Jackson Free Press

The first time I went into Game Theory, it was surprisingly quiet. One person sat in the back, playing something I couldn't see. All around me were widescreen TVs and comfortable couches. Directly ahead of me, the owner was sitting behind a desk, headphones on, focused on something in his hands.

I walked past the rows of couches, waited for a moment and then finally got his attention. He pulled off the headphones. "Oh, hey. Sorry," he said, "I was playing Lumines."

It was then I knew I'd come to the right place.

He introduced himself as Christopher Graves and invited me to have a seat on one of the couches.

"We have about 17 TVs and 19 consoles," Graves said, "plus a wide variety of games. It's the only gaming center in the Deep South. The closest other place is in Houston.

"I've been gaming all my life," Graves continued. "The first gaming system I had was a Colecovision; I've had it since I was about 9." Graves was an undergrad in computer science and engineering at Morehouse College in Atlanta before going to law school at Howard University, where he focused on business and computer law.

"I always kept that computer focus," he said. "When I was in law school, I relaxed with a Sega Dreamcast—it kept me sane. That's how I got back into gaming. When I worked at a law firm, all of us were gamers. Guys making six figures, sitting around talking about games. And that's when I found my first gaming center. It was a console-only place near Houston, around where I lived. I thought about starting something similar, and when I moved back here to be with my family, I decided to go to work on my own."

But why here? Why would someone come and pay money to play someone else's video games?

Graves was quick to answer. "Gamers know it's not just about who has the best graphics, the newest hardware or the coolest stuff. It's about the community. Game Theory gives people the ability to come and play together with lots of other gamers."

But couldn't that be done with online play? "One thing that was lacking in online play was the bonding. There's a difference between playing someone over X-Box Live and really being in the room with them. You can come here and meet someone and really make some friends."

Graves is careful about the social environment, as some gamers can get a little competitive. "We're very careful about language and content, especially around younger kids. The thing about this place—it's family friendly," Graves said. "If you decide to join or play for a while, you have to watch your language and your actions. As far as games go, we don't allow children to play Mature games unless they have a signed consent form."

It all sounded good, but I decided I'd have to try it out for myself. The next day, I suited up and headed down to find myself in the middle of a heated Halo match. I jumped in, and the next couple hours became a blur. We defied physics. We talked trash. We made obscure pop-culture references.

I forget what ranking I held at the end of the tournament. What I do remember is that I had fun. Lots of fun. Game Theory really is about community. Sometimes it's good to go meet up with other gamers. Sometimes you have an irresistible urge to play new games, to meet new people, and then to frag those people, over and over again. There is no better way to bond with your fellow gamer, and there is no better place for such bonding than Game Theory.

Game Theory is located at 5352 Lakeland Drive, Suite 600, in Flowood, 601-992-9009.