Game away from home

By Jim Van Slyke

Special to The Virginian-Pilot

Today’s arcades don’t take quarters. Nobody leaves cigarette burns on the machines. And you don’t win a stuffed animal if you outscore everyone.

“Please, please, please don’t call this an arcade,” said Linda Mowery, co-owner of Hi Score, an all-console “gaming center” that opened last month in Chesapeake.

Hi Score and places like it are putting down stakes all over Hampton Roads. Some are dedicated to just computers or consoles, while others offer a mix.

Across the United States

The number of video gaming centers in the United States isn’t clear, but iGames Inc., a game center industry organization, counts 900 game centers in 20 countries as members. If Hampton Roads is any indication, those numbers are growing.

“The game centers started on the West Coast, and then they started popping up in and around the bigger cities in Florida and Texas,” said Mark Nielsen, executive director at iGames, headquartered in Silicon Valley. “While there have been a few game centers in Virginia for a while, it’s grown at a much faster rate in recent years.”

In its golden years – otherwise known as the 1980s and 1990s – the arcade was the place to see the latest and greatest video games. “Space Invaders” and “Pac-Man” were arcade blockbusters before moving into homes on the Atari 2600.

Why leave home?

It seems odd that gamers who could play “Halo 3” or “Call of Duty 4” in their pajamas on their couches would want to leave home to pay to play games by the hour. Especially when they can play many of their games – console or PC – online.

The social aspect is a big part of why gamers venture out, according to Jeremy Thompson, an Old Dominion University junior and occasional gamer who drops in at the CyberCriter Internet Lounge in Norfolk.

“Gamers have this reputation for hibernating, but that’s not always the case,” Thompson said. “Before I found (CyberCriter), my high school buddies and I would drag our computers over to one guy’s house and play all day in his dining room. I’m glad I don’t have to do that anymore.”

And it reaches beyond gaming buddies.

“Video games aren’t just for teenagers anymore; they are also something families are doing together,” Mowery said.

Test drives

Gamers also like to visit places like Hi Score and CyberCriter because they can test out the newest games and gaming accessories. With many top games costing $50 to $60, it makes sense to visit a game center and try out a bunch to see what is worth buying.

Parties

Computer-centered places like CyberCriter often host tournaments for specific games such as World of Warcraft, as well as “lock-ins” where gamers can swing their swords and shoot their guns all night long.

Hi Score also hosts parties and lock-ins but with a more family-friendly feel.

Arcade on wheels

One game center in Hampton Roads is willing to come to your front door. GamerBUS is an RV with 16 system-linked Xbox 360s and 16 high-definition 23-inch widescreen televisions.

Greg Weate, co-owner of GamerBUS, had the idea after his 16-year-old son’s birthday party a couple of years ago.

“My son’s friends came over with their Xboxes and TVs and we linked them all together,” Weate said. “They played all day long and had a lot of fun, but it was a hassle to put together and take down. The GamerBUS provides all the fun without any of the hassle.”

The future

“U.S. game centers need to do things to differentiate themselves,” iGames’ Nielsen said. “They have to bring awareness to what they have, put on events that draw people out of their homes and away from their home computers and consoles and become the movie theaters of the game industry.

“If we can do things such as get games earlier than their official release or beta versions, I think the game centers will be in good shape. Having special events at these centers really is the key. Just having games to play probably isn’t enough.”