Hi-Score: The gaming center has just opened in downtown Hanover

Hanover city center will get a gaming center: The Hi-Score project uses the former Galeria-Kaufhof building in the Marktkirche in Hanover to create a gaming museum and esports arena. Gamers and e-sports enthusiasts, as well as corporations and influencers, will gather over 1,000 square metres.

Hi-Score will open on June 1st and is designed as a one year maximum project, after which the Game Center will move on. In addition to the stage for presentations and e-sports tournaments, the concept also includes an academy for e-sports talents. Workshops and seminars will be held at the Academy.

A game museum with 100 consoles

For the Museum of Games, the organizers promise more than 100 different consoles, arcades and mobile devices on which visitors can play. High scores are determined by the site and should arouse ambition. Throughout the year the organizers want to offer a variety of varied weekly programs including family days and excursions. Standard admission is €12, and students, children and seniors pay €8. The center is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm, and also until 10 pm on Friday and Saturday.

Hi-Score is organized by the so-na media agency and the partially volunteer team behind Pixelpokal, which has already hosted many gaming events and e-sports tournaments such as the Smash Bros European Invitational and the Tekken World Tour in Hannover.

Point of contact for gamers and the ‘unsuspecting’

The organizers and the city of Hanover hope their project will create a meeting point for gaming enthusiasts in the city centre. “We want to create a central point of contact for players,” organizer Silbermann of the so-na media agency says in an online interview with Heise. “There are many players, but in Lower Saxony and especially in Hanover there is nothing for them to meet.” However, Hi-Score is also aimed at people who are new to video games. “We want everyone to be able to take something with them, even ‘unsuspecting’ people. They should see how beautiful gaming culture actually is.” The game center will also promote the development of domestic video games and show companies ways to explore gamification as a driver.

Hello, the result is part of The “aufhaus” concept of Hanover, which aims for the temporary cultural use of the empty shop building in the city center. In cooperation with associations and universities, a mixture of events, communication, urban development, culture, science and innovation will be created there. Finally, in 2024, the building will be demolished and replaced with new complexes.

Heise is the media partner of Hi-Score Game Center.

(then)