A kickstarter is to launch for a US bar and event space dedicated to indie video games in Brooklyn, New York.
The funding call is being made by the founder of cabinet maker and non-profit, Death By Audio Arcade , Mark Kleback.
The site is to be called Wonderville will be a “a new celebration of independent games and interactive art.” It’s asking for US$70,000 in funding from the community and, in return, is offering exclusive games, art and handmade arcade cabinets.
Moving away from the usual original games such as Pac Man and Space Invaders, Wonderville will operate new, original experiences created by indie developers and artists which up until now, have only been exhibited at festivals or short-term pop-ups. The bar will house these titles permanently and will also host tournaments, playtest nights, board games, comedy, live music, and rotating art installations.
Kleback said: “The video game industry today is where the movie industry was in the 80s, ripe and waiting for its John Waters-type to usher in independent video game developers among the mainstream. There is a vibrant community in NYC building experimental video games today, however many arcade bars are focused on retro games from the ’80s and ’90s, leaving virtually no space for independent game makers today to publicly showcase their art.”
