The verdict's still out on whether or not drinking while playing pool makes you any better, but the combination of games and booze has proved to be a successful formula for the group of Queensland entrepreneurs who opened up Australia's first game bar. Located in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, the Mana Bar features TVs and game consoles mounted on the walls for patrons to play. While boutique bars are in vogue in Australia right now, many don't last and the eyes of gamers around the country were on the Mana Bar to see how it went.

　　We wouldn't advise you drive your Mario Kart home after one of these drinks.

　　Mana Bar spokesman Guy "Yug" Blomberg has been teasing gamers with the promise of expansion into other Australian cities, but up until now, he has remained brief on the details. Today Yug confirmed plans to expand into Sydney and Melbourne before the end of 2010. He added that they'll be looking to get into other Australian cities, as well as taking the idea overseas.

　　An exact time frame is unknown at this stage, with Yug telling GameSpot AU that "It's like a release for a video game. That's the time we're aiming for, but there are other [unforeseen] factors that might happen that prevent it from happening. We just want to hold off for now." Yug went on to reiterate that it's only a matter of "months, not years" before Mana Bar expands into Sydney and Melbourne. As for other Australian cities, he explained that "Adelaide and Perth are the obvious choice, but like we've done in Sydney and Melbourne, we need to do our research before making a decision."

　　While focus is on expansion into Sydney and Melbourne at the moment, Yug said that they are "currently in discussions with other passionate entrepreneurs around the world who want a Mana Bar in their countries as well." Unable to talk specific cities at this stage, he said that the US, UK, and Europe were all regions that the business is currently exploring.

　　For more information on the Mana Bar, check out the official Web site.