When it comes to size, DFW airport is larger than Manhattan. It's home to enough employees to rival nearby cities like Euless and Grapevine, but it's not just landmass and population that stands out. The airport is also breaking new ground with customer services.
It recently opened a free-standing emergency room, new restaurants and just this week, a new gaming lounge.
Gameway is currently in two terminals - gates B42 and E16, the larger location with 22 Xbox stations. It's open daily until 10 p.m. The lounge is the first of its kind, an airport hideaway for all skill levels.
"My husband plays games all the time. I watch him play them, but I never play with him,” said Rosalyn King, a Dallas Traveler playing Tombraider for the first time.
"Right now we have like 45 minutes, I think we can pass some time sitting here playing this game,” she said as she and her cousin waited for their flight to Rome.
Co-founder and Army veteran, Jordan Walbridge, said he got into gaming after deploying to Afghanistan in 2004.
“That was the best way for us to destress and unwind from a very difficult day and we're actually seeing that, people at the airport who are also really stressed,” Walbridge said.
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It's a concept he hopes translates well, both in location and demographic.
"50 percent of Americans play video games at least 3 hours a week or more and within that the average age is a male who's 35 and a female who's 44 years old,” he said. "When you look at the average traveler coming through here, it's about the same and this gaming community has come up playing Nintendo, maybe as early as Atari."
Customers can pick between 19 games and pay by the minute, or play an unlimited amount for $20 dollars.
For passengers, it's another entertainment option. For Walbridge, it's a longtime dream that's now reality.
"It's equivalent to holding your first child,” he said.
Walbridge said he plans to expand Gameway, starting with every terminal at DFW. Then, to major airports worldwide.
"We think of Gameway as a global company, so we want to first expand to JFK or LAX or to Chicago, but also London, Dubai, Hong Kong and Beijing. Those are places also that have boring airports and we can bring the excitement to there as well,” he said.
