Hosting Company AIT Opening Gaming Center

November 28, 2005; 03:45 PM

   AIT (http://ait.com) is opening a 45-seat gaming center in its Fayetteville, North Carolina headquarters, with an eye on a market that has real-world experience with many of the scenarios depicted on monitors – the military.  Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base are both located in Fayetteville, and two other installations are a short drive away.  The center is set to open in a matter of days, and features high-speed servers tied into an OC fiber network.  “The key to gaming success for players is speed, and our network provides that,” said Clarence Briggs, AIT’s Chief Executive Officer.  “Once players come in and try it out, they’ll be hooked and we can put leagues and tournaments into motion.” 

   A holiday tournament will kick things off, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit military support groups.  While soldiers and airmen are an obvious target, the ranks of gamers are full of civilian 15 – 30 years olds who have few outlets beyond home-based systems to satisfy their hobby.  “Gaming is a high-growth industry; just look at all the advertising for new games and the hype around the latest version of the X-box,” said Briggs.  “This center is an X-box on hyper-steroids, where players can compete with people around the world in real-time.  And, it’s a true entertainment destination in the downtown area.”     

   The gaming center, with Internet Access in excess of 200Mbps and a series of multi-homed routers, will be suitable for LAN parties and large-scale competitions. AIT relied on the experience of its staffers who game on their free time in gathering the necessary technology, and in deciding on the initial list of games that will be featured. Suffice it to say, there is an emphasis on battlefield and warcraft material, no surprise given the company’s own military heritage.  AIT will offer guest passes and trial memberships for the center, which is adjacent to a technology retail storefront the company is also opening.