Playing Demographics

When The Block opens in Orange on Nov. 19, it won’t be just another mall: It’ll be another mall with yet another SEGA GameWorks.

The 20,000-square-foot entertainment complex houses dozens of the latest virtual reality and arcade video games, as well as a full restaurant and bar. Aimed at game lovers and novices alike, these high-tech playgrounds serve as a natural hangout for suburban teens and young adults, said company chief executive Michael Montgomery.

“Somewhere between Chuck E. Cheese and Dave & Busters is a very big gap,” Montgomery said. “We intend to fill that gap. Particularly in Orange County, there just aren’t enough of these gathering places to match the demand.”

While traditional malls primarily sell clothing and electronics, GameWorks has tried to position itself in “fun”-oriented malls, such as the Irvine Entertainment Center, that blend impulse buying with theme-park thrills. Taking a cue from Las Vegas casinos, GameWorks has a staff of “game hosts” that wander the floor and teach people how to play the various titles. Often, employees will let people play a few times for free, “just to get them interested,” Montgomery said.

GameWorks has five of these arcade-bar hybrids, including one in Ontario Mills. In the Irvine Entertainment Center, GameWorks has a smaller arcade with no liquor license.

High-tech analysts have long wondered whether such location-based entertainment--the catch phrase for such multimedia playgrounds--will ever grow past its youthful niche audience. Privately held GameWorks declined to discuss corporate finances, saying only that all its large installations are profitable.

P.J. Huffstutter covers high technology for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-7830 and at p.j.huffstutter@latimes.com