The University Student Union (USU) is holding the first Neon Nights of the semester in the CSUN Games Room where students can play with the free video games offered.

Neon Night’s is held on the first Thursday of each month when the Games Room is open from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The Games Room offers Wii and X-Box 360 on flatscreen monitors, free pingpong and billiards, and 25 cent arcade games. Ordinarily billiards cost $4.50 per hour for individuals and console games are $3.00 per hour.

This year the management has added music piped through Bose speakers to Neon Nights.

Ike Orijiakor, a 20-year-old senior majoring in political science, has worked at the Games Room for over two years.

“We typically have about 20 people but now that we’ve instituted these brand new speakers (and) we have music down here we’re expecting the turn out to go up,” Orijiakor said.

Games Room staff plan to play music streamed from Pandora Internet Radio.

The staff can also plug students’ iPods into the music system so students can share their own tunes with the  Neon Nights crowds.

“We have music now so it’s like a party down here,” Orijiakor said.

The Games Room offers some of the most popular video arcade games including “Marvel vs. Capcom”, “Tekken”, “Street Fighter”, “Call of Duty”, “Modern Warfare 2”, “Halo Reach” and others.

Players can bring their own controllers if they want to, but they don’t have to.

“The only (specialized controller) players might want to bring is the Wii Game Cube controller for Super Smash Bros. Brawl,” Orijiakor said.

Pete Hall, 19, a freshman and screenwriting major said he will probably show up for Neon Nights because it’s free.

“That’s the best part,” Hall said.

Hall said he is working on mastering one game in particular.

“It’s a great way not just to play games for free but also to meet other people who share the same interests,” Hall said. “I normally play Street Fighter Alpha 3. That’s my favorite game but I keep getting whooped so I keep coming back to practice and get better at it.”

Kevin Lizarraga, USU Marketing Manager said their department is open to suggestions about what students would like to see at future Neon Nights events.

“The USU sponsors this event and I know they do regular assessments of their events,” Lizarraga said. “They do focus groups once a year.”

The Games Room is in the H Building of the USU, in the basement under the Fitness Center. Parking lots G3 and G4 are closest to the USU.