<!-- canonical: https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/colonie-center -->
<!-- robots: noindex -->

# Anime Game-Accepting Malls
Colonie Center Has Redesigned Its Atrium to Be a Pokemon Go Arena

By Joey Haar | Published 2016-08-15 | Tech
Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/colonie-center
References: [thenextweb](http://thenextweb.com/creativity/2016/08/12/mall-embraces-pokegym-location-turns-its-lobby-into-a-pokemon-go-arena/) & [shopatcoloniecenter](http://www.shopatcoloniecenter.com/event/pokemon-go/2145476268)

When the Colonie Center, a mall in Albany, New York, realized that its atrium was the location of a PokeGym in Pokemon Go, it didn't try to fight back against the hordes of Pokemon masters. Rather, the mall saw the PokeGym placement as a business opportunity. For the next month, the Colonie Center's atrium will be bedecked with a [giant pokeball logo and Pokemon banners](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pokmon-trading-card-game), encouraging [Pokemon Go players](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pokeworks-restaurant) to spend as much time in the mall as possible.

From a business perspective, Colonie Center's move to create a [Pokemon arena](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hasbro-game-zone) is a clever one. The more time patrons spend in a mall, the better it is for business, so capitalizing on the luck of a PokeGym on site makes perfect sense.

## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter)

- Score: 1.8/10
- Popularity: 20% | Activity: 25% | Freshness: 8%
- Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women
- Primary generations: Gen Z, Gen Alpha, Millennial
- Top markets: North America

## Categories

[Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/games)

## Key Themes

### Key Themes Behind This Trend

- **Mall Gaming Attractions:** Malls are adapting to the popularity of gaming in public spaces and incorporating them as attractions to keep customers engaged.
- **Augmented Reality Advertising:** Malls can use augmented reality technology as an advertising tool to attract customers and enhance their experience.
- **Location-based Marketing Campaigns:** Businesses can capitalize on the location of popular mobile games like Pokemon Go as a way to attract customers and increase foot traffic.

### Where This Applies

- **Retail:** Retailers can incorporate gaming attractions and location-based advertising to create immersive experiences that keep customers engaged in their physical stores.
- **Entertainment:** Entertainment venues, such as malls, can incorporate gaming attractions to attract customers and increase engagement with their space.
- **Technology:** The development of new augmented reality tools and location-based marketing campaigns presents new opportunities for tech companies to work with businesses and create innovative solutions.

## Related on Trend Hunter

- [Inaugural Anime-Inspired Retail Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hypland1.md)
- [Fandom Culture Retail Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eb-trends-store-concept.md)
- [Anime-Themed Outdoor Parks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pokpark-kanto.md)
- [Creature-Collecting QSR Incentives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pokestops.md)
- [Baseball-Inspired Game Collaborations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pokemon-go-1.md)
- [Next-Generation Mall Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/meet-me-themall.md)
- [Prize-Winning Arcade Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gacha-catch.md)
- [Adult-Targeted Arcade Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chucks-arcade.md)
- [Video Game Merchandise Events](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-king-of-games.md)