Video Game Center to Open in Southern Indiana
InsideINdianaBusiness.com updated: 10/2/2008 3:18:03 PM
eBash Video Game Center is excited to announce the opening of its third location in Evansville, Indiana in November. The store will be the company's first franchise location sold to Eden Games LLC which is owned and operated by Alan "Drew" Heckert. eBash completed its franchise filing with the State of Indiana in late 2007 and the Evansville location is the first franchise sold. Five more franchise locations are expected to open up in Indiana and other Midwest states in 2009.
The Evansville location will have almost 5,000 square feet featuring 40 Xbox 360 stations and 30 Gaming Computers along with 8 Playstation and 4 Nintendo Wii stations. All systems are connected together and online through fiber optic Internet lines to provide the social playing experience customers cannot duplicate at home. The store will also feature buying and selling both new and used games along with systems and accessories which is a recent addition to the eBash experience.
eBash president Zack Johnson explains: "We are continually amazed and blessed by how this industry has grown. Video games now reach both male and female audiences in a demographic much wider than the stereotypical teenager. We have witnessed the shift firsthand from the past in which kids played alone in their rooms but are now coming out and playing as a group and having fun. With high gas prices and the economic slow down, people are turning even more to video games as their choice for engaging entertainment."
At eBash, players purchase time to play and can chose games from an enormous game library. As an entertainment alternative to common weekend activities, the most popular product is 3 hours of game play for only $10. Many times, large corporations will sponsor events which are free to the players if they spend time trying out new games. The most popular titles include: Guitar Hero, Rockband, World of Warcraft, Halo, Call of Duty, Gears of War and Counterstrike.
Evansville franchise owner Drew Heckert explains, "When considering the options for starting my own store or partnering with eBash as a franchise owner it quickly became clear where I would have the best chance to succeed. eBash has a proven business model, technical solutions and amazing personnel that will make our store in Evansville a huge success. Their programs that help sponsor organizations like Big Brother/Big Sister, Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts and local church youth groups have really opened up people's eyes to how interactive and fun video games can be for groups. I am looking forward to events such as the youth from area churches playing for free on Thursday nights. I understand how this industry can help to break down social barriers."
The events held at eBash really pull everyone together. Bloomington, Indiana eBash manager Danny Taladay elaborates: "eBash has organized over $500,000 in cash tournaments and events in the past 3 years sponsored by our own company and other national companies. These events range from large cash tournaments to overnight parties for new game releases offering free pizza and drinks. As eBash continues to grow and expand, the customers are the ones who benefit as companies want them to try out their new games or continue to play older, classic titles. The future is very bright for video game players at eBash."
About eBash:
eBash was founded in 2004 by Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology graduate Zack Johnson inside a warehouse in Terre Haute, Indiana. In 2006 Zack partnered with Shawn Wells, Phil Farmer and Luke Galloway and eBash became a subsidiary of Terre Haute Holding Company. With 3 stores they now have over 15,000 registered customers and over 12,500 square feet of Video Game Utopia where players can experience high-speed gaming on over 150 Xbox 360, 70 Gaming Computers, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii stations. Teams and players can compete recreationally or competitively in events sponsored by companies like Intel, nVidia, Microsoft and Sony. eBash completed its filing for franchise rights in the fall of 2007 and has plans of opening future company-owned and franchise-owned locations in 2008 and 2009 throughout Indiana and eventually other areas in the Midwest and around the United States.
Source: eBash
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