Justin Hanson started custom building computers in his home when he was 14.
 Tabitha Wade, Justin Wade and Ryan Carlson of Brandon play "World of Warcraft" during an all-night lock-in at Gamers Computer Arcades LLC. (Inertia/for the SFBJ)
This isn’t what the young entrepreneur had in mind after he graduated from Sioux Falls Lincoln High School. Hanson intended to become a video-game programmer, and he earned a two-year associate’s degree in that field at Seattle.
But after Hanson returned to Sioux Falls and opened Gamers to generate an income that would help his pursuits, programming dropped off the priority list for both him and his business partner at the time, Taylor Clark.
“This is so much work and so much fun that we quit focusing on programming games,” he said.
Clark has returned to game programming, leaving Hanson as sole owner of the two-year-old business. He has two employees. The majority of his customers are high school students, ages 15 to 18. The youngest is 10, and the oldest is older than 60.
They come to play video games on 20 lightning-fast computers, all custom built by Hanson, who also has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Colorado Technical University. The computers are equipped with high-sensitivity gaming mice and 19-inch flat-panel monitors.
The building’s windows are tinted, the lights are dim, and the walls are coated with Ralph Lauren tournament-blue paint.
Cold-cathode tubes cast a blue glow through the windows of the computer towers. Players sit in comfortable leather massage chairs that aren’t plugged in.
On Friday nights, players arrive for all-night lock-ins. A session lasts from 10 p.m. until 7 the next morning. Players age 18 or older are allowed to leave but can’t return. Those younger than 18 must call home and get a ride before they’re allowed to leave.
It’s not uncommon for the business to have two dozen players for a lock-in, with several customers bringing their own computers. Weeknights, when students have homework and other activities, customers are more sparse.
Hanson said he hasn’t had any problems with players arriving drunk or high on drugs. That has surprised and pleased him.
Hanson said he saw LanWerX gaming arcades in Seattle and thought a similar concept would catch on in Sioux Falls.
“I thought it would be a good idea,” he said. “There’s not a lot for teen-agers to do.”
The social aspect is the biggest attraction to players.
Joe Hovland, 20, of Sioux Falls has been a regular customer since Gamers opened. He shows up about every other day to play “Counter-Strike,” “Battlefield” or “Halo” with six or seven friends. It’s better than playing at home, he said.
“It’s a lot more fun when you’re with your friends and can yell at each other,” Hovland said. “There’s a lot more interaction.”
Friends can play against one another, or individually, or as teams competing online against others. The computers are fast and so is the Internet connection, which is T1, Hovland said.
“That makes the experience more enjoyable,” he said. “I wasn’t into PC games at all, then Gamers opened. I got addicted.”
Gamers has a small number of female players. Melissa Prince, a Roosevelt High School senior, is a regular customer who plays every other day.
“I’ve come here since they opened,” Prince said. “I worked right next door and got interested in it. I like it better than playing at home all by myself. The social aspect is nice.”
Prince said she grew up in “an electronic-centered home” and her parents support her interest in the gaming center. Her favorite games are “Counter-Strike Source” and “World of Warcraft.” The latter is played by thousands of players online at one time, Hanson said.
Customers can choose from more than 20 computer games. They also can play Xbox on large TVs in the middle of the room.
Prince said she has been impressed by the way Hanson has upgraded all of the computers to keep up with technological advances.
Hanson said it’s necessary to keep upgrading with faster, newer equipment. He said upkeep and upgrades aren’t too labor-intensive, but installation of a new game can take several hours.
Because the computers he replaces are still faster than most on the market, he can sell them to game enthusiasts for $500 each. He even has a waiting list.
The Gamers file
Location: 2425 S. Shirley Ave., in the River Plaza strip mall south of Century Theatres
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, noon to 11 p.m.; Saturdays, noon to 1 a.m.; Fridays, noon opening and all-night lock-in from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Saturday
Prices: $4 an hour or $10 for three hours; $14 for an all-day pass; $20 for a lock-in; a $10 monthly membership reduces the rates
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