GameStyleZ: Made by gamers, for gamers

THE WOODLANDS, Texas--Just off Sawdust Road, sandwiched between a craft store and a restaurant, lies every gamer’s dream. It’s hidden behind a wall of black one-way glass, but as soon as you step through the door, you are in a world of video games: three separate rooms with gaming consoles, PCs and big-screen TVs. This is GameStyleZ, a Local Area Networking (LAN) center for gamers, by gamers.

“It started off as a joke,” explained contractor David Files.

Files, 20 years old, does most of the marketing for GameStylez. Like all the center’s employees, he is also a gamer himself.

“We were outside my house one day, and we were just bored,” said owner Jake Pittman. At 19 and 20 years old, Pittman and his friend and now co-owner, Patrick Raney, wanted to do something big. They debated going on a typical coming-of-age road trip. Instead, they decided to open up a LAN center.

“We sat down with one of my brothers and figured out the financial stuff,” said Raney. “Within the next two months, we were an official business.”

GameStylez is based on Combat Zone, another LAN center Raney and Pittman frequented when they were younger. Combat Zone has since closed, making GameStylez the main location for gamers in the Houston area.

“It allows me to get my childhood back,” said Raney. “A lot of our regulars now are people from there.”

At the moment, GameStylez has 21 members. The center is open from noon to midnight six days a week, every day except Monday.

“Video games,” said Files, explaining the unusual time frame. “Can’t really say anything else.”

The center finds itself the busiest, however, every Friday night. From 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. the next day, GameStylez holds a gaming lock-in.

“We’ve had upward of 30 people,” said Pittman. “The average is about 15.”

The center boasts three rooms equipped for a video gaming experience. In one room are 42 PCs set up with a multitude of games. In another room are 8 TVs, two of which are big-screens, connected to two Xbox One consoles. There is also a 10-person party room, which is used for birthday parties and tournaments.

The platforms come equipped with a variety of games, including “Borderlands,” “League of Legends” and “Minecraft.” GameStylez will also fulfill any game requests its customers have.

“We’ll go out and buy the games most of the time,” said Files.

The center has an extensive library on Steam, a digital distribution platform.

Though GameStylez has only been open since December, the owners hope that it will continue to grow and bring a sense of community to gamers in the area.

“That was kind of our vision with this place,” said Pittman. “Memories were made, friends who laughed a lot… [We wanted to] bring that community here.”

GameStylez is open to gamers of all ages, but its owners especially want to cater to middle school and high school students: provided with a hangout, children with a common interest can come and find connections.

“We’re not just playing games,” said Files. “We’re building a community around us as well.”

For more information about GameStylez, call 281-298-5105 or visit the link below.