Net Ocean Games has opened its doors on Saskatoon's west side, providing a convenient gaming spot for residents. The store, located on 33rd Street East, offers trading card games, board games, and model kits, along with a daily schedule of play times six days a week.
A Dream Realized
Owners Sam "King" Robins, Kody Craven, and Matthew Richard, close friends with a shared passion for gaming, decided to turn their hobby into a business. "We just wanted a space for people to come and share their interests and spend their time together in person, because so much of today's life is online," Robins explained. The trio, who are Métis, aim to incorporate a sense of community and shared village culture into their store.
From Joke to Reality
The idea for Net Ocean Games began as a joke among friends who frequently played the Digimon Card Game at Dragon's Den Games. "We were talking one day about trying to get more opportunities to play. We jokingly said we should just open our own store. And then we started thinking about it and a couple weeks later we said hey, maybe we should actually open our own store," Robins recalled.
Products and Offerings
Net Ocean Games specializes in trading card games such as Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh!, with a particular focus on Bandai TCG titles like One Piece, Digimon, and Gundam. The store also offers a variety of board games, model kits (especially Gunpla), and accessories like dice, deck boxes, and card sleeves. Popular board games include Wingspan, Finspan, and Wyrmspan, while high-grade model kits are best-sellers.
Location Advantage
Unlike other hobby stores concentrated on Eighth Street, Net Ocean Games is situated on 33rd Street, serving the west end of Saskatoon. "We are located on the opposite side of the city from all the other hobby stores. They are pretty much all on Eighth Street. We are located on 33rd Street so we are kind of away from those guys and we are able to hopefully service more people on the west end of the city that otherwise would have to drive across town," Robins noted.
Community Focus
The owners emphasize the importance of in-person interaction in an increasingly digital world. "We just wanted a place where people could come and play games and we could build a community," Robins said. The store aims to be a welcoming space for gamers of all ages and interests.
