National Video Game Arcade to open in Nottingham next year

Nottingham festival GameCity has announced a new gaming culture hub.

The National Video Game Arcade is due to open in March 2015, and is intended as a video game equivalent to the British Film Institute.

Eurogamer reports the centre is being built with support from Nottingham Trent University and Nottingham City Council, among others, and will cost £2.5 million.

The centre will be a permanent home for portions of the National Video Game Archive, which is a collection of thousands of items. It will also host quarterly exhibitions, and have a floor devoted to guiding students into the games industry.

"For the first time ever, a civic, cultural and academic space will be dedicated to the public's relationship with video games," GameCity director Iain Simons said.

"We believe that games should be played by everyone, and that games should be made by everyone. Our accessible city-centre location is a crucial expression of that aspiration."