More and more people, also in this country, are now following e-sports and e-gaming events. "New" media like Twitch and the like make it possible. But while e-athletes are the new pop stars, especially in Asia, the whole scene in Germany still has a niche existence. In addition, there is the, typically German, fundamental discussion about whether all of this is sport at all. During our research, we became aware of an entrepreneurial couple from Cologne who have a great idea to bring gaming closer to our general society: an esports restaurant with typical gastronomic offers,
a restaurant that will still offer time and space for a gaming area. We spoke to Myriam, who co-founded DVision.
Fun becomes serious
Often it is the small ideas that are no longer pursued. You don't even want to imagine how many great things are slumbering around in people's heads but are never revealed to the daylight. It was similar with a train of thought from Myriam and Christoph, it was more fun when the two said that it would be great “to open your own cafe sometime when you're old”. This joke became a serious way of making a living when talking to friends. The idea of combining e-sports and a restaurant matured for two years. The elements she told us in the conversation are correspondingly broad and well thought-out.
The location is in Cologne's Friesenviertel. Ten minutes and a few underground stations from the main train station and practically a stone's throw from the cathedral is the house that DVision will soon accommodate. This is currently undergoing complete renovation, because the old building burned down completely in the Second World War. Accordingly, everything now has to be redesigned.
Right in the middle and yet there
In order to be self-employed, you always need good friends who support you in addition to financial resources. The two of them can rely on an interior designer for the renovation. She had an interesting flash of inspiration when considering the interior design. The entire restaurant consists of one large room, the gaming area will be "sealed off" with a kind of glass box in the middle of this room. This is how you separate food from gaming, but the glass construction implies that gaming is slowly but surely arriving in the middle of society - in the truest sense of these words.
For many, including Myriam and Christoph, e-sports is a passion. All the more terrifying were the words of the Hessian interior minister of the CDU, Peter Beuth, who wanted to "erase" the word "e-sports" from people's vocabulary. This was expressed in an unfortunate way, because he only wanted to say that a gamer, according to his self-image, does not do any classic, physical sport. A statement that even Myriam cannot understand and shows that a lot of work still needs to be done to make e-sports and e-gaming compatible with the masses. DVision would like to take the first steps here.
Everyone can support
If the financial means are mentioned, everyone can help. On the crowdfunding website “startnext”, the two of them delivered a pitch that presented the whole company a little more precisely. 5.000 EUR are currently the target of the campaign and it will run for another two months. The money is needed to purchase additional hardware. So enough time to find out more about the whole idea and to support both of them. With varying “rewards” depending on the donation made, you offer a small incentive.
Enough space to gamble
All of that sounds fine and good, but what about what matters; gaming? There are 12 fully equipped gaming computers in the separate area described. You can log on to these with your corresponding profiles. Most of the games will already be preinstalled. Over time, the games library will continue to grow, as you can, after consulting the owners, bring your own games with you. All the fun is currently planned with a contribution towards expenses of 1,50 EUR per hour. But this should primarily serve to create a certain fluctuation on the computers - not that the PCs are blocked forever by the same people. It will look similar in the “living room corner”. There you can relax after a tough gaming session. If you want to come down slowly, you have the opportunity to cool off on the consoles that have been set up. You can also bring your own games here. If someone is completely exhausted, you can also provide yourself with food and drink. For this, Myriam and Christoph were able to hire a cook who has been a gamer himself for years and can therefore fully identify with the idea. The menu will include burgers and similar dishes, all for one affordable price, even for schoolchildren and students.
Good thing wants to have time
Anyone who is just as impressed with the idea as we are and is toying with a similar project should be told that none of this is planned in passing. After Myriam looked further into the idea, there was a planning phase and about a year ago the first plan was submitted to a bank. It should also be noted that the two had to plan everything after their work or at the weekend. Of course, certain requirements of the public order and health department must also be observed, PCs, consoles, games and other equipment also need to be financed. None of this is done in passing. It is accordingly praiseworthy that the two are now actually going through with their project. This can only be an advantage in order to serve e-sports and e-gaming to a wider audience. We will definitely support them here and continue to pursue the entire project and who knows, maybe in spring 2019 in Cologne's Friesenviertel you will see each other for a delicious burger and an exciting match on the PC afterwards. Or you can just relax and borrow a board game (this is also possible!) And let the evening fade away. If you like it a little more turbulent, you should visit the weekly e-sports tournaments, as of the current planning.
