LASERTRON

LASERTRON is both a manufacturer of commercial laser tag equipment and the name of an entertainment center located in Amherst, New York, USA. Both are branches of the same company.

LASERTRON Equipment

LASERTRON laser tag equipment is developed for indoor, arena play. The latest version of the equipment is the LT-11.5 and features radio real-time scoring, up to four teams, a 360 degree sensor array, a long-lasting rechargeable battery system and advanced game play features.

The next arena to be upgraded to LT-11.5 is XP LASERSPORT in Laurel, MD

[ [http://www.laser-tron.com/Laser_Tag_Manufacturer/Laser_Tag_Feature.htm LASERTRON LT-11] ]

LASERTRON's equipment arm also builds multi-level laser tag arenas and provides supplies to their operators.

LASERTRON Entertainment Center

The LASERTRON Interactive Entertainment Center features LASERTRON laser tag in a 9200 sq. ft. multi-level arena, the LASERTRON Racing Experience go-karts and their newest attraction CYBER SPORT (WHIRLEY BALL) which was introduced in 2006, and is currently planning on opening a second Cyber sport arena this fall. The center also includes an arcade with an emphasis on non violent games Featured are driving games, PGA Tour Golf air hockey and ticket redemption games.

The center is located at 5101 N. Bailey in Amherst, a suburb of Buffalo, New York.

Playing Lasertron

The Lasertron experience starts about 10 minutes before you start playing when the group is called in the briefing room and watches a short video explaining the basics of the lasertron game format and arena. Players are then given vests called out by a username and vest number combination.

The basic Lasertron game consists of two teams the red team and blue team and pits them against each other, the team with the most points at the end of the game wins. Each player wears a vest with attached gun. The gun has an led screen which displays the laser pulses and energy units. The vest has an led readout that switches between the pack number and the players score updated in real time.

There are four sensor areas on the vest on the front, rear, left and right shoulders, there are also sensors on the left, right and front of the gun. Players aim at the sensors to score points. When tagged a player's vest vibrates and makes a sound while the shooters vest says 'great tag'. Each team has a base with 4 sensors that can be tagged for points. Base tags are worth much more than player tags. On the wall at either end of the arena there are displays which show the scores of both teams and the time remaining in the game. When a player runs out of laser pulses or energy units they must go back to their base and walk past a recharger.

Starting with the LT-10 system the game has introduced C.H.I.P.S (Competitive Human Interactive Player Software) modes in which players chosen by the computer at random temporarily get a special ability it should be noted that although random each player gets a special mode at least one time each game. Some of the special modes include Deactivor in which the chosen players will deactivate an opponents vest with just one tag, Energizer which allows the chosen players to effectively become a walking recharger for their team, Stealth which turns off all lights on the players pack and they can not be shot the mode lasts 20 seconds or until the player fires their phaser. This is just a sample of available chips modes, there are two modes playing in lasertron sport at any given time.

Shortly after the game ends there is a very detailed score sheet available to each player that shows data including shots fired, shots hit, team rank, total rank, base tags, tags for and against each individual player, how many times each player was in a chips mode, the score for each chips mode, how many shots you hit in each sensor.

Unknown to many customers there are many game modes, types and software modifiers that can be set by the operator. While most players just play basic 2 team laser tag. The Lt-11 and newer packs and software includes game modes such as Vampire in which one player is on his own and can not permanently die and attempts to tag the other team and turn them into vampires, 4 team mode instead of just the normal red and blue teams there is also a yellow and a green added to make 4 team skirmishes. There are also special team building and other special use game modes.

Former Attractions at the Laserton Entertainment Center

The secondary arena which currently houses Cyber Sport, is often changed to test new game concepts. Past attractions in this space include:

*Bumper-Tron- An attraction in which the participants drove bumper cars around the arena and attempted to bump opponents each car also had a laser on the front to tag opponents.

*Ground Zero- An attraction at which the players stood on a stationary platform in front of a pedestal with a gun while the center of the arena featured targets. There were 20 pedestals on either side of the arena each side was a team. The player would then shoot at targets as they lit up. Patterns and moving targets were used to increase the challenge.

*Lasertron Multi-Level Adventure (2002-2006): The arena was set up as a second smaller Lasertron arena, it was also the first multi level arena at LASERTRON.

*Cyber Sport (2006-Current) : This conecept is a cross between hockey and lacrosse. Players use one hand to drive an electric buggy and the other to hold a small a scoop. The goal is to drive to the ball and scoop it up, get it to the other side of the court and score on a goal mounted on the wall. There are usually about 5 people to a team. In January 2008 version A1.2 of cybersport was launched allowing the cars motors to be less jerky, faster and more responsive.

History of LASERTRON

LASERTRON began forming and creating equipment in 1986.

The LASERTRON center opened in 1988, making it the oldest continually operating laser tag center in the United States of America. [ [http://www.laser-tron.com/Laser_Tag_Manufacturer/Laser_Tag_LASERTRON_Story.htm LASERTRON's Story] ] The first laser tag system used was the LT-1 released in 1988 to coincide with the opening of the Lasertron Center. In 1995 the LT-7 system was introduced as well as a remodeled arena, remodeled lobby and space to host in house birthday parties, and a larger arcade. In the late 90's a second arena was added which housed prototype games such as Bumpertron and Ground Zero, again expanding the arcade and adding more party space. In 2002 Ground Zero was from the first arena and the first multilevel Lasertron arena was installed. In 2004 the main arena was remodeled yet again this time adding a second level and bringing the amount of playable space in the main arena to 9,200 square feet and making the conversion to the LT-11 vests. [http://www.lasertron.com/Laser_Tag_Manufacturer/Laser_Tag_WhyMultiLevel.htm] In 2006 a full bar was added, some of the games in the arcade have been updated and the second arena was rebuilt to become Cyber Sport. In addition an 1,100 foot electric go cart track was added behind the building.

The motto of Lasertron is quite a good one, "There is no finish line."

References

External links

* [http://www.laser-tron.com LASERTRON laser tag equipment] (website of manufacturing division)
* [http://www.lasertron.us LASERTRON interactive entertainment centre] (website of laser tag arena)
* [http://www.wheretoplaylasertag.com/Where_to_play_laser_tag_AllianceMembers.htm LASERTRON Alliance] (a list of arenas using LASERTRON laser tag equipment)