HMV has acquired Gamerbase in a move that will see many more of the firm’s multiplayer gaming offerings rolled out in conjunction with the High Street giant.

Gamerbase first opened its doors within HMV’s Trocadero store in London last December on a concession basis, and has since flourished. HMV now plans to open more Gamerbase centres within its stores across the UK.

The first of these will be sited in HMV’s Manchester Market Street superstore by Christmas, and will will feature over fifty player units occupying some 2,000 sq.ft.

This development of the Gamerbase format within HMV, including the Manchester launch, will be led by the company’s co-founders, Dominic Mulroy and Sujoy Roy, who have been retained by HMV.

HMV head of games Tim Ellis said of the deal: “We’ve been developing our games offer in a number of ways, and we see instore gaming as an important strand in our overall strategy.”

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“Where we roll them out, we’ll be looking to locate the Gamerbase centres next to our games departments to bring the whole offer together for our customers - so if someone’s enjoyed playing a game online, they can pre-order or purchase it there and then.”

HMV MD Simon Fox said: “A key element of HMV's ‘get closer’ strategy is to continually improve the in-store experience for our customers - establishing our stores as multi-channel, interactive destinations and bringing to life the product that they’re so passionate about.”

“HMV is uniquely placed in entertainment retailing to bring this about. With Games becoming an increasingly significant part of our product mix, we’re delighted to announce that Gamerbase is now a part of the HMV offer, demonstrating our commitment to Games, and enabling us to develop a premium-quality gaming experience. Gamerbase has shown that the idea of a social gaming experience within a retail environment can be beneficial to our customers and the Games Industry alike.”

Gamnerbase co-founder Dominic Mulroy added: “The model of a gaming cyber centre has been extended to include official competitions and events staged by games publishers, where gamers can prove their skills for a variety of fantastic prizes.”

“So far, in 2008, Gamerbase has hosted various supplier events, who have offered a combined prize value in excess of £300,000. As Gamerbase expands around the country this will open up great opportunities for HMV to become involved in regional and national competitions, which, of course, will benefit the games industry as a whole.”