Technology is ever-evolving and some might reckon, far too rapidly for most to keep pace with. In gaming and eSports, one of the biggest challenges facing casual and amateur gamers is the need to update games and other software and hardware to the latest versions.
Doing so comes at a cost, and at times the updated versions might not be to the liking of the gamer either. While a few gamers are able to set up gaming studios in their own homes to push on and make eSports a possible career, a casual gamer might not possess those deep pockets needed to do that.
eSports lounges, as they are called in the USA or eSports arenas, as they are referred to in the UK, could come handy in such cases.
So what are these eSports lounges/arenas, who can use them and what are the pros and cons associated with them?
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What is an eSports Lounge?
Much like the cyber cafes in the early days of the internet boom, an eSports Lounge is a venue where the company owning the lounge can run eSports events for dozens of gaming fans at one go.
Over the years, as the popularity of eSports has grown and it has become a billion-dollar industry, there has been a spurt in the set-up of such lounges as well. Take the example of GameWorks, a company which has set up lounges in multiple locations in the USA.
GameWorks has its lounges in Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Las Vegas, Seattle and a few other locations where eSports fans, whether a casual gamer or a hardened pro, can compete with each other.
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And companies like GameWorks offer a lot more than just gaming; it’s a solid, overall experience which includes dining options and the ability to book events like kid parties, corporate events, private events and most importantly eSports competitions like the High School eSports League.
About 100 game titles are available for those wanting to try their hands out at GameWorks, right from the most famous ones to some obscure but potentially exciting.
So if you spend many hours a week playing or watching the streaming of eSports games and that is exactly your definition of a fun night, then eSports lounges and arenas are just for you.
How Does an eSports Lounge Work?
It’s quite simple actually. If you are a casual gamer looking to try out some of the new games but not spend too much money on them or if you are a group of friends wanting to fight it out among yourself for bragging rights or even if you are a professional player wanting to fine-tune your skills but don’t have the equipment readily available, you can book yourself your desired number of hours with any of the closest eSports lounges around you.
Typically these can be booked on a per hour cost basis but if you are lucky you could also get yourself a discount on longer booking times or as promotional offers for newly-opened lounges.
On the other hand, the popularity of eSports could help big corporate events get hosted at lounges like these too as mentioned earlier with GameWorks.
Similarly, you can book yourself in for whatever time you want and watch some of the players fight it out in eSports competitions as well. Get yourself a drink and snacks and make yourself comfortable watching gamers along with other eSports fanatics, giving you a chance to socialize with them too!
Other Famous eSports Lounges…or Arenas!
As mentioned earlier, eSports Lounges in the UK are known as eSports Arenas and the biggest company running this is Belong Gaming Arenas.
At the time of writing, Belong Gaming Arenas were present in 20 locations across the UK, and fans can book their sessions online at their website, Belong.gg. eSports fans need to choose the arena location, date, number of players and the number of hours for which they want to book it.
Players can participate in arena clashes online, or take part in tournaments organized by the Belong Gaming Arenas with the schedule mentioned on their website.
There are other big-brand, local lounges too. Take the example of the Gamers World Lounge, which is located in California, which have mentioned their hourly gaming rates mentioned here. At the time of writing, in 2020, these were $10/hour with discounts for longer times like $25 for All-Day Pass.
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In 2019, Topgolf, which has more than 50 golf driving ranges in the USA, announced they would create these lounges at six of them with a provision for options not too different from what the likes of Game Works, with brilliant seating and excellent food options.
Two of the main reasons for this change in the direction for a company which used to cater to golfing fans include the fact they already have a solid customer-base and along with that, they would like to tap into the growing popularity of eSports.
Other such gaming arenas include Nerd Street Gamers, Encore Gaming and Simplicity eSports. Interestingly, the concept of these lounges is catching up around the world and even in a country like India, which has been a late entrant into the eSports industry boom, there are gaming cafes like the Clan Gaming sprouting up.
Pros & Cons of eSports Lounges and Arenas
As mentioned earlier, not everybody can afford the cost of the games and equipment to quench the gaming thirst. Sure, there are free versions of games one can try out online, but nothing like playing the whole thing and paying a small fraction of a cost.
The other issue associated with having gaming set up at home is the need for excellent hardware and a consistent and solid internet connection. Hardware adds to the cost and internet connections can deliver inconsistent speeds and at times be dodgy.
Companies running lounges for eSports have high-speed corporate plans which usually don’t have any such issues associated with them.
The problem, however, is if you are aiming to make a career out of gaming and need regular practice or streaming, the costs could quickly mount up. Gaming for serious gamers at such lounges, as a result, could become untenable as an option.
In the Covid19 era, there are other issues as well. It’s obviously more difficult to expect gamers to visit such lounges, but more so, the challenges for these lounge-owners to continue running operations despite falling capacities and continuing operational costs is a tough gig.
Plus, the onus would now be on these business owners to ensure the containment of the spread of the virus with appropriate measures in place, thereby increasing the costs further.
What about Professional eSports Gamers?
While arenas and lounges are excellent opportunities for casual gamers to get into the groove of things, professional gamers require stiffer competition than the one these offer. Typically they need to play against fellow competitive gamers, who might not be found in lounges, so it’s best they find themselves practice arenas which offer such a competition.
Some lounges like AxisReplay offer such options where monthly passes also allow you access to unlimited PC time along with console and tabletop gaming, and an option to paid parking for the period you have your pass.
Conclusion
Whether eSports lounges are here to stay or just a fad is something to watch, especially in the Covid19 and post-Covid19 world. However, with the eSports industry booming the way it is, the demand for such venues has skyrocketed in recent times and can be expected to keep showing a similar graph for a few years at the very least.
