Brighton has been chosen as one of eight locations for a new chain of games shops.

Gameplay, a branch of which is now open in Churchill Square, is billed as the High Street extension of gamers web site www.gameplay.com Other branches have opened in Kingston, Lakeside, Reading, Bluewater, Glasgow, Bristol and Leeds.

The stores are designed to be gaming entertainment centres as well as just shops.

Free internet bays give shoppers access to gaming information sites. They can visit real-time chat rooms, compete in online games or check release dates via the "Release Radar".

Andy Mee, the sales and marketing director of Gameplay, said: "The store experience will be just that, an experience. Customers will be able to buy, play and talk for the first time in a bricks-and-mortar gaming environment."