Draft:Fortress Games

Fortress Games is a business located in Australia with facilities in Melbourne and Sydney. Established to serve gamers, it is a large gaming venue in the Southern Hemisphere. The venue has gaming technology, extensive PC and console gaming areas, and thematic environments. Through partnerships with technology brands, Fortress Games provides facilities for both casual and competitive gamers. Fortress Games also participates in the esports scene in Australia and SE Asia.

Technology and Design
Fortress Melbourne is a 1000-person capacity venue with 160 gaming PCs, console gaming suites, a restaurant, two bars, a merchandise shop and a 200-seat esports arena, across 2,700m2 and two floors within Emporium Melbourne.

Fortress Sydney is a 1000-person capacity venue with 160 gaming PCs, console gaming suites, a restaurant, a merchandise shop and a 200-seat esports arena, across 1,500sqm on two floors of the Chippendale's Central Park Mall.

Both venues feature:

The Tavern, designed with the aesthetic of a medieval tavern that is linked to RPG (Role Playing Games) and fantasy culture.

Alienware Arena can host players online and or in venue and connects spectators and players in the global online gaming and esports industry.

Technological Infrastructure: The venues have advanced audio-visual systems. The Telstra Lounge is set up with Telstra's high-speed fixed network, providing business-grade fibre at 10 Gbps top-speed gaming experiences.

Functions and Facilities
Alienware Arena: Used for live broadcasting, these arenas are venues for esports tournaments, hosting participants and spectators in a competitive gaming environment.

Gaming Equipment: Inside are Arcades, Alienware PC Gaming, Board Games, Dungeons & Dragons Events, plus Xbox, Playstation and Nintendo Switch Gaming set in VIP Gaming Booths.

Social Spaces: Facilities include licensed bars, private party spaces, and a themed tavern restaurant,

Event Programming: Fortress Games organizes events, including game nights and esports tournaments for Australian and SE Asia gaming communities such as Blast. 2315 Cocktail Bar: In Fortress Sydney is themed around a concept where AI has significantly influenced society. Patrons can engage with an AI to generate images that are displayed within the bar, creating the futuristic ambiance​. The bar is a juxtaposition of 21st-century nostalgia and the advanced technology of 2315.

Dungeons and Flagons, hosted every Sunday are self-contained Dungeons and Dragons sessions guided by an expert Dungeon Master.

Partners
The development and expansion of Fortress Games have been supported by strategic partnerships with brands in the technology and gaming industries. Alienware (Dell) for PC hardware and infrastructure and Telstra, a telecommunications company, to create the Telstra Lounge. This dedicated zone features more than 50 ultra-fast Alienware gaming PC battlestations for both amateur and professional players.

Character Lore
The character lore of Fortress is a concept envisioned by Jon Satterley, the co-founder of Fortress Games. This unique lore is embodied through four main characters: Vela, Jim, Bootes, and Carina.

Jim the Troll is a creature whose very existence stands at odds with the cosmic order. On the surface, he is a being of Arcune, his form encased in resilient, greenish-grey skin, as if forged from the planet's own elemental crucible. His orange mane blazes like a beacon of defiance, while his deep blue eyes betray an enigmatic, restless spirit. These eyes have no recollection of the man he used to be—James Mackenzie, a human scientist whose actions had cosmic repercussions. Etched onto his mammoth hammer is an "F," signifying an destiny he has yet to comprehend.

Bootes, bard, trickster, AI is an enigmatic, handsome fellow known throughout Arcune as the “bard with the cards”. Clad in an ensemble that merges the styles of a travelling minstrel and a cunning magician, Bootes has confidence. His wavy, chestnut hair cascades freely, suggesting a carefree nature. The arch of his brow, combined with a subtle smirk, indicates a man who's always a step ahead, perhaps with a trick or two up his sleeve.

Carina, famed warrior of the sword and axe stands with a posture emanating confidence and poise, Carina's physique tells a tale of intense training and countless battles. Her fiery red hair, a stark contrast to the dull greys and blues of the Arcune gladiator arenas, cascades wildly down her back, hinting at her tempestuous spirit. A unique, tech-infused eyepatch covering her left eye, a relic from her starship piloting days, gives her an enigmatic look, making one wonder about its origin and purpose. Her armour, a fusion of Arcune's raw materials and Earth's forgotten technology, integrates seamlessly, displaying both the Arcunian emblem and a mysterious 'F' insignia.

Vela is a star pilot hailing from the year 2315, With raven-black hair cascading down her shoulders and an authoritative aura, she embodies the perfect blend of grace and power. Her piercing eyes, resembling the deepest voids of space, have witnessed wonders beyond the imagination of many.

Integration of Character Lore In Venue Design
The character lore at the heart of Fortress Games, featuring characters Vela, Jim, Bootes, and Carina, througout the venue's design, with a narrative depth that enhances the immersive experience for visitors. This lore manifests through various easter eggs and unique design elements integrated throughout the venue, a world where every detail contributes to the story. These narrative-driven touches encourage exploration and discovery, making each visit a new adventure.

Early History
The concept for Fortress Games was jointly created by Jon Satterley and Adrian Giles. Satterley, with his deep roots in the entertainment and music industries, and Giles, a successful entrepreneur known for his ventures in the digital and tech space, shared a vision to create a venue that transcended traditional gaming experiences. Their idea was to integrate esports with a broad range of gaming and social activities, fostering a community where gamers could gather, compete, and connect. Together, Satterley and Giles along with Ryan Trainor founded Fortress Games with the ambition of establishing a "home for gamers." Their combined expertise and passion for gaming aimed to create a unique space that would serve as a cornerstone for the gaming community, offering an immersive experience that went beyond the conventional.

Notable Dates

 * 2018 – Foundation of Fortress Games by Jon Satterley, Adrian Giles and Ryan Trainor, in mid-2018.
 * 2019 – Opening of the flagship Melbourne venue, on 13 March 2020.
 * 2020 – Partnership announcement with Alienware for gaming hardware, on 26 November 2020.
 * 2021 – Launch of the Sydney venue, expanding Fortress Games' presence, on 20 April 2023.