Mana Bar

Last updated

The Mana Bar
Playing games - Mana Bar Opening (4448238440).jpg
Patrons playing videogames
Mana Bar
Address420 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley
Location Brisbane, Australia
Coordinates 27°27′35.24″S153°2′12.57″E / 27.4597889°S 153.0368250°E / -27.4597889; 153.0368250
OwnerMorrigan Moore
TypeBar
Capacity 50 [1]
Opened20 March 2010 [2] [3]
Closed24 May 2015 [4]
Website
www.manabar.com.au

The Mana Bar was the first Australian cocktail bar and video gaming lounge located in Brisbane, Australia within its biggest night-life and entertainment district, Fortitude Valley. [2] [3] [5] [6] [7] The bar held its opening event on 20 March 2010. [3] The bar allowed visitors to play current generation gaming consoles free of charge while enjoying video game themed drinks. [2] [6] [7] [8]

Contents

The Mana Bar was founded as a collaboration between Guy "Yug" Blomberg, co-creator of Australian Gamer; Pras Moorthy, senior designer at The Creative Assembly; video game critic Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw; and Shay Leighton, creative director of local cocktail bar The Bowery. [9] [10] Morrigan Moore became the owner and general manager in May 2014. [11]

The bar closed on 24 May 2015. [12]

History

The idea was first conceived by Australian Gamer co-creator Guy Blomberg, in December 2007 after a house party in which Guy himself noted the successful combination of alcohol and video games made for an excellent social environment. [13] Guy was later joined in this enterprise by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw, Prasant Moorthy and Shay Leighton. [14] After years of planning and several pushed back opening dates, the Mana Bar opened on 20 March 2010. It is also reported that there are only a handful of venues in the world that offer a similar experience. [14] Despite the 50 person capacity of the venue, the opening night saw over 100 line up, with the waiting time for some reported to be up to three hours long. [15]

The Mana Bar has received significant media coverage from prime video game and geek culture sites including Kotaku, [16] Destructoid, [3] Gizmodo [17] and Joystiq. [6]

On 9 August of the same year, it was confirmed that the success of the Mana Bar in Brisbane has led to plans to expand to Sydney (no opening dates were mentioned) and Melbourne [18] due to be opened on 16 July 2011. It was also revealed that there were plans to expand internationally, with the owners looking at opening the bar in the United States and Europe. [19] [20]

After a little over two years of operation, the Melbourne bar closed in September 2013, citing low patronage further impacted by restricted trading hours. [21]

On 19 May 2015, the owners announced via the bar's Facebook page that the venue would cease trading on Sunday 24 May. The owners thanked "everyone [who] made it the sweet ride it was." [22]

Video game industry relations

The Mana Bar had strong ties with the video game industry, and had been used by developers and publishers as a promotional venue where they were able to preview or launch their games. This included the launch of Blazblue, [23] the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta, Just Cause 2 [23] and Raskulls [24] all being playable at the venue prior to the official launch of the games, the latter being a preview exclusive to the Mana Bar.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amusement arcade</span> Venue where people play arcade games

An amusement arcade, also known as a video arcade, amusements, arcade, or penny arcade, is a venue where people play arcade games, including arcade video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers, or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables. In some countries, some types of arcades are also legally permitted to provide gambling machines such as slot machines or pachinko machines. Games are usually housed in cabinets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lang Park</span> Multi-purpose stadium in Milton, Queensland, Australia

Brisbane Stadium (Lang Park), currently known as Suncorp Stadium for sponsorship reasons, and nicknamed The Cauldron, is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility comprises a three-tiered rectangular sporting stadium with a capacity of 52,500 people. The traditional home of rugby league in Brisbane, the modern stadium is also now used for rugby union and soccer and has a rectangular playing field of 136 by 82 metres (446 by 269 ft). The stadium's major tenants are the Brisbane Broncos, the Dolphins, the Queensland Maroons and the Queensland Reds.

<i>The Escapist</i> (magazine) American video game magazine

The Escapist is an American video game website and online magazine. First published as a weekly online magazine by Themis Media on July 12, 2005, The Escapist eventually pivoted to a traditional web journalism format. In 2018, Escapist Magazine launched Volume Two, a rehauled website in conjunction with its purchase by Enthusiast Gaming. The site name reverted to The Escapist in April 2020. Gamurs Group acquired the site in September 2022. The company's entire video production team resigned to form Second Wind in November 2023 after editor-in-chief Nick Calandra was fired.

