I’m James Sabin, founder of Arcadium Nexus, a developing gaming and social entertainment concept for the Shreveport-Bossier area.

Arcadium Nexus is intended to become more than a room full of computers. The long-term goal is a permanent destination built around rotating games, public events, independent creators, food, drinks, and reasons for people to spend time together.

Before attempting that larger venue, we need to prove the experience through a real public event.

That is what this fundraiser supports.

WHAT WE ARE BUILDING

We are preparing the first Arcadium Nexus public indie-game showcase, planned for Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The planned venue is the Shreveport Bar Center at 625 Texas Street in downtown Shreveport.

The event is being designed around six individual laptop game stations, a curated lineup of independent games, approximately 24 public attendees, food, nonalcoholic drinks, social seating, structured player feedback, and live audience voting.

Approximately 35 to 40 people may be onsite at peak when organizers, volunteers, developers, guardians, partners, and venue personnel are included.

Developers are being invited through the free Arcadium Nexus Open Showcase Challenge:

https://itch.io/jam/arcadium-nexus-open-showcase-challenge

Developers may participate remotely and do not have to attend the physical event.

The selected games are expected to be lightweight browser-based projects, including HTML5, WebGL, GameMaker, Unity WebGL, and similar formats. This event is not being designed around demanding commercial games or expensive high-end gaming hardware.

WHY WE NEED SIX LAPTOPS

The laptops are the six stations that make the showcase possible.

We plan to purchase six reliable Windows laptops with enough memory and processing power to run offline browser-based games smoothly and consistently throughout the event.

These systems will remain Arcadium Nexus property after the first showcase and will be reused for additional temporary-location events while the permanent venue remains in development.

When that temporary-event phase eventually ends, we intend to securely wipe, refurbish, and resell the laptops. Net proceeds would then be directed toward the thin-client technology system planned for the permanent Arcadium Nexus venue.

Future resale value is not guaranteed and is not being counted as money available for this event.

WHY WE ARE RAISING $6,200

Our current non-laptop event budget is approximately $3,285 before GoFundMe transaction fees.

That working budget includes:

$925 for the venue rental, room setup, and weekend access package

$240 for six hours of required event security

Approximately $300 reserved for event insurance, pending a final quote

Approximately $70 for administrative and access-related requirements

$450 for food, nonalcoholic drinks, delivery, service supplies, taxes, and gratuity

$450 for power distribution, cable protection, peripherals, adapters, check-in materials, voting supplies, signage, sanitation, and backup equipment

$350 for promotion, photography, and event documentation

$500 in contingency for verified event-related surprises

The six laptops are expected to cost approximately $2,100 to $2,700 in total, depending on the final models, taxes, shipping, chargers, condition, and any required memory or storage adjustments.

An additional $150 is being reserved for GoFundMe transaction-fee variation.

Together, the current estimated requirement ranges from approximately $5,535 to $6,135. The $6,200 goal allows for the upper end of the laptop estimate and modest price movement without creating a large unexplained cushion.

This fundraiser does not support founder wages, personal expenses, existing debt, alcohol, cash prizes, or construction of the permanent Arcadium Nexus venue.

CURRENT STATUS

Arcadium Nexus has completed an in-person walkthrough of the preferred venue and received initial pricing and operating requirements.

The physical showcase remains subject to the final venue agreement, deposit, insurance, security, equipment acquisition, staffing, food arrangements, funding, and operational readiness.

We will publish clear updates as those requirements are completed.

A GoFundMe donation is voluntary support for the pilot event.

A donation does not purchase admission, reserve a seat, provide merchandise or membership benefits, influence which games are selected, or represent an investment in Arcadium Nexus.

Event admission will be handled separately only after the physical showcase is formally confirmed.

If the physical event must be rescheduled, remaining funds will stay connected to documented pilot expenses, reusable event equipment, a rescheduled showcase, directly related fallback execution, or refund handling where practical.

WHY THIS EVENT MATTERS

This showcase is not intended to prove everything about Arcadium Nexus in one day.

It is intended to answer real questions.

Will people attend?

Will they stay, play several games, socialize, eat, vote, and provide useful feedback?

Can independent developers gain something meaningful from presenting their work?

Can this type of event be repeated and improved?

Every contribution helps us replace assumptions with evidence and move Arcadium Nexus one measurable step closer to becoming real.

Sharing the fundraiser also matters, especially with local gamers, independent developers, students, community partners, and anyone who wants to see more original entertainment opportunities in Shreveport-Bossier.

Thank you for helping bring Arcadium Nexus to life.