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Gamemasters Guild: Finding Passion in Gaming
Story by Marlys Cervantes | Staff Writer
The following article appeared in the print issue of Ponca City Monthly magazine, which includes hyperlocal stories about Ponca City. Get full access to all online articles, videos, and content by becoming a paid subscriber. We offer free and paid subscription plans. Find rack locations to pick up your free print copy here, or subscribe here to get online access plus exclusive content.
“We set up a situation and let you interact with it and see the consequences of your choice. That’s what gaming does.”
~ Warren Spector, American Video Game Designer
Wow! What happens when something you do for fun turns into your business? That is exactly what transpired when Matt Duplissey, Billy Elliott and Matt Prater decided to open a Gamemasters Guild in 2019. What began as a small Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) shop quickly expanded to other games and hobby items, and their mission grew.
Of their business, Elliott says, “Our mission is to introduce the joy and excitement of gaming to new players and offer different gaming options for groups.” They started with a weekly tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) session of D&D to a discussion of how great it would be to have a “dedicated place where both new and veteran players could have a one-stop gaming experience that could provide everything they needed.”
The Guild’s most popular game is Warhammer 40,000, a tabletop war game with different factions and abilities that a player picks to build and paint their army. They generally hold one tournament a month averaging 20 players per tournament. However, most days they are open, Elliott says, you can find at least one game of Warhammer being played more casually in the shop. There are also Stars Wars Shatterpoint or Star Wars Legion, skirmish and war games set in the Star Wars universe, that are popular as well.
They’ve grown from that one-game shop to offer other role-playing games, tabletop skirmish games, trading card games and paints for figures for games. Along with gaming times, they also have painting times. In addition, Gamemasters expanded to offer 3D printing for customers’ needs, including figures and terrain for role-playing and war games, cosplay props and accessories. Think about how personalized this can make the games and the cosplay costumes. In addition, the 3D printer allows the Gamemasters crew to create custom dice sets in your color choice with numbers and paint to your specifications.
Gamemasters Guild has always served customers from the entire area and recently moved from their Ponca City location to a larger site in Tonkawa. The new location gives them much more room, and they are excited about what they will be able to offer. With the space, they have more room for their own tournaments and activities, but they also have a perfect place to rent for birthdays or other events. American actor and gamer Rich Sommer says, “Gaming has been a great way to get to know people. That’s part of what I love about games, that they are social.” This new space provides even more room for the socializing aspect of gaming.
Besides just serving customers at their main location, Gamemasters Guild has a mobile game shop that travels to festivals, community events and mor.e It was purchased with a small business grant through a program backed by American Express and Main Street America. This mobile unit has allowed them to take their gaming passion to other areas where there may not be access to this type of gaming. The passion of these three is real, and so is their desire to spread their love of gaming.
They want to continue to bring the best gaming experience to their clients. Elliott says they hope to make sure “veteran and new players have a safe and affordable place to play their favorite games and find new ones, while making new and lasting friendships.” One of their hopes for the future is to purchase a shuttle or van to run from NOC to the shop on weekends to further help customers have access. It is a wonderful goal for a college town.
For now, you can continue to find them at their new location at 99 S. 7th Street in Tonkawa. More information can be found on their FB site Gamemasters Guild or their website pcgameguild.carrd.co, and if you have questions, you can email them at [email protected] . Shop with these businessmen-gamers for your Christmas needs. If you aren’t sure what to buy your gamer, they offer gift certificates! See you at the Games!
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