Kotaku is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supanova Expo</span> Multi-genre fan conventions in Australia

Supanova Comic Con & Gaming is a fan convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy film and TV, comic books, anime, gaming and collectables. It is held annually in the Australian cities of Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and the Gold Coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JB Hi-Fi</span> Australian consumer electronics retail company

JB Hi-Fi Limited is an Australian consumer electronics retail company. It is publicly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. Its headquarters are located in Southbank, Melbourne, Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yahtzee Croshaw</span> British video game journalist and author (born 1983)

Benjamin Richard "Yahtzee" Croshaw is a British journalist, video game critic, author, comedian, humourist, video game developer, and audiobook narrator. He is best known for his video game review series Zero Punctuation, which he produced for The Escapist from 2007 to 2023, and its spiritual successor Fully Ramblomatic, which he releases through Second Wind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melbourne Rectangular Stadium</span> Sports stadium in Melbourne, Australia

The Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, currently known as AAMI Park for sponsorship reasons, is an outdoor sports stadium situated on the grounds of Edwin Flack Field within the Sports and Entertainment Precinct in the heart of the Melbourne central business district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2K Australia</span> Australian video game developer

2K Australia Pty Ltd was an Australian video game developer based in Canberra. The company was founded as Irrational Games Australia, a subsidiary of Irrational Games, in April 2000. Irrational Games Australia and its parent were acquired by Take-Two Interactive in January 2006, with Irrational Games being placed under the 2K label. The two Irrational Games studio were split apart in August 2007, wherefore Irrational Games Australia became 2K Australia. Furthermore, 2K Australia operated under the name of sister studio 2K Marin between April 2010 and November 2011, and was finally shut down in April 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The cake is a lie</span> Internet meme from the video game Portal

"The cake is a lie" is a catchphrase from the 2007 video game Portal. Initially left behind as graffiti by Doug Rattman to warn that GLaDOS, the game's main villain, was deceiving the player, it was intended to be a minor reference and esoteric joke by the game's development team that implied the player would never receive their promised reward. It became unexpectedly popular among Portal players, and has since become a widely distributed Internet meme where the phrase is co-opted and becomes associated with new meanings outside of the original context of the game.

<i>Zero Punctuation</i> Video-game comedy-review series

Zero Punctuation is a series of video game reviews created by English comedy writer and video game journalist Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw. From its inception in 2007, episodes were published weekly by internet magazine The Escapist. Episodes typically range from five to six minutes in length. Videos provide caustic humour, rapid-fire delivery, visual gags and critical insight into recently released video games, with occasional reviews of older games and retrospectives of the industry itself. In 2023, Zero Punctuation was discontinued following Croshaw's resignation from The Escapist and the formation of Second Wind, with new reviews being published by him under the rebranded series Fully Ramblomatic.

<i>Raskulls</i> 2010 video game

Raskulls is an action platformer video game developed by Halfbrick Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade. It was released on December 29, 2010. In Raskulls, players must navigate through platform-based levels filled with blocks of varying shape and size. The characters must use their brick-breaking wands to create the fastest route to the end of the level.

<i>Ctrl+Alt+Del</i> (webcomic) Webcomic and animated series

Ctrl+Alt+Del (CAD) is a gaming-related webcomic and animated series written by Tim Buckley. The name of the comic refers to the Windows command Control-Alt-Delete. Premiering on October 23, 2002, the comic's focus has gradually shifted away from single strip gags towards longer story arcs and greater continuity through the use of video game references. Ctrl+Alt+Del currently is updated every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

<i>MindJack</i> 2011 video game

MindJack is a third-person shooter video game developed by feelplus and published by Square Enix. The game was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on January 18, 2011 in North America, January 21, 2011 in Europe, January 27, 2011 in Japan and February 10, 2011 in Australia. The game was originally planned to be released in October 2010 for North America and Europe but it was pushed back to January 2011. MindJack takes place in 2031, when the world's governments are in decline and new corrupt organizations are arising. The player can "hack" into and control enemies, vehicles, robots, or civilians. In the campaign story mode, the game is single-player but "transitions seamlessly" into co-op. The game received negative reviews from critics.

Old Man Murray (OMM) is a UGO Networks computer game commentary and reviews site, known for its highly irreverent and satiric tone. Founded in 1997, it was written and edited by Chet Faliszek and Erik Wolpaw. Old Man Murray was critical of games that received strong reviews elsewhere, Common targets of OMM news updates included John Romero and American McGee. Old Man Murray was a significant early influence in both the world of game development and internet comedy, and is often considered to have "helped birth online games journalism".

Halfbrick Studios Pty Ltd is an Australian video game developer based in Brisbane. The company primarily worked on licensed games until 2008. The company is best known for Fruit Ninja (2010), Jetpack Joyride (2011), and Dan the Man (2015). They create games for Windows, Xbox, PlayStation, Windows Phone, Android and iOS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gamurs</span> Esports media business

The GAMURS Group, simply known as Gamurs, is an esports media and entertainment publisher. Established in 2014, the group operates multiple brands focusing on the esports and entertainment news markets, including the websites: Dot Esports, We Got This Covered,The Mary Sue, Prima Games, and Escapist. GAMURS is based in Sydney, Australia, with an office in Austin, Texas.

