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Video Game Parties, On The Move [Tyler Morning Telegraph, Texas](Tyler Morning Telegraph (TX) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Feb. 20--Tired of the usual pizza arcades or bounce houses for your birthday party? Germaine Smith, of Flint, will bring his mobile video game party theater straight to you. The idea of GameLAN was created when Smith and a few friends were trying to come up with an idea to offer something different than the usual birthday party events. After seeing the concept in larger cities, they decided to start one in Tyler. Smith's 20-foot enclosed trailer has four 50-inch flat-screen televisions and couch seating inside a climate-controlled setting, with two additional built-in televisions on the outside of the trailer. About 12 to 16 kids can play games inside the trailer at one time, depending on their age, and four to eight people can play on the televisions built into the outside of the trailer. Smith grew up without video games in his home but played them at friends' houses whenever he got the chance. And although he played a lot of video games in college, after starting his business, he ironically doesn't have a lot of time to spend on the pastime. But he does play for "research and development" purposes, to keep up with what is going on with new games. "It's always been something I've enjoyed," he said. "It's a growing industry that's only going to get more popular. I thought it would be a good idea to have a video game party that would come to you." GameLAN is a side business for Smith, who is a full-time corporate financial analyst. A Mount Pleasant native, Smith studied math and graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1997, and received his masters of business administration from LeTourneau University in 2007. He said he believes GameLAN is the only one of its kind in the area. The name of the business is a play on Game Land and the LAN stands for local area network. Smith is always adding new games to his lineup and offers about 30 to 40 games for the Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3 and Microsoft XBox. He said he carries the most popular games on all the systems and will take requests for a party for games he might not have if given advance notice. Games he offers include Halo, Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Call of Duty, Wii Sports, Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, Sonic, Madden, FIFA, NBA Live, Just Dance and Baja Racing. Smith sees mostly children, ages 8 to 12, rent his mobile party machine but has also held events for adults and teenagers, who are into the Modern Warfare or Halo parties. Smith, with the help of his friends and from the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, started the business in August. GameLAN serves the Smith County area and is available for birthday parties, special events, fundraisers and festivals. "We come right to you," he said. The mobile business is self-efficient, running on a generator with indoor heat and air conditioning. It can be rented for an hour or two, or for an all day function, and can be parked on your street or in your driveway, he said. Geoff Baldwin is the GameLAN game coach who hosts and supervises each event. Smith said business has really started to pick up this year; it stays busy with three or four events every weekend. Smith said he and his wife of 11 years, Machelle, are both from East Texas and chose to move to Tyler because they like the area and he wanted to start a business here. "There's nothing really like it and the area is growing," he said. Smith and his wife have a 5-year-old son Xavier. Smith likes to know at least two weeks in advance from people who want to book his business for an event, but said he will always take jobs if he has the availability. They can do four to five events in one day, he added. GameLAN starts out at $140 for one hour and $240 for two hours but special prices are available for longer events, he said. To book an event or for more information, call 903-526-9830 or visit www.gamelanparty.com CHAMBER RADIO SHOW Tyler Chamber Radio's business news show this week will feature Robert Lewis, training coordinator of Tyler Junior College's Small Business Development Center. Businesses will include PaperPlus, Lamar Outdoor Advertising and Verizon Wireless, Broadway Store. The nonprofit organization will be Mercy Ships. From 3- to 10 p.m. Tuesday, both Smashburgers in Tyler will hold fundraisers, with 15 percent of all sales going to Mercy Ships. The radio show will be posted under the business tab at TylerPaper.com. To see more of the Tyler Morning Telegraph or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to www.tylerpaper.com. Copyright (c) 2011, Tyler Morning Telegraph, Texas Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544) |