13 play stations… over 40 video titles… open 24 hours — welcome to Game Space, the newly opened uber-cool gaming lounge at Dubai airport. The lounge, which opened last month, is one of its kind in the region and fast becoming a favourite among the millions of passengers passing through DXB.
“We have had quite a mix bag of customers,” said Julie Donkerque, general manager of Game Space. “There are professional gamers who have come in and we have had children and young adults who bring their parents to play together. It is quite interesting to see the wide range of people from different nationalities using our facility. It is like as if gaming unites people across borders and ages.”
Located at Gate B of Terminal 3, Game Space is open 24×7 and offers a variety of packages to travellers. Starting from 30 minutes to unlimited hours daily, the lounge also has F&B offerings and gaming equipment on sale.
Gaming for 48 hours straight
One of the first guests that Game Space welcomed took the unlimited package and played for 48 hours straight. “We were not expecting that,” said Julie. “It was the first week we had opened, and we were not really sure how long people would spend time gaming. This customer came in with his bags. He was supposed to have a connection flight in 24 hours, but the flight got delayed so he paid for another day of unlimited gaming and just continued playing for 48 hours. That is the longest anyone has stayed so far.”
Game Space has also hosted world-class players within its premises. Italian player Daniel Madonia dropped by the lounge while returning from Bali after the World Esports championship where he was placed second worldwide. Not only did he enjoy gaming but also posed for a photograph with staff there.
The lounge, which has space for solo and multiplayer gaming consoles, has a family friendly area with suitable games that younger children can play. There is also a 16+ adult section which has different sets of games. The multiplayer areas are equipped with 50-inch screen to provide the most engaging gaming experience.
“Some people play, leave their bags and then take a stroll through the airport before coming back to play some more,” Julie said. “For a lot of families, Game Space is also the perfect way to entertain their kids while they do some shopping.”
Staff at the lounge say they always try to check with customers about the timing of their connecting flight to remind them to make it to their gates on time.
With lights that change according to the time of the day, the interiors of the lounge set the mood for a high adrenaline gaming environment.
Republic of Gamers (ROG), a subsidiary of ASUS and a brand known for creating some of the best gaming equipment, has provided key hardware for 20 of the gaming stations at the lounge. They have also played a part in designing the interiors of the space.
“We have basically tried to recreate the world of gaming in ROG within Game Space,” said Esther Roy, marketing specialist of ASUS. “So, for example, we have picked an image from the gaming world on the wall called the ROG Shop. That is where we have stacked our equipment which is on sale in the shop. We just want people to have that full experience inside the lounge.”
Titles available at Game Space include Fortnite®, League of Legends®, Gran Turismo™ 7 and Crash Bandicoot™.
