New Gaming Suite Opens in Edens
Students invited to Friday opening in 1C 5 - 8 PM
The Bolt, a high-tech gaming suite located in Edens 1C, is set to open this Friday.
"Students will love it," said Francisco Olivero, a junior who is helping set up the gaming systems in The Bolt. "It's great that Duke recognizes that a lot of students utilize video games to come together. It's awesome they put this together for us."
Olivero, who used to travel and play in Halo tournaments around the country, said that his friends at other universities are jealous about this new setup. He's ready to play Halo or Guitar Hero or just hang out in this one-of-a-kind gaming space.
"A lot of people are going to want to come to Edens," Olivero said. "With the gaming room and all the other renovations, people are going to want to come here."
Rick Johnson, associate vice president for Housing, Dining and Residence Life, said an e-gaming room was an innovative idea that was on the table from initial planning of the Edens renovation.
"We wanted something unique that would be a real draw to our current students," Johnson said. "We recognized that gaming was big-time with students, so we built a space we hope will attract students from across campus."
The game room is designed with multiple stations and seating areas for group and individual online play. There are eight screens, including four in a quad arrangement; 10 gaming computers; and a variety of gaming consoles, including one Wii U, four XBox 1s, and four Playstation 4s.
"As far as we know, we're on the cutting edge on this in terms of what other universities are doing with gaming spaces," Johnson said. "Now, with the gaming room, the workout rooms, the new community spaces, the two restaurants in McClendon, the gathering area in Keohane 4E -- we've made substantial improvements to this entire residential living neighborhood. The whole point of all of this work is to give students a better living experience with more options. We hope they enjoy it."
Students are invited to attend a grand opening party Friday, Oct. 16, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.