Breaking: Game Over for 8-Bit, Closing Party Jan 27

It's game over for yet another popular hutong venue. 8-Bit owner Dale Irons tells the Beijinger that the video game themed bar will soon close. He has planned a final farewell party for Saturday, Jan 27 that will run from 6pm onward, and will feature cheap booze to clear out the stock. On Sunday, Jan 28 at 3pm Irons will hold a sale on much of the venue's gaming hardware, TVs, and other button-mashing paraphernalia (for more information on both events, click here).

Shocking as this news will certainly be for the bar's dedicated following, Irons says he is reeling just as much. "It's all so sudden," he tells TBJ, adding: "To be honest we knew that our landlord planned to sell our building in the spring for reasons we are not sure of. But also for reasons not entirely known, the landlord now wants us out as soon as possible."

He tried to put a sunny spin on the bad news, saying: "It’s not all doom and gloom, as we have reached a reasonable settlement, and we are looking at it in the way of it’s just happening now rather than later."

When asked if he and his staff plan to reopen elsewhere, Irons says he has not yet had a chance to even consider that because the landlord's decision came so swiftly. "At this stage we are really not sure, we can't imagine opening up in another neighborhood as we love it here, and in this current climate it just seems so risky to try and find another location in the hutongs. So we are basically counting ourselves lucky that we did manage to make a deal. We are going to take some time to seriously think about our next steps."

It hasn't been that long since 8-Bit settled into the digs that they're now being pushed out of. In 2015 they moved from their original Jiaodaokou spot to the bigger Beiluogu Xiang location. At both locations Irons and his staff made a name for themselves with the unique, fun gaming concept comprised of various consoles and controllers lining the walls that patrons would play while sipping brews. The concept grew to incorporate regular open mic comedy nights, DJ parties, and more. They recently celebrated their fourth anniversary, for which Irons shared his favorite 8-Bit memories in a Q&A with TBJ. The sudden closure is of course just one of many hutong shutterings that have taken place over the last year, as part of a widespread municipal redevelopment push that much of the expat community has gravely dubbed The Great Brickening.

Word of 8-Bit's closure left much of the bar's considerable following crestfallen. David Fertitta, who coordinated regular open mics there for Comedy Club China and DJ'ed there with friends on more than one occasion as Club Paradise and throwback hip-hoppers Jammerz, tells TBJ the closure is "devastating" because "we had just started our open mics there, and also cooperated with them for our post-show after parties."

"Apart from comedy it just sucks because it was one of the last places left in the hutongs with that casual hutong bar feel that made Gulou so appealing to so many of us," Fertitta adds. "Lots of great memories there, many of them a bit blurry, but all of them good."

8-Bit's "Game Over" party will be held Saturday, Jan 27 from 6pm onward. Starting Sunday, Jan 28 at 3pm the venue will sell much of its gaming hardware. For more information, click here.

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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photos courtesy of 8-Bit, Mitchell Pe Masilun, Kipp Whittaker