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Theater Morphing Into Multi-Player Gaming Arena

Posted by timothy on from the leaving-the-basement dept.

J3zmund writes "This article highlights the attempt by ESports Arena to bring gaming to the masses. They're building what looks like a command center with gaming equipment, comfy chairs, and big screens to follow the action. For the price of a movie, patrons can frag to their hearts' content for 2 hours (extra time available, of course). This could sprawn some interesting events (once gaming goes beyond 'kill'). With The Sims ready to go online this month, it could open this up to a much larger audience than the "young males" they currently identify. How 'bout some Sim Rocky Horror Online Saturday nights..."

12 of 195 comments (clear)

  1. Popular games changed.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I would hate to see popular games like say counter strike or BF 1942 changed (ie terrorists and nazis removed) just for the sake of mainstreaming.

    as for the sims /me shudders

    1. Re:Popular games changed.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      I would assume they would do some kind of ID checking at the door (maybe kids can go in if sent in with a parent). Saves money from having to develop a modified mainstream version of the game, and saves the game makers/theater things a lot of heat from hardcore gamers.

  2. i always thought this was a good idea by johnstein · · Score: 2, Interesting

    just imagine. going to the local 'game theater'. paying your 10 bucks or so. then getting in a flight simulator type game along with 30 other gamers and fighting against each other, deathmatch style or cap the flag style or completing missions.

    esp when VR becomes a bit more of a reality. i am kinda surprised this hasn't happened sooner.

    --
    "The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing and hoping for different results"
  3. The cost of upgrading by Gyorg_Lavode · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Gaming environments such as these will rely on having better and more hardware than home users have. How will this affect their business model when they have to upgrade their hardware every 6 months to be able to play the newest games? Also, will they be buying 20 to 30 licenses of every game that comes out that is heavily played? I am interested in the cost of sustaining such a complex focused at gaming.

    --
    I do security
  4. Ugh, another thing I can't do.... by joel8x · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This sounds like it will be another case of Simulator Sickness on a grand scale for me. Anyone else who suffers from this knows that since the dawn of Doom, video gaming has been a nightmare for us. I used to play hours upon hours of video games when it was just nice side-scrolling or over-the-head aspects. Now after about 40 seconds of Unreal I'm ready to pass out. The majority of games that come out now that are worth anything are 3D, and I can only manage to play very few of them.

    --
    Sound waves should be free!
    1. Re:Ugh, another thing I can't do.... by SageLikeFool · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I can't remember where, but I recall American Mcgee (creator of Alice, Level Designer on Doom2, Quake2 and maybe a few other id games) saying that FPS games such as the ones he made levels for gave him motion sickness/simulator sickness. His solution was to make the viewing area as small as possible (usually done by pressing the "-" key in many games). Most FPS games that I know of allow you to do this. I doubt making the view smaller will help everybody, but it may be worth a try if you experience this.

  5. The Catch by SmartGamer · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'd observe that there's a little problem with this theory: a lot of people won't pay 1/5 the cost of a game just to play it for two hours with people they know. Perhaps for 2h. with people they don't- but then, that's what netplay is for.

    A version which would be far more likely to be succesful would be where the games are exclusive to the "gamevie halls-" not released to the public yet, and it won't be until it goes out of the game theatres. (Sort of like movies that go to home video, as opposed to those released to video the day they go to the movie theatre. Which gets a better turnout?)

    --
    Warning: Poster of this comment is a nerd. Just like everybody else here.
    1. Re:The Catch by ottffssent · · Score: 3, Interesting

      1. Spend $10.00 (plus tax) to go to a rennovated theatre and play a game that you already own at home for a limited time, but you're good at it and know you'll do great

      2. Spend $10.00 (plus tax) to go to a rennovated theatre and play a game that is not availible through any other legal channel, knowing you've never played it before (unless you've gone before) and aren't sure what you're in for, so you might stink in public at something new


      I think you're asking the wrong questions. Would you rather

      1) spend $1000+ per year keeping your hardware top-notch or
      2) spend $10 every now and then for a quick game?

      The people asking this set of questions are the ones they're targeting.
      --
      High-speed Road Trip (18.000KPH)
  6. Re:article kinda pissed me off by Jace+of+Fuse! · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Plus you have to pay.

    Some of the biggest Lan Parties I've been to had admission charges, though they were for the entire weekend.

    Oh, and seeing Halo matches on networked XBoxes isn't uncommon at some Lan Parties.

    --

    "Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"

    Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.
  7. Couldn't have picked a better place myself by rmckeethen · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If this is going to succeed anywhere, San Diego's Gaslamp district is probably one of the better places to start. I live in San Diego, and I can tell you that the Pacific Theater is dead center of one of the biggest party zones outside of Los Angeles. Add that to the very high local population of 18 to 24-year olds from all the local colleges, universities and the Navy and Marine bases, and you've got what looks like a good chance of making a buck or two.

    Personally, I wish them success. I wouldn't mind giving it a try myself. It will be interesting to see just what they've got set up come January.

  8. brilliant by katalyst · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This is a brilliant concept. There was a 3d game called Chasm-The Rift, which enabled the server to actually split the display into 4 quadrants , so that one could see the players fragging each other - i guess it was ahead of its time. I wonder how they are gonna make the costing work ; will they charge the same as a movie ticket for 2 hrs of gameplay? And why only consoles ? Why not PCs ? I guess we'll have publishers like EA sponsering events, with banners (and maybe pompom girls) all over the place. I'd be spending the better part of my weekend at such a venue !!!!

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    |/________
    |\A|ALYS|
  9. We have this in Kuwait for 3 years by slovin8 · · Score: 1, Interesting

    You pay 2KD per hour (about $6) and you can frag as much as you want. These shops (refered to locally as "dungeons") are quite popular and most of them run 24hours. Though, I've only seen them running counter strike and few strategy games thus far.