Alien Games rebuilds after August fire

BY SUSAN HYLTON World Staff Writer
Friday, December 28, 2012
12/28/12 at 7:38 AM

JENKS - Several incredible things happened in August when Alien Games caught fire.

It was five minutes before opening time, and owner Tom Anderson got out just as the ceiling collapsed and burst into flames.

But the store was back open again within 24 hours. Its loyal game players had helped Anderson and his wife, Karen Anderson, unload newly bought tables and chairs from a trailer and move into a temporary spot at RiverWalk Crossing, where the Muscogee (Creek) Nation is allowing them to operate on a month-to-month lease.

The players "said they'd play in the parking lot if they had to," Karen Anderson said.

The Andersons were working on a store expansion at the time of the fire, which is believed to have originated in the wiring.

Their determination to rebuild the 3-year-old business at the same site at 508 E. A St. is very much alive while they continue to operate temporarily at RiverWalk Crossing.

In fact, the Andersons hired GS Helms & Associates to come up with a unique design that motorists will surely notice.

When Karen Anderson mentioned something about a spaceship crashing into a building, Greg Helms took her up on it.

"I didn't know if she was serious or not, so in the next rendering, I stuck one on there to see their reaction," Helms said. "They loved it."

The new structure will meld with others in the area and is expected to be complete in the spring.

"That part of town is in the river district, so the design started out as a New England saltbox design and it sort of evolved from there," Helms said.

The new space will have 2,400 square feet for players.

"There's not really any game stores over this way," Karen Anderson said.

In addition to local gamers, she said, it's not unusual to attract people from Bartlesville or Henryetta or even from out of state.

Karen Anderson said they got into the game business through friends of her 16-year-old son, Josh, who plays Magic and Yu-Gi-Oh! They suggested that the Andersons put a game store in the building they owned on A Street.

So they took Tom Anderson's background in sales, Karen Anderson's background in accounting and their son's taste in games and made it work.

In the beginning, only about 10 players were regulars, and they were open just four days a week.

But word of mouth soon attracted more players. Now they're open seven days a week and have a Facebook page, which can be found online at tulsaworld.com/alien games

Big trading card tournaments can attract more than 150 people.

The game store gives kids something to do, and Karen Anderson said they have become like family.

"The thing I think I like most about a game store is that a lot of kids sit around and play video games all the time and don't get any social interaction," she said.

"These people are the most social people you would meet when they're in the game store."

Plus, she said, the games help improve reading and math skills.

Having parents in the store doesn't seem to put off teenage and college players, either.

It can't be that bad if they're willing to hang out with someone's parents on a Friday or Saturday night, she said.

Alien Games hosts tournaments for Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon, Vanguard, Kaijudo and HeroClix. The store also has cards for World of Warcraft, Warhammer 40k and Dungeons & Dragons.

The store sells unique board games and a variety of comics, including Spider-Man and Batman.

The new store will have Wi-Fi, couches for nongaming parents, snacks and canned drinks.

Alien Games hours

Tuesday through Thursday: 4 to 10 p.m.
Friday: 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday: noon to 10 p.m.
Sunday: 1 to 6 p.m.

Original Print Headline: Alien's resurrection

Susan Hylton 918-581-8381
susan.hylton@tulsaworld.com

Associated Images:

Josh Anderson, 16, of Jenks (middle) plays a game of Yu-Gi-Oh! with Zack Lane, 19, of Tulsa as employee Todd Kepford (left) watches at Alien Games in Jenks. The store's players helped set up a temporary site at the RiverWalk Crossing after the original store burned down. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World

Josh Anderson, 16 (bottom left), of Jenks plays Yu-Gi-Oh! with Jeff Degginger, 21, of Broken Arrow at Alien Games in Jenks. The original game store on A Street burned to the ground in August, but owners Tom and Karen Anderson are determined to rebuild the 3-year-old building at its original site. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World

Customers play a Yu-Gi-Oh! tournament at the temporary Alien Games in Jenks. The new space will have 2,400 square feet for players and tournaments hosted at the store. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World

Jason Jones, 15 (left), of Jenks plays a World of Warcraft card game with Zane Goebel, 17, of Jenks at Alien Games. Owners Tom and Karen Anderson say the new structure will meld with others in the area and is expected to be complete in the spring. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World