On Wednesday, Oct. 12, Sharky’s Box Office and Game Room had its grand re-opening to celebrate the many renovations that occurred over the summer. With new lighting, equipment and games, Sharky’s offers a lot for both new and old students to get excited about.

The first thing older students might notice about the new Sharky’s is the updated floor-plan, furniture and lighting. The front part of Sharky’s, just beyond the desk area, holds two new pool tables and a new bar along the right wall. Further back, a new, regulation-sized ping-pong table sits in the space between the pool area and the performance area.

The performance area consists of four new adjustable tables, a projector and a stage with its own sound system. To the left of that area sits the game console area, complete with new couches, chairs and Xbox Ones. Ian Warren, Sharky’s Game Room manager, shared how excited he is about the new furniture.

“For quite some time, we have received feedback from our members that they wanted card tables and more seating,” said Warren. “Now, with the renovations, this has been made possible, and members use the new tables every day.” 

An added glass wall between the desk and Game Room area keeps sound from interfering with anyone at the desk or students who are just passing through. Before the renovations, Sharky’s was notorious for its dim lights, which some enjoyed and others did not. Those that did favor the dim lighting would note that dimmer lights were better for gaming, while those that did not would note that dimmer lights felt unwelcoming.

In response, Sharky’s brightened up all of the Game Room, but also placed dimmers on its light switches. Now, gamers in the back can dim the lights down, while those in the main area can keep the lights up.

This new floor plan has opened up Sharky’s to many student organizations as both a meeting and an entertainment space. Already, ACE and Campus Life Arts and Programs have hosted a myriad of events, including book talks, movie trivia nights and open mic nights.

Those looking to hold events in Sharky’s have more reservation options than before, such as the option to choose a table and chair layout, what games to include for attendees, if any, and whether or not to include free popcorn and drinks.

Although the new updates are definite improvements over the old space, some are still somewhat limiting. When Sharky’s updated their consoles, new licensing deals had to be acquired. This means that as of right now, Sharky’s is only allowed to have Xbox One and Xbox One S consoles. This is great news for Xbox fans, but not so great for long-time fans of the now-retired Wii or for those hoping to play a PS4.

Furthermore, the actual games Sharky’s can offer is limited to 360 games that are backwards compatible and new games from specific game developers, such as Ubisoft and anyone who specifically partnered with Microsoft. Again, great news for Halo and Assassin’s Creed fans, but not so much for NBA2K fans.

Nevertheless, the new consoles and available games are still a vast improvement over the aging Xbox 360s, and those wishing to feel some nostalgia with older games can now play the new Multicade. The arcade machine has over 60 classic games loaded onto it, such as Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, and Galaga.

Internally, Sharky’s has also made changes, specifically to its membership program. Originally, the only real perk of becoming a member was free, unlimited gaming. Now, those who purchase memberships for Sharky’s can look forward to incentives such as Member Movie Nights, where free Lumina tickets are reserved for members who RSVP, and Friendly Friday, where members can bring in a guest to play for free.

At the mention of Sharky’s memberships, Warren states that one of their biggest focuses this year has been to improve the value and meaning of what the membership entails.

“With additions and benefits like Friendly Friday, exclusive Sharky’s merchandise, and a direct voice in how the Game Room can be improved,” Warren said, “being a member is much more than free gaming all year.”

Many current members would agree with him, such as first year member Riggan Cope, who came for the new gaming equipment but stayed for the friends and welcoming atmosphere. The new renovations are great, but according to Cope, “the best part is the people at Sharky’s and the environment!”

Some of Sharky’s updates are better than others, but all of them are worth the short visit to the Fisher Student Center to see for oneself. Memberships are 35 dollars per semester and non-members can play all games at a flat rate of 1 dollar for every 15 minutes.

Sharky’s is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday with varied closing times throughout the weekend.