt with the current technology developments," he said.
He also added that owners should know the latest gaming trend to predict the specifications needed.
"Every internet cafe should understand its consumers. Thus, they can find out the specifications needed. Every region is different. In Jakarta, for example, the internet cafes could spend Rp5-6 million for a computer unit," explained Benny.
So, can internet cafes survive in this mobile era? As long as there is high demands on online games, It will continue to grow.
(WAH)
