For example, you’d play at a local event on a Saturday that we host at Open World Gaming, and we would have so many people qualify at our LAN center. There are actually built-in events through them that you play. You create an account, and they will automatically track stats on League of Legends, DOTA, Fortnite, and (soon to be) Teamfight Tactics. He also gave me some insight on how leagues will be run at Open World Gaming. For instance, one day was designated as “Zelda Day” to coincide with the upcoming release of the remake of Link’s Awakening. Some days focus on a specific game to give the day a certain theme. He showed me a calendar of events for the next several months that include a plethora of choices. I asked Jake how he plans to host gaming tournaments. That’s where a huge percentage of focus is headed. They will literally go on their phone and watch people play video games. I will watch other people play video games either while I’m gaming or playing games on my phone. We literally watch Netflix, Hulu, and Twitch. And I think if you try to dismiss what eSports is becoming, you are kind of fooling yourself. People are so excited and love this place, and love the idea of it. There are a couple of outliers that are upset, and there are always going to be haters, but the amount of positive support is ridiculous. I think there’s a lot of like in anything, but I think the numbers in support are just huge the other way. Here’s what he had to say about facing the uphill climb of people looking down on video games. Jake clearly sees the potential for gaming on the horizon, but he’s also not blind to the negativity surrounding the industry. Like the Fortnite kid that made three million is crazy, and that’s awesome, but that prize pool might have been too low, honestly, with the amount of viewership people are getting from this. Companies like Coca-cola, Pepsi, Bud Light are all sponsoring these eSport leagues, and that’s where the money is going to go for prizes and prize pools. There’s been more viewership in eSports than in other sports like tennis and golf.
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I see that gaming is becoming more and more of an eye- catcher to kids, young adults, and even older adults.
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But I love setting up events, and I’ve done tons of LAN parties at my house, so I thought that maybe there was a way I could make money doing that.
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I am not good enough to be a pro gamer, and I’m not talented enough to design or make video games. I’ve been into gaming my whole life, right? It’s my passion, and I love playing video games, so I wanted to figure out how can I make a living doing this. I asked him about what motivated him to establish Open World Gaming, and it’s clear that he has high hopes for the future of our hobby. I sat down with Jake prior to their grand opening to chat with him about starting his business in Rockford. All of this is complemented by a built-in sound system with 25 speakers to enhance the experience. There’s even a stage at the back of the room with enough room for 6v6 eSports tournaments, complete with 60-inch screens behind the players so spectators can keep up with the action. Open World Gaming offers 8,600 square feet of space, 80 gaming stations, and the ability for 100 people to play at the same time via wired connectivity. Thankfully, Jake Baxter, Zach Moll, and Matt Hansen are remedying this problem with a brand new business in town that should get fans of gaming very excited. The Rockford area has been sorely lacking in a place for gamers to congregate and play together for around a decade.