Game on for UPEI students
UPEI student union launches video game co-op service
“Although I’m not big on video games, I know they’re expensive and I was really glad to hear about the service.”
Anagha Muralidharan
The UPEI student union has come up with a new service to help students beat winter boredom and stay safe during COVID-19 – a video game co-op that gives them free access to video game consoles and games.
Jose Gonzalez, vice-president of student life at the UPEI Student Union, said the idea took shape after he went looking to see what other Atlantic Canada universities offered the so-called gaming community. When he couldn’t find anything, Gonzalez and the student union’s executive team decided to start something at UPEI.
“I wanted to do something for those students who might feel underrepresented,” said Gonzalez.
The service is free, but students must fill out a waiver form to rent consoles for up to two weeks and pay a $20 deposit, Gonzalez said.
There are four types of consoles available for renting, including Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Entertainment System, Sony PlayStation Classic and Sega Genesis Mini, he said.
There are around 2040 preloaded games in each console.
“Each console has the most popular games of its generation, so there are many options,” Gonzalez said. “But it wouldn’t be compatible if you were to buy a game for these consoles.”
Each console comes with cables and equipment needed.
“We tested,” he said. “Even someone who has never had a console or played video games before was able to set them up in about three minutes.”
Every console also comes with two controllers, so students can play with another person if they want. And, thanks to their size, they're easy to carry around, he said.
The union ensures each console will be sanitized and put in boxes before lending to students.
Gonzalez decided to run the service because video games are expensive, and not all students are able to access gaming trends, he said.
“I hope this service would function as not only a cheaper way for students to engage with video games but also an alternative form of entertainment, especially during COVID-19, so they can stay home, be safe, and still have fun,” Gonzalez said.
All the consoles are budget friendly, he added.
The student union launched the program Jan. 18 on its social media channels.
It was popular from the first day, Gonzalez said.
“So far, we have eight students applied to rent the consoles,” he said.
“Two students reached out to see if we accept donations for the consoles, which was amazing,” he added.
The union is waiting for feedback from students renting the consoles this week to decide the service’s budget, Gonzalez said.
“We only started with one of each type because we wanted to see students’ responses towards the service,” he said. “I want to adjust the budget based on students’ wants and needs.”
Anagha Muralidharan is one of the first students to try out the new program.
“Although I’m not big on video games, I know they’re expensive and I was really glad to hear about the service,” Muralidharan said. “I have a lot of friends who play video games, so I’m excited to tell them about the service and I’m sure they’ll like it.”
The service offers a great chance for students to be entertained at home, she said.
“COVID-19 has prevented all the students from coming together on campus and actually attending all the events, so it’s nice that the student union keeps the students in mind and tries to figure out how students could still destress while being home and staying safe,” she said.
Gonzalez said he is also excited because he’s a gamer.
“With this service, I hope students can find a way to have fun at home from a safe space of their own social bubbles, and maybe winter won’t be too boring.”