Opening on December 1st: PLAYlive Nation in Annapolis, MD




If you're a tabletop or video gamer who lives in the Baltimore and Washington DC area, you're in luck. A new location of the PLAYlive Nation social gaming lounge is holding its grand opening celebration at noon on December 1st at the Westfield Annapolis Mall in Maryland. The Annapolis location will be the first PLAYlive Nation in the state, as well as the first PLAYlive Nation along in the northeastern coast of the U.S.

I've never been to a PLAYlive Nation lounge but from what I've seen online, it offers a unique spin on the concept of video game arcades. Instead of a business that's lined wall-to-wall with coin-op cabinets, PLAYlive features rows of Xbox One consoles that groups can reserve to play the latest games. Players can compete against each other, and gaming tournaments are held regularly. Tables are present for gamers who prefer to play non-digital games that are available at the store, games such as Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh. PLAYlive locations also sell a selection of gaming supplies, apparel, and pop culture collectibles.


The PLAYlive Nation location at the Westfield Annapolis Mall in Maryland.


I'm excited to see this kind of business taking off within the video game market. I remember when coin-op arcades at shopping malls were a big deal for promoting video games in the '70s, '80s, and '90s. That kind of business disappeared as the later generations gaming consoles and the internet cornered the gaming market, leaving Chuck E. Cheese and Dave and Buster's as the few brick-and-mortar businesses left for social video gaming. With the popularity of current console gaming titles such as Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds that encourage competition between gamers, I that it's a brilliant idea for a business like PLAYlive to take this kind of gaming and put it back into a setting that encourages social interactions and the formation of local gaming communities.

To learn more about the PLAYlive location at the Westfield Annapolis Mall, check out its Facebook page. Additional information about PLAYlive Nation is available on its official web site.



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