Playdium
Template:Short description {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for clobbered parameters|check|nested=1|template=Infobox company|cat=Template:Main other|name; company_name|logo; company_logo|logo_alt; alt|trade_name; trading_name|former_names; former_name|type; company_type|predecessors; predecessor|successors; successor|foundation; founded|founders; founder|defunct; dissolved|hq_location; location|hq_location_city; location_city|hq_location_country; location_country|num_locations; locations|areas_served; area_served|net_income; profit|net_income_year; profit_year|owners; owner |homepage; website }}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox company with unknown parameter "_VALUE_" | ignoreblank=y | alt | area_served | areas_served | assets | assets_year | aum | brands | company_logo | company_name | company_type | defunct | dissolved | divisions | embed | equity | equity_year | fate | footnotes | headquarters | former_name | former_names | foundation | founded | founder | founders | genre | homepage | hq_location | hq_location_city | hq_location_country | incorporated | image | image_alt | image_caption | image_size | image_upright | income_year | industry | ISIN | key_people | location | location_city | location_country | locations | logo | logo_alt | logo_caption | logo_class | logo_size | logo_upright | members | members_year | module | name | native_name | native_name_lang | net_income | net_income_year | num_employees | num_employees_year | num_locations | num_locations_year | operating_income | owner | owners | parent | predecessor | predecessors | production | production_year | products | profit | profit_year | rating | ratio | revenue | revenue_year | romanized_name | services | subsid | subsidiaries | successor | successors | traded_as | trade_name | trading_name | type | website| qid | fetchwikidata | suppressfields | noicon | nocat | demo | categories }}
.jpg){kind=link}
Playdium is a family entertainment centre chain owned by Cineplex Entertainment. It currently consists of four locations.
History
Playdium first launched on September 7, 1996, opening its first location in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada as Sega City @ Playdium. It was located near the Square One Shopping Centre and served as the chain's flagship location. The Template:Convert centre cost CA$17 million to build and included an arcade, batting cages, go-karts and mini-golf. A partnership with Sega GameWorks, it featured many arcade games from that company such as Daytona USA, and eight-player racing setups for Indy 500 (as Virtua Indy) and Manx TT Super Bike.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="jointmarketing-strategy">Template:Cite news</ref> In 1999, the centre was renamed to Playdium.
At its peak, the chain operated four Playdium locations: Mississauga (next to the Square One Shopping Centre), Toronto (next to Scotiabank Theatre Toronto), Edmonton (inside the West Edmonton Mall) and Burnaby (inside Metropolis at Metrotown and host of official Dance Dance Revolution tournaments in 2000 and 2001).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Though the Playdium brand did exist in smaller arcades that are now known as Cinescape or Xscape. The Rec Room is a spiritual successor to Playdium near the former Toronto location and at the former West Edmonton Mall location. A new Rec Room location took over the former Target at Square One Shopping Centre in 2019. Despite this, future plans regarding the nearby Playdium location have yet to be announced.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The company also operates The Playdium Store, which retails arcade games and various other home entertainment solutions.
In October 2017, Cineplex announced the relaunch of the Playdium brand, with plans to open 10 to 15 locations nationwide.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The first location under the relaunch opened in Brampton in September 2019, followed by a location in Whitby in November 2019.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On October 15, 2020, it was announced that Playdium would permanently close its original location in Mississauga on November 1 due to redevelopment of the area however its locations in Brampton and Whitby would remain open.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On February 20, 2021, Playdium opened its third location at Dartmouth Crossing in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In December 2024, Playdium opened its fourth location at Fairview Mall in Toronto.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Operations
The original main building in Mississauga was Template:Convert and included over 200 attractions. The arcade was previously curated into themed "communities" such as Contact, Music, Speed and Sports, but this is no longer the case.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Play credits for games were loaded onto a Playdium card and could be purchased in units to use at any time, or in time blocks of unlimited play. Some "redemption games" would award digital tickets to players that could then be exchanged for prizes. A few machines could not be played using time blocks.
A baseball dome, formerly with a Toronto Blue Jays partnership, operated year-round and had nine variable-speed batting cages. There was also a Megabytes fast food restaurant on the gaming floor and a full-service mezzanine diner. Megabytes featured marketing similar to Cineplex concession stands and Outtakes restaurants, though at lower prices, while also incorporating a selection of Pizza Pizza and Starbucks menu items.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Past cross-promotional partners included HMV Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays (indoor batting cages, baseball camps, and coupons on Blue Jays tickets), the Molson Indy Toronto (the Template:Convert outdoor go-kart track was formerly known as the Mario Andretti Racetrack), and Roots (the lounge was formerly known as the Roots Treehouse). The outdoors also include an 18-hole miniature golf, and Water Wars.
Playdium Movie Magic
Playdium Movie Magic was a DVD video rental shop that operated using automated retail kiosks.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It launched in early 2011 and closed in late 2016. Competitors included Le SuperClub Vidéotron, Redbox and Zip.ca kiosks. Contrary to these, Playdium rentals were location-specific and could only be returned at the original kiosk where the DVD was rented.