Loss (<i>Ctrl+Alt+Del</i>) 2008 webcomic

"Loss", sometimes referred to as "loss.jpg", is a strip published on June 2, 2008, by Tim Buckley for his gaming-related webcomic Ctrl+Alt+Del. It is part of a storyline in which the main character Ethan and his fiancée Lilah are expecting their first child. Presented as a four-panel comic with no dialogue, the strip shows Ethan entering a hospital where he sees Lilah weeping in a hospital bed after suffering a miscarriage. Buckley cited events in his life as inspiration for the comic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defiant Development</span> Australian video game developer

Defiant Development Pty Ltd was an Australian independent video game developer based in Brisbane. It was formed in May 2010 by Morgan Jaffit and Dan Treble, veterans of Pandemic Studios, in the aftermath of the closures of several larger video game studios in the country. Defiant primarily developed mobile games until 2013, when it moved to larger projects with Hand of Fate. The game was released in 2015 following a successful Kickstarter campaign and an early access phase, and it was followed by a sequel, Hand of Fate 2, in 2017. Defiant avoided "crunch" and Jaffit was outspoken about his opposition to the practice, as well as his support for a trade union. In July 2019, the studio was wound down due to what Jaffit called a "risky" business model and failure to adapt to changing market conditions. The studio ceased game development, thereby cancelling The World in My Attic, and planned to further support its existing games.

<i>Five Nights at Freddys: Security Breach</i> 2021 video game

Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach is a 2021 survival horror game developed by Steel Wool Studios and published by ScottGames. It is the ninth main installment in the Five Nights at Freddy's series and the eleventh game overall. Set in a large entertainment complex, the player takes on the role of a young boy named Gregory, who must evade the complex's hostile animatronic mascots as well as the night guard, attempting to survive until the morning. The game features significant differences from other installments in the franchise, with primary differences including free-roam gameplay.

References

  1. "Functions and Bookings Packages" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2010. The Mana Bar has a 50 person maximum capacity...
  2. 1 2 3 "Mana Bar opening event on Saturday, 20th of March". MCV . 3 March 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "The Mana Bar: Australia's first gaming destination". Destructoid . 23 March 2010. Archived from the original on 28 May 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  4. Bochenski, Natalie (20 May 2015). "Game over for gaming hangout Mana Bar". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  5. Turi, Tim (11 January 2010). "Australia Opening Their First Video Game Pub, Mana Bar". Game Informer . Archived from the original on 23 May 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 Gilbert, Ben (10 January 2010). "Yahtzee and others to open Australian video game bar". Joystiq . Archived from the original on 12 April 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  7. 1 2 "Australia's First Dedicated Videogame Bar Opening February 2010". IGN . 11 January 2010. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  8. Cheer, Dan (11 January 2010). "Australia's first video gaming bar opens". GamePlanet . Archived from the original on 19 January 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  9. "Australia's First Video Game Bar". Mana Bar. Archived from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  10. "The Mana Bar opens February 2010". tsumea. 14 January 2010. Archived from the original on 18 January 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  11. "The gauntlet has been passed (Facebook post)". Mana Bar. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  12. Serrels, Mark. "The Mana Bar Is Closing Its Doors" . Retrieved 6 October 2015 via Facebook.
  13. "The Mana Bar". AustralianGamer.com. 16 February 2009. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  14. 1 2 "Yug and some other guys are opening a bar in brisbane". AustralianGamer.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  15. "The Mana Bar: cocktails and gaming a potent mix? « OXCGN – Xbox Gaming News Reviews Views". Oxcgn.com. Archived from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  16. Wildgoose, David (12 January 2010). "Australia's First Video Game Bar Opening Next Month". Kotaku Australia. Archived from the original on 15 January 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  17. Broughall, Nick (11 January 2010). "Brisbane Gets Australia's First Video Game Bar | Gizmodo Australia". Gizmodo.com.au. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  18. "BigPond GameArena Weekly Update 01st July 2011 – Game Videos – BigPond GameArena". Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  19. "Gaming Bar To Conquer Sydney, Melbourne, The World". Kotaku.com. 8 August 2010. Archived from the original on 21 August 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  20. Newman, Jared (6 December 2010). "Mana Bar May Come to Your City Some Day". GamerCrave. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  21. Serrels, Mark (5 August 2013). "The Melbourne Mana Bar Is Closing 'For Good'". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 7 August 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  22. "Mana Bar will be closing its doors effective this Sunday the 24th of May". 19 May 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2015 via Facebook.
  23. 1 2 Toastfarmer20 Mar 2010 (20 March 2010). "What's on at the Mana Bar". PALGN. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  24. "Mana Bar opening featuring". Raskulls. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2010.

Further reading