Video games come to light | The Press

Forget the image of the teenager who locks himself in a sad and dark room to take refuge in the opaque universe of video games. The game has been freed and the space where we play too, so much so that video game spaces today deserve all the respect of design.

Ergonomic leather chairs with red or yellow stitching, LED light strips, articulated wooden supports for headphones, colored sound-absorbing panels with matching posters, these are some examples of what is offered at IKEA, which has just launched headfirst into the design of spaces intended for players. The Swedish multinational has even teamed up with Republic of Gamers, a subsidiary of computer giant ASUS, to develop a range of products that meets the needs of this vast clientele.

“We have experience in layout and functionality, but not gaming expertise, which is very specific,” explains Myle Rockens, communications manager at IKEA Boucherville. ROG engineers have therefore worked with our engineers to develop suitable products. »

3.2 billion people

Estimated number of gamers worldwide

Source: Specialized firm DFS Intelligence

With the pandemic, many people now find themselves working during the day in the space where they play at night. “With telecommuting, you can spend 16 hours in the same room, so it's fun to have something beautiful,” says Joey Kryszewski, a federal civil servant who also started broadcasting on Twitch – his pseudonym. streamer is ZFjoink – and which is followed by nearly 10,000 people.

It’s like decorating outside the house, so I see it a bit like office gardening!

Joey Kryszewski, who streams his games on Twitch

"I started in a basement, with an upside-down sofa in the background, but I was told, it seemed to bother people a bit, continues the young computer scientist of 29 years of Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, in Mauricie. Basically, playing in a beautiful environment is good for the mind. Intense gaming and streaming, you live in it, so you want to be good. »

“Customer needs have changed today,” adds Myle Rockens. We had at the beginning the image of the geek who does not speak to anyone, withdrawn into himself, but the years have passed and this is no longer the case at all. »

A trend that is asserting itself

Designer Karine Matte could see that the trend had reached a new level when she was recently asked to furnish spaces intended for video games.

“I saw the trend taking shape from afar, especially with the youtubers that our young people follow, explains the designer, who is also the mother of young teenagers. We see that they evolve in environments with calculated aesthetics, it's beautiful. There are no posters hanging on the wall with scotch tape! »

“We play a lot with chiaroscuro effects, there are a lot of contrasts,” she continues. We also pay particular attention to comfort, especially with chairs and neck pillows. Also, you have to be sensitive to everything related to sound, because players need to be in their bubble. However, parents do not want them to isolate themselves too much, so we want to create sub-privacy, so we create open areas that give the effect of being in a cocoon. »

This is the idea of ​​her project carried out at Hélène Grandmaison, in Saint-Hubert: "We had thought about moving, but we finally decided to redevelop several rooms in the house, explains the wealth management advisor. . We thought we could set up a space for the boys, something like their headquarters, in fact. »

"That said, I'm not overly enthusiastic about video games, but there's no point in preventing it, they're going to do it anyway, adds M^me Grandmaison thinking under the amused gaze of his eldest, Samuel, aged 16. As far as installing my boys, I wanted to do it. We still wanted to have a basement that we find interesting. »

A great fan and basketball player himself, the teenager participated in the decoration of the room, choosing several accents and accessories reminiscent of his favorite sport. “It made me happy that my mother offered me to set up a room like this, it is much better than playing on a folding table with empty white walls,” he says.

Samuel Coulombe also insisted on installing LED light strips on the ceiling, as a reminder of the bright colors that surround the players' keyboards, mice and computers.

Young people like it when you put LED lighting on, it's related to gaming.

Karine Matte, designer

"We therefore favor painting the walls white because that's what reflects the colors best," explains Ms.^me Matte, known for her colorful and flamboyant designs. .

“Obviously, there are no plants, everything is straight, futuristic, there is not much fluidity in the decor. For my part, I honestly admit that I am not a big fan of video games, but when my guy saw what I did, he freaked out! It really takes me out of my comfort zone, I find it fun. »

Limited offer

For his part, Joey Kryszewski sees with a very good eye the fact that more and more people are waking up to the design of these spaces. "For many people, it was far too expensive until now," he says. My installation cost me $1000, not including my computer equipment. I had to buy soundproofing panels in Ukraine, because there is currently almost nothing offered in Quebec, while the choice is much wider in Europe. »

Obviously, ZFjoink will not stop there: he plans to improve his gaming space, which he currently shares with his spouse, also a streamer. In addition to enhancing his space with a black wall and colored lines, he also plans to build a garage, with a room upstairs devoted to his activities.

"I'm not the most artistic guy in the world, but I like it when it's beautiful. It might not always be the prettiest design, but I have a feeling for it and I'm comfortable with what I create,” he says.