Movistar Game Club and the disorder of the Middle Ages

During the darkest period of the pandemic, in the midst of lockdown in 2020, many of us had to take refuge in activities to avoid going crazy. Some learned to bake bread, others to play board games, Zoom rolls became fashionable and others, like one, took refuge in the video games .

We are talking in particular about online video games which, although they have been around since the 90s, with games like StarCraft, Counterattack either Unreal Tournamentin the time of Covid-19 They have gained popularity for several reasons : we had more time to spend at home, many of them they are free and, furthermore, by allowing communication via the microphone, a connection was always maintained. human communication .

In my case, this game was Fortnite a shooter and construction title initially released in 2017 and which quickly became one of the most popular games in the world, especially for the children’s audience . However, and especially thanks to the pandemic, Fortnite This has also started to develop in adults : It’s a game with a much easier learning curve that others like War zone, It’s free and also cross-platform which means that four players using different consoles can play on the same computer without any problems.

Over time, Epic Games has embraced this new generation of players by introducing collaborations with characters from the 90s generation and even create a new game mode focused solely on shooting, without building, as a way to separate the waters between the younger ones, who love building structures, and the older ones who are just in it for the bullets.

And just as the game has remained relevant all this time through constant changes and revisions, what has never changed is the gaming group. team the name given to the group of four players who jump from a flying bus to an island to be the last survivors, has remained in force and has been, for some time, the main means of communication between this group of friends.

Between bullets, grenades and explosions, the team enriched itself with intimate jokes, love dramas, work discussions, film reviews and contingent comments. Basically, the same thing that is said during a Happy Hour but via a console and a set of microphones and headphones.

Yet, during these four years of friendship and brotherhood, I think we met 3, maybe 4 times outside the virtual world. The Oasis as it is also called in reference to the digital space of Ready Player One, but also to function efficiently like this: a lagoon in the middle of the desert that does not need traditional interaction to remain flourishing.

But when we received an invitation from the Movistar Gaming Club to go and test their facilities, it quickly became a perfect excuse to combine in one place a meeting of comrades with brotherly hugs and also to be able to enjoy a few games of Fortnite under the same roof. Something that until now was unthinkable, given that to realize this idea in a space we would need four televisions, four consoles, an Internet that supports all this and no matter how much of a gaming fan one is, it is not that big of an agreement.

The seat of Mall Plaza Vespucio It is the flagship store of a format that already has four stores : two in Santiago, one in Concepción and another in Antofagasta and with the upcoming opening of a Club in Huechuraba. The Mallplaza Vespucio Club is a space of a thousand square meters that has 60 gaming computers , 2 private rooms , another room to broadcast , a sand where they usually hold competitive events and gamer world launches and what interested us the most, 8 seasons for those of us who play console games equipped with PlayStation 5, OLED TVs and comfortable chairs for pain-free gaming.

The system works through game passes with which you can use the club’s facilities for a certain period of time. One hour costs $4,500, 2 hours $7,000 and 3 hours $9,000 . All this thanks to a reservation system that guarantees that there will be the necessary machines to play with your companions. In our case, we needed four consoles, which had been waiting for us since 11 o’clock sharp in the morning.

The day before our visit had been the change of season for Fortniteso some consoles were always updated. The list of pre-installed games we can know it in advance, and there we decided to spend a little more time playing Mortal Combat either Street Fighter. Oddly enough, this was perhaps the only time the group meeting seemed truly lively, other than when we stopped for a quick burger.

And as you can imagine, four people each play on their TV, with their own headphones to be able to converse better in a group and also isolate from the noise of what is happening outside. It’s very similar to playing at home. . In fact, apart from the fact that I was playing on a PS5 and not the Xbox I have at home and thanks to the good lighting in the place, the gaming experience was not much different.

Sure, I’m someone who’s invested in their gaming station. A single person who can dedicate their living room to having a chair, an OLED screen and a state-of-the-art console. But for those who are used to playing on Switch, PS4 or an older PC, sure, the value of experience is greater . Those who may have a console located in an office or smaller space and a chair instead of specialty furniture also appreciate it.

But above all, managing the coexistence that also exists when sharing a house and, as often happens, playing until late. Again, as the privileged one of the group to lead a life of twenty-somethings when in reality I am approaching forty, I can scream and scribble in front of the television as much as I deem appropriate, but for friends of the families, being able to be in a place exclusively dedicated to gaming. It takes a weight off your shoulders.

And I have to say that in those conditions, the team did well. We were winning more than average because there was more concentration, more laughter and also the motivation of knowing that we were all together, even if we continued to talk into the microphone and everything that happened was on a screen. And it’s funny how a game that has become routine, just by changing the space where it is played, can give the impression of breaking out of the routine. My competitive spirit was happy to finally have my team without worries, without having to be silent to receive a call or listen to a 5-minute audio even less the having to log out because of falling asleep after a long day at work.

But I also understand that, even though it was a different experience, it is also not a place for one. Those who can get the most out of it are ultimately competitive gamers who need a place to meet and train, like it used to happen in the days of Internet Cafes, but with a nice space and cutting-edge equipment. It is a place to organize events . That day, for example, in one of the front rooms there was a birthday party that I imagine must have been the perfect solution for a family that wants to celebrate with video games but without having to host anything at home. And of course, a space to watch the events (that day there was one of the League of Legends which we managed to escape from before it started).

In any case, if you want to use it as an escape for a group of players, the other alternative is to go to a themed bar and there you know that what you play is not as much as what you eat or drink. And in this case, it is something that, for those to whom my story seems familiar, I recommend doing it at least once, because play for three hours straight without any worries more than just eliminating rivals from the front and partying with your friends like you’re a teenager is something that silently all of us who are already in the final stretch before reaching 40 years old we aspire to live again .