London Gamerbase launches

London-based PC gamers who like to try before they buy can now do just that thanks to the launch of the first Gamerbase gaming zone - a Dell and Intel powered games centre located in HMV's Piccadilly Circus store.

Covering 2,300 square feet of the shop, Gamerbase features loads of XPS gaming PCs from Dell with Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 processors, GeForce 8800 GTX graphics cards running in SLI and new games running on them. There are also some Xbox 360s to play around on.

Membership is free, with players charged between GBP 2.50 and GBP 4 per hour in advance of playing, according to MD Dominic Mulroy. However, any time not used up can then be saved for next time.

"The way people discover and enjoy games is showing signs of broadening out, and we want to be at the forefront of this process so we can continue to cater to all tastes and demands as they develop," says HMV head of games Tim Ellis. "The Gamerbase gaming centre is located right next to the store's Games department, so gamers can buy or pre-order a PC title straight away if they've had a great experience playing it."

Gamerbase is open seven days a week whenever HMV is and looks like that. Mulroy adds that the staff "have all been trained by Dell to ensure that customers receive the best advice and support on their PC purchase", so make sure to ask them difficult questions like "how many guns can you hold in Nintendogs?" and "can I have a SWAT3 CD key?"

For more details on Gamerbase and who set it up, check out the website.