Japanese publisher Konami plans to open a new building in Tokyo dedicated to esports.
The Konami Creative Center will be 12 stories high and include an underground floor as well, as Siliconera reports. It’s meant to house an entire esports arena, special shop stocked with hardware and accessories, and areas where staff can teach esports classes meant to help bolster interest in the industry while scouting out and assisting new talent.
The idea behind the building is that the center will bolster Japan’s efforts to branch out in the esports scene. This new initiative come after the formation of the Japanese Esports Union to help push these efforts forward.
“The people who participate in esports will in the future, stand side by side with those participating in real-life sports like soccer, or even surpass them,” said Konami president Kimihiko Higashio during the building’s brick-laying ceremony.
“Compared to esports pioneers America and Europe, Japan has still a long way to go. However, looking from another angle, it means Japan has lots of room for growth.”
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Construction isn’t set to complete until November, in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. There’s no word on when visitors will be allowed to tour it when it does open its doors just yet, but that is a long way off from now.
The building will feature state-of-the-art video, sound, lighting, and communications systems, as all eyes will be on Tokyo when the Olympics roll around.
“I want to show the world, from here in Ginza, that the appeal of eSports will not lose to that of real-life sports,” said Higashio.
