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Co-working Space in CT

LexAquilliaLexAquillia
edited in General
Hi guys,

So as some of you may know I've recently quit my job doing law full time to try and pursue other projects, especially those that would help/grow the local games industry. One of the things I've wanted to do for ever was have a co-working space dedicated for game dev and related industries (something akin to the Melborne Arcade). I've started on some leg work, and it looks as though I can get something up and running by 1 Jan next year.

To make it work, we would need to charge about R1500 per desk per month. The proposed site is in Woodstock. To move forward though I need firm commitment from interested parties. So who's in? and more importantly what would you want from such a space ? If I can get 15 people to commit I can make this thing happen :)
Thanked by 4roguecode critic dammit TheFuntastic

Comments

  • VortigernVortigern
    Problem I've had with these is they tend to be very open plan, which means lots of noise and distractions. A bit difficult to 'get in the zone' - game development really does need intense, uninterrupted focus. This means the desks would need to be in closed booths or some such, possibly carpeted to reduce echoes and noise levels. This would be a bit expensive to set up.

    Here's a clip on this topic (game designer studio spaces):
    Thanked by 1EvanGreenwood
  • LexAquilliaLexAquillia
    Thanks for the feedback @vortigern. Setup costs won't be an issue, this is why I want people to tell me what they would want out of the space so I can get it sorted :)
  • francoisvnfrancoisvn
    What sort of commitment term are your looking for? Are you considering options where you pay less but don't have a dedicated desk and can only come a few days a week?

    Was giving this some thought. I think the things that are most useful to people, besides the obvious things like good internet, comfy chairs and 24/7 access, are things that are very infrequently needed, like: a printer/scanner, a board room or two for meetings, a mini kitchenette with a sink and fridge, some legal advice ;) etc. If there's parking, even if its first-come-first-served, that would be great (although I know that might difficult for that area).

    At the moment I'm interested in this, but I'm weighing it up against my other option, which is working from home and random coffee shops. I'm very tempted to at least give it a shot and see how things work out. By when are you looking for an indication? I think a big determining factor in the long-term that'll keep me coming back is what the vibe is like and who else uses the space. I think that's something that grows and develops over time, not in an instant, but it's probably important to consider.
  • TheFuntasticTheFuntastic
    edited
    As someone who was in the previous "co-working" space forever I am obviously for this, even though I wont be taking a space (being in another country and all).

    Having worked in all kinds of spaces on all kinds of projects on all kinds of team sizes, by far the most important differentiator was having like minded people around with some distance from your project. In a few minutes I'm leaving to go work in a hack space where a few indies devs hang out, and their input has already been worth it's weight in gold. This is the number one thing any kind of decent accelerator program is offering you. But it really needs to be games people, as sharing space with "Creatives" never actually resulted in any useful cross pollination for me.

    So if you're considering it, I implore you to not think so much about the facilities (eg it's noisy? Good headphones can solve that problem) - because really that's not the selling point here. :)

    Thanked by 2EvanGreenwood LexAquillia
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