What if those long airport waits turned into long retrogaming sessions? That’s now possible at Seattle Airport thanks to Sky Gamerz.

The concept is very simple: in exchange for your identity card, you get a retro game cartridge to play on one of the many available stations. For now, Atari consoles are available to the public.

The co-founders of the place, H. Lamar Willis and Jonathan Ford, explain:
"Retro is always a safe bet, because we find that even kids love retro video games. Donkey Kong, Ms. Pac-Man and Frogger are games they don't know, but that excite them. And the best part is that at SEA [Seattle Airport, ed.], you don’t pay to play. That lowers the stakes and gives people a chance to try something new."

A great way to pass the time while having fun—and to introduce timeless games to younger generations. It’s a reminder of what makes retrogaming so powerful: immediate accessibility and easy handling, even if you're not a hardcore gamer.

Sky Gamerz also includes a food area to offer a complete service to travelers.
"There aren’t many entertainment spaces in airports," says Mr. Willis. "To succeed, we also wanted a food component. The combination of quality food service and gaming has never been done in an airport. This is the first time it’s being done."

The choice of Seattle is no coincidence: the city has a strong connection to video games. Many development studios are based there, and the city hosts PAX West, the largest video game conference in the world.

The Sky Gamerz adventure seems to be meeting expectations: a second retrogaming lounge is planned for Atlanta Airport. Could the idea cross the Atlantic and bring retrogaming lounges to European airports, showcasing our shared passion? A great way to miss your flight.

Source : Axios