Akiba District opened on June 3rd in the Utrecht shopping center Hoog Catharijne. It falls into the category of 'game halls', but this description does not do justice to the quality of the content of this new concept. This is not about gambling or winning prizes. With an impressive collection of retro computer games, you can fully enjoy playing games. The first week had a great start, with the maximum permitted capacity of 220 people being reached immediately.
Japanese theme
Akiba District has a Japanese look. That is a conscious choice, explains co-initiator Jan Vermolen: “Japan is the country of computer games. It is really part of the culture there. The 'game district' Akihabara Electric Town, is the location that led to the name 'Akiba District'. We imported many retro games from Japan and adapted them for the Dutch consumer. (with many thanks to the many volunteers and lovers of those old arcade games) It is also a beautiful theme that has been beautifully translated into a special experience by the set builders. The catering industry is also Japanese-oriented with various special snacks and drinks.”
Inspiration
The concept did not come about overnight. Ideas for a VR experience and other concepts, among others, were considered before the arcade concept for Akiba District crystallized. Vermolen: “I originally come from the fairground world and sold my teacup ride in 2020. Since then, I have been looking for a new business concept. Together with my business partner Cengiz Murt, we gathered a lot of inspiration. Cengiz traveled to Japan for this purpose, among other places. We learned a lot from the Videogame Museum in Zoetermeer, which helped us a great deal with the acquisition of the various arcade games.”
Location
“Location is a very important success factor,” Vermolen explains. “I took that experience with me from the funfair, where your location has a major influence on the run-up to your attraction. We come from the region of The Hague and Rotterdam and were actually looking for a place in those cities to realize the project. When Hoog Catharijne came our way, the most visited shopping center in the Netherlands, the choice was actually simple. This is a top location with a lot of passing public and excellent accessibility, including by train. Our unique concept with retro arcades attracts enthusiasts from all over the country and we are now also seeing a lot of visitors from Germany. We need quite a bit of surface area. This location covers 2000 m2. The rental costs are therefore a considerable expense. But that outweighs the advantage of a good location.”
Entrance fee
The pricing has been chosen for an amusement park approach. You pay an entrance ticket per time unit and can then make unlimited use of the games. As an indication; For a time frame of 2 hours an amount of € 19,50 is charged. There are also options for 4 hours and a full day available.
Food & Drinks
The catering industry is also an essential part of the concept. There is enough space to have a bite to eat or a drink between games. At the moment, a liquor license has not yet been arranged, but they are still hoping for one. Vermolen: “The liquor license is being applied for, but we did not want to wait for that any longer. Initially, landlord Klepierre did not want to go along with that, but fortunately they have now changed their minds.”
Safety
Safety is also an important point of attention for Akiba District. This is partly due to the municipality of Utrecht and Klepierre, who are currently struggling with troublemakers in the shopping centre. Vermolen: “We have already had several visits from the local police officer and he was very pleased with our approach. We ask for the name and telephone number of our guests at the entrance. The latter is necessary to inform them about the time frame. The areas are also monitored by 32 cameras. The access system with gates and detection was developed by Appybee, who wants to use our location as a pilot project for the leisure sector.”
For the future, Vermolen sees opportunities to realize the concept at other locations. “Projects are already asking if we are interested. But first we are going to make Utrecht a success.”
This project involved several parties who ultimately contributed to the creation and realization of the project.
- Hans Imanse from Moos Studios was involved at an early stage in the development of the concept and guidance of the set builders
- As set builders went Henk Decorbouw en HPM Decorbouw to work.
- The entrance system was custom developed by Appybee, a party that has already gained a lot of experience with fitness companies.
- Klepierre – real estate owner of Hoog Catharijne. It was a new experience for this party to facilitate a leisure company and embed it in the shopping centre
More information: www.akiba-district.com