Club Exa Gamers Lounge to Open Later This Year

World Game Circus and Show Me Holdings announced September 29 that Club Exa Gamers Lounge will open in Tokyo, Japan, by the end of this year.

This location will be stocked with approximately 20 cabinets boasting low-latency 4K monitors and running Exa-Arcadia games.

Previous reporting by Arcade Heroes reveals that Exa-Arcadia’s game floor will host neither cranes nor revenue-share-based titles, both hallmarks of the “typical Japanese arcade.”

This is about all we have to go on for now, but the news is super exciting just the same. I see Exa-Arcadia as an “underdog” of sorts among Japanese arcade giants like Sega and Taito. The more they can do to gain a firm footing in the market, the better.

What I’d really like to see is this concept make its way to the United States. While game developers running their own locations is common in Japan, the practice is not one we see too often on this side of the world. Heck, the only examples I can come up with off the top of my head are Sega’s GameWorks chain and Namco’s various outlets across the country.

My Stateside point of view certainly shouldn’t be the “end-all and be-all” either. I’m sure plenty of international markets could greatly benefit from Exa-Arcadia planting their roots abroad. The United Kingdom comes to my mind right away.

Of course, this is purely wishful thinking on my part. Am I merely attempting to pad out an otherwise itty-bitty news piece? You bet your beard I am—and I feel no shame whatsoever for my actions.

For now, Tokyo-based gamers have something truly special to which they can look forward. Join my Discord server for the latest arcade updates, okay? Thanks, kid.