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HALIFAX – Area 51 Gaming Lounge officially opened Tuesday, one of several businesses that have launched in Halifax in recent years for people to play games together.

“[Playing video games is] not social, and that’s the stigma that people have. So what we wanted to do is we wanted to break it. We wanted a place for people to come together as a community,” co-owner Omar Al Rayyes said.

The business focuses on video games; customers pay based on how long they use consoles and computers.

While young men will likely make up the largest customer base, Al Rayyes said he expects that to shift.

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“Now everyone’s playing video games,” he said.

Other businesses have also been created to meet a similar demand.

The Board Room Game Cafe, which opened in 2013, offers customers access to hundreds of board games for a $5 entry fee.

“It’s becoming definitely a lot more mainstream,” said Kat Adams manager and game boss (her other title), adding that board game cafes have opened in many cities across Canada and the world.

Games People Play, which sells items including board games and trading cards, has been opened for nearly three years.

Customers play games, such as Warhammer, at the store on themed nights.

Joseph Allen, a co-owner, said the demand for products in the industry has risen over the past five years.

“Everything is kind of moving from the side streets to the main street now,” he said, crediting the recent resurgence of superhero movies for significantly increasing interest.