by Maggie Ybarra
Daily Lobo
Brandon Kindell spends his time in a dark room munching on ham-and-cheese Hot Pockets, cursing at the computer screen.
"I come and play video games when I'm stressed," Kindell said. "It's kind of an alternate world where I get away for a little while."
Kindell, a member of Ninja Monkey Gaming Center, is one of many gamers in Albuquerque joining gaming centers.
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"It's a pretty laid-back place -- nice to relax in," Kindell said. "If you start coming here all the time, people start to help you out, and it becomes a family atmosphere."
There are six gaming centers in Albuquerque.
Some gaming facilities have headphones and pool tables. Others feature microwavable food, happy hours, and ladies' night specials.
Jessica Krueger, a clerk at Insomnia Gaming Center, said one of the center's allures is its half-price specials on "Counter-Strike: Source" - a popular first-person shooter.
"We're different than Ninja Monkey because we have headphones instead of speakers," Krueger said. "And we have 'Guitar Hero' in the back instead of the front, so you can't hear it."
For Kindell, gaming has less to do with getting the top score and more to do with socializing and snacking.
"Mostly everyone knows you by your handle and not your name," Kindell said. "Me - since I'm not the kind of person to hang out with anyone away from here - I'm known as Delroth."
With screen names like Mustafa, Footballer83 and Lab Rat, the game room is full of characters.
Most of the gaming centers in Albuquerque are near high schools, with the exception of Dead Man's Den, a center slated to open Nov. 2 at 3015 Monte Vista Blvd. N.E.
Dead Man's Den will be close for UNM students, said Philip Perea co-founder of the center.
"All the other gaming centers are pretty much in a 5-mile radius of each other," Perea said. "Coming out this way, we're pretty much isolated. Plus, we can attract high school students, as well as dorm students."
In an effort to make Dead Man's Den different, Perea said he and his partners focused on making the environment friendly.
"We're going to be showing movies," Perea said. "So whenever a new release DVD comes out, we're going to show it in the back room. So if a guy comes in and brings his girlfriend, they can go back there and chill out."
Dead Man's Den plans to maintain low rates for its customers instead of offering paid memberships.
Kindell said he might visit Dead Man's Den, but in the meantime, he enjoys Ninja Monkey.
"With a membership, it costs less and you get a free T-shirt," Kindell said. "On the front it says, 'Ninja Monkey,' and on the back it says, 'I fragged your honor student at Ninja Monkey.'"
Ninja Monkey Gaming Centers
7610 Carmel Ave. N.E.
505-217-2160
11200 Montgomery Blvd. N.E., Suite 22
505-217-2309
Insomnia Gaming Center
1331 Juan Tabo Blvd. N.E., Suite 2M
505-573-4536
ServerSyde
2501 Southern Blvd., Suite 8
Rio Rancho
505-217-1950
Game Gopher
6001 San Mateo Blvd. N.E.
505-884-1720
Full Throttle Gaming
Center
4770 Montgomery Blvd. N.E., Suite D121
505-315-8090
