Welcome to the digital jungle known as Gamers Island. A wall-to-wall paradise filled with PS5 game stations, VR head sets, and much more.
“We want to make an impact, we want to bring kids into Gamers Island to show them there is something else they could be doing, something more productive,” said Tashauna Parker.
Located in the downtown Ferguson area, owners Tashauna Parker and Kalonda Cloyd say their new business venture is a family-friendly futuristic haven needed in north county.
“Gamers Island is a safe place for youth and families to enjoy and explore the world of gaming,” said Parker.
“Kalonda and I live in niches. We are always trying to think about what’s missing in our communities,” said Parker.
Both Cloyd and Parker are mothers of gamers. Cloyd says her daughter has been gaming since she was five years old, and points out that many Black families are unaware of the financial gain gamers can receive by playing video games.
Parker said they want to help bring financial equity into underserved neighborhoods – and gaming is an additional way to do it.
“Our kids now have a chance to turn recreation into a profit,” said Parker.
Popular young YouTuber Ryan Kaji made his debut at just three years old back in 2015.
According to a story written by NASA Academy, his parents filmed him opening and reviewing the latest trend in toys on his YouTube channel.
Two years later his videos were bringing him millions of dollars and views. By 2018, Kaji’s annual income had doubled to $22 million; and in 2019, he earned $26 million.
Ryan’s World YouTube channel is now at 30.4 million subscribers, with over 48 billion views. Ryan’s World has a net worth estimated to be $32.
Parker admits she was a parent who did not understand the gaming world. The mother of a teenage boy didn’t understand why he would rather stay in the house and play video games instead of playing outside.
But after becoming involved in gaming, she realized that friendships are formed through gaming. She says the misconception is that gamers are “non-social kids, who won’t amount to anything.”
Gamers Island offers popular gaming streaming services like Youtube, where kids can safely interact while playing games.
“Kids get a chance to walk into this whole new world and escape reality for a little bit,” said Cloyd.
A “gamer” according to the Merriam-Webster definition is a person who regularly plays computer or video games. It seems it is much more than that. Gamers have their own community, style, and language.
Cloyd and Parker are inviting all gamers to their grand opening on February 25th. There will be live music, and guests can play video games and tour Gamers Island. A PS5 game will be raffled.
The entrepreneurs live in the Ferguson area and are aware of the scars left from the tragic events of 2014. Both have witnessed misguided youth near Gamers Island trying to break into cars.
“We want to make an impact, we want to bring kids into Gamers Island to show them there is something else they could be doing, something more productive,” said Parker. “We want to be a part of rebuilding Ferguson.”
The duo met in college at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), with both studying mass communications. They say having a degree in communications encompasses everything they are doing at Gamers Island. Everything is about media, almost everything is digital.
“So welcome to the digital jungle,” both said in unison.
Gamers Island is available for birthday parties and corporate events. It plans to offer summer camps and incorporate programs that teach financial literacy, gaming entrepreneurship, and computer construction and repair.
“This is our next journey to make a difference, everything we do is for the community,” said Parker.
Ashley Winters is a Report for America reporter for the St. Louis American.
