GameWorks is a gaming-based entertainment center with a single location as of 2022[update]. It was owned by then-owner ExWorks Capital, each venue featured a wide array of video game arcades, in addition to full-service bars and restaurants. It was originally created in 1996 as a joint venture by Sega, DreamWorks SKG, and Universal Studios, with the company growing into an international chain. Two former executives subsequently acquired the Seattle location and reopened it in August 2022.
History
Interior of GameWorks in Seattle, November 2022
GameWorks began as a joint venture between the video game developer Sega and the film studios Universal Studios and DreamWorks, with filmmaker Steven Spielberg providing creative input.[1][2][3] Skip Paul was GameWorks' first chairman and CEO, and Jon Snoddy headed the design team.[4] Its first location opened in Seattle in March 1997 with many high-profile guests in attendance, such as celebrities Will Smith and Gillian Anderson and billionaire Bill Gates.[5][6] DreamWorks sold its portion in 2001.[7]
GameWorks filed its first bankruptcy in 2004. On November 3, 2005, Sega Sammy Holdings, formed following the 2004 merger of Sega and Sammy, bought the controlling interests of GameWorks. GameWorks filed its second bankruptcy in 2010; as a result, Sega Entertainment USA, the parent company at that time, closed seven GameWorks venues on March 29, in an attempt to focus on profitability and future growth. Two locations that closed, one in Circle Centre at Indianapolis, Indiana, and another in Irvine Spectrum Center at Irvine, California, originally opened as Sega City.[citation needed]
In 2011, GameWorks was sold to an investment group, HNR Capital.[8] In October 2011, GameWorks acquired the assets of several Jillian's Billiards Clubs in California, Washington, and Virginia.[9]
In May 2017, Oomba acquired GameWorks.[10] In May 2018, Chicago-based ExWorks Capital took ownership of GameWorks.[11]
On December 24, 2021, GameWorks announced that it would be closing all of its remaining locations, citing financial difficulties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.[12][13] Greg Stevens, who served as the company's CEO from 2011 to 2018, subsequently reacquired the assets of the Seattle location with business partner Howard Brand, a managing partner at former owner HNR Capital.[14] After some reorganization, the Seattle location reopened on August 3, 2022, after the closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8][15]
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Opened in 1999. Despite being a very successful location, constantly full, it was closed in 2003 due to disagreements with the local representative. They wanted to remove the restaurant, and only keep the two bars. The Brazilian company created its own arcade brand, called HotZone.)
