Games get plenty of room at new Henrietta center
After 15 years with a construction company, Rob Harrington was more than ready for a change.
Amid a floundering economy, the Spencerport resident decided in February to start a business and move into a field that had always interested him: video games.
“Video gaming and computer gaming is a billion-dollar industry,” said Harrington, 35. “They put more money into games now than they do movies.”
In June, he opened Cyberstorm Premier Gaming Center in Henrietta Townline Plaza. A 6,000-square-foot facility, the center features more than 50 computer gaming stations, along with plenty of console games.
Like other such centers, Cyberstorm provides gamers with a location to play together. The center features leather lounge seating and 40-inch TVs.
“I think gamers by nature are social,” Harrington said. “Instead of sitting by yourself Friday or Saturday night, there’s a place where you can come and play with 30, 40 or 50 people.”
Cyberstorm’s opening adds another gaming center to Henrietta. Arena 51, which is run mostly by Rochester Institute of Technology alumni, is located in Jefferson Plaza, but the owners hope to move to a smaller location in the plaza.
Kelvin Peek, a manager with Arena 51, said the center has struggled lately and needs new computers. The managers hope a new location will allow them to buy more equipment and cut rates.
“The economy is really affecting our business,” Peek said. “The main reason why we’re moving is because the rent here is really high. We can’t really afford to buy new stuff like we used to.”
Overall, gaming centers are still doing well, said Mark Nielsen, president of iGames Inc., a California-based company that supports and promotes game centers. Nielsen estimated the total number of centers in North America at 700 to 1,000.
He said the market for video games is expanding as some gamers grow older while young gamers keep coming in. However, the rate of new game center openings has slowed, mainly because potential entrepreneurs have been unable to find funding.
Nielsen said he still thinks now is a good time to open a game center because they provide inexpensive entertainment.
To help his business get off to a good start, Harrington plans to hold a grand opening July 11. New users get two hours free at Cyberstorm. The typical rate is $3 to $4 an hour for members and $4 to $5 an hour for nonmembers. A yearly membership costs $20.
Cyberstorm is also offering a “refer-a-friend” program, where customers can get a free hour for every person they bring in.
Jaclyn Pinnell, a longtime video game fan, visited Cyberstorm for the first time recently with her husband, Daniel. She decided to buy a yearly membership.
“It’s not set up like a typical gaming place,” she said. “The lights are really cool, and the furniture is amazing.”
