Simplicity has identified locations for five esports gaming centers, representing around 9,000 square feet of space with over 150 gaming stations.
The first center will be located in Boca Raton, which is scheduled to have its grand opening in April of this year.
Simplicity has now opened its franchise partner program, allowing the centers to be opened in new locations by partners while retaining the organisation’s branding. The centers are said to “feature cutting edge technology including high performance PCs.”
Jed Kaplan, CEO of Simplicity discussed the venture in a statement: “I am excited to announce the opening of our first Esports Gaming Center and the locations of our next four. Our goal is to open 15 locations by year end and a total of 50 nationwide in the next 24 months. Additionally, we offer attractive opportunities for advertisers and sponsors to connect with our audience via our digital and physical real estate.”
In late 2018, Simplicity was acquired by SMAAASH Entertainment. In a statement given at the time of the deal, F. Jacob Cherian, CEO of SMAAASH Entertainment revealed that the company aimed to build “brick and mortar esports centers.”
Following the merger, Kaplan joined SMAAASH Entertainment as its Co-CEO and is a minority owner of NBA team Memphis Grizzlies and Welsh football club Swansea City.
Simplicity is currently partnered with esports apparel company Raven GG and competes in PUBG, SMITE, Gears of War, and NHL.
Esports Insider says: More and more companies and organisations are looking to open centers, either for internal use or aimed at the public. As gaming and esports continue to be gradually embraced by the general public, there’s potential for these establishments to become mainstays all around the globe. These plans sound very ambitious considering Simplicity’s centers are unproven in terms of popularity so we’ll have to see how things pan out after the Boca Raton center opens.