In the second round of interviews,
I changed the questions a bit. I restructured the questions in a way that would get more candid answers.
- How familiar are you with gaming as a whole? (different genres of gaming, etc)
- How important is the “third place” to you?
- If there was a cafe/bar hybrid that had retro video games from the 80s-90s, would you be interested? Why/why not?
- Do you prefer going out with friends or staying at home and why?
- Do you prefer the calm atmosphere of a cafe or the lively atmosphere of a bar? Why?
I asked people I was close to, but who were from different walks of life. The first person I interviewed was my coworker in his mid-twenties, Adam Murray; followed by my best friend in his early twenties, Josh Roach; and lastly, I interviewed my stepfather, a Vice President for Sunbelt Rentals Inc. in fifties, Dan Bernard. They knew I was pursuing this idea of “video game preservation” for a couple of months now, but even then I asked them to be as objective and candid as possible with their responses.
Gaming Familiarity
For the most part, they all gave similar answers. Adam and Josh both grew up playing video games, whether it be console (NES, SNES, N64, PS1) or handheld (Gameboy, PSP) to now being a part of the PC gaming community. Dan, on the other hand, was fairly familiar with it but answered the question differently. He knew the business aspect of it more than the actual gaming himself. He said that there were different age demographics, as well as different mediums in which games can be played (console, mobile, PC). It was an interesting way to answer this question.
Importance of the “Third Place”
For those who are unfamiliar with the “third place,” it is an environment or atmosphere in which socializing takes place. The first place for people is usually their homeplace, the second place is the workplace/school, and the third place is a different environment from the first two.
Adam and I both work at Starbucks, where the duties of shift supervisors and baristas are to create a third place for our customers so they can feel safe and welcome. So his response was reflective to that of Starbuck’s vision but his answer went a little deeper than that. For him, the third place is important so that he can decompress after a stressful day at work or school. A place that allows him to forget about the entire day and lets him exist without outside stressors.
Josh also believes that the third place is important but for different reasons. He believes that social dynamics shouldn’t revolve around just his home and work-life. Especially due to his house being relatively empty compared to his workplace. So his third place is important because he feels that he shouldn’t be stuck in his second place.
Dan believes that it is somewhat important, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t important. He believes it is important but doesn’t believe it’s necessary for himself. He likes to spend time with his family after a long day at work.
Interest in Retro cafe/bar Hybrid
Adam’s interest piqued when I asked this question. He opened his answer by stating that there were a lot of games he wishes he could go back and play. Mainly due to nostalgia, but also because it could serve as a hangout for people to play old party/split-screen games. “Games may be old, but they’re still fun.”
Josh really enjoys retro arcade games like Galaga, Pacman, and other box arcade games. His opinions on cafes are that they’re nice areas that people with common interests can get together and share values and ideas. “Generally, it’s a nice way to spend time away from home/work.”
While Dan does share an interest in the hybrid idea, he compared it to XM/Sirius Radio service divide their channels by decades. “People have a huge response to nostalgia.”
Going Out Vs Staying Home
Both Adam and josh had similar responses to whether they prefer going out with friends or staying home. They both stated that it depends on the situation. For Adam, he likes to golf so he goes out for that and sometimes meets his friends at Top Golf. And other times he wants to just stay at home and watch a show. His preference is also determinant on how invested he is in a game he’s currently playing.
For Josh, it also depends on what the activity is. If the best way to be with his friends is to play video games online, then that’s what he will do; if its a meeting that’s planned ahead then he will meet with his friends.
Dan prefers to stay at home due to his travel intensive schedule. He has to travel out of state every other week so he prefers the time he can spend at home with his family.
Calm Cafe Vs Lively Bar
With different environments come different atmospheres. A bar has people of all backgrounds existing in one area, while a cafe has people who share a common interest usually. All of my interviewees preferred the calm aura of a cafe instead of the lively atmosphere of a bar. Adam likes cafes because he wants to hold conversations with the people he’s with. He wants to connect and the distractions of a bar make it hard for him to truly connect.
Josh doesn’t really focus on cafe interaction but he likes the atmosphere that comes with it because he can focus on productivity and catching up on work. It doesn’t hurt to have a atmosphere where people are interacting with one another for him, just one that isn’t as animated as a bar.
Dan likes cafes because there are like minded people with similar tastes and preferences. For him, a bar has man different people with different intentions: some people want to get drunk, others wanna dance, and some want to just hook up. He distinguishes a bar and a cafe as, “one is to escape and the other is to relax.”