To survive as a laser tag business you cannot rest on your laurels. It is essential to continually upgrade and update the experience you provide your players. They must want to become part of the virtual environment you provide. They must feel the rush and excitment of exploring and mastering your territory. You must continually adapt and change the game over time to entice customers back for more.
Repeat Play - The Key To Success
In this age when there is so much competition for the leisure dollar, it is important to have a product that can maximise your income and provide a quick return on investment. It is also critical that long term profits are there to stay. Laserforce has been designed with all this in mind. Most Laserforce sites attain over 93% repeat play, which is the highest in the industry - by far. In fact one of the many records held by Laserforce is the most number of games played, some players have played well over 3,000 games. With our years of operating experience and progressive R&D we have developed the perfect recipe for long term profits. Our long proven operating procedures and ongoing advice will keep you at the forefront of money making opportunities.
The Laserforce system is designed for a rapid turnover of players. With 4 or 5 games an hour, each with 40 players, you can imagine just how quickly income is generated. The speed of Laserforce throughput immediately ensures that you can make more money, more quickly.
Why does Laserforce have the highest incidence of repeat play in the laser tag industry?
Every laser tag system has a vest and fires a laser. When you get hit you deactivate and when the game is over you come out and view your score. So why is Laserforce so high end that players return to it more than any other game?… Laserforce is not just a game - it is an interactive experience. Players don’t just play the game they literally become part of it. Laserforce is totally focused on interactive realism and excitement. The key features of the Laserforce experience are:
Continuous Radio Link (CRL)
The heart of the Laserforce system is its Continuous Radio Link. CRL was developed by Laserforce. WARNING! Radio real time scoring is highly sophisticated technology and it has required intense R&D to perfect the system. Others have recently emulated our CRL technology but be cautious about the stability of their systems. Our ultra fast data transfer rates leave the others light years behind. Some of the many benefits of CRL are:
Continuous Game
Only Laserforce offers a truly continuous game. Players can enter the game at any time regardless of when other players may have started their game. For example if a game is in progress and another group arrives wanting to play, the second group can start immediately. The scoring for both groups is 100% accurate, both groups can score on each other, and both will finish the game after their respective times have elapsed. This continuous game format can almost double the throughput of players with a corresponding increase in income.
Real-Time Scoring
Because all scores are recorded instantaneously, there is no cumbersome down‑loading of scores at the end of each game. Scores are displayed immediately on monitors within the foyer and the arena itself. Players and spectators alike can know exactly what is happening in the arena, as it happens!
Added Realism
The arena echoes with the sounds of battle. Digital sound effects are generated, and broadcast over the sound system in immediate response to events in the game.
Did you know that Laserforce is the only system in the world where players receive a fire and hit sound? All other games have only a fire sound, regardless of whether the shot hit or missed.
Laserforce Is An Interactive Experience & Has Superior Player Feedback
Our sound effects and on board digital speech are second to none. In 1987 we developed real time sound effects over the main PA system. In 1995 we introduced digital sound effects into the battlesuits and it was an immediate hit. We are now developing systems that have over four minutes of onboard recorded sound effects and speech messages. These messages are used judicially before, during and after the game to help and advise the players. It will remind players that they still need to destroy the generator targets, what position they are coming in the game, what special ability they have earned - even how to hang up their battlesuit properly when their mission is complete.
Click here to listen to sample sound effects
One of the most advanced and exciting features of Laserforce is the onboard digital speech processor. During the game, the battlesuit itself can provide the player with a selection from over 300 concise messages and sound effects that provide advice, encouragement and excitement. In addition to the usual sound effects, the Laserforce system triggers digital messages remotely by way of its unique Continuous Radio Link technology. For example, the battlesuit will tell the player where they are placed in the game, when to retreat and hide, and will even offer advice if the player is performing badly! This use of speech adds a complete new dimension to laser games and provides amazing realism.
Peripheral Devices
Warbots
Generator Target
Stargate
Warbots. Warbots are programmed with artificial intelligence. Warbots guard an area and attack any player. They will sense the skill level of players within its zone and make allowances for their ability. The Warbot has its own speech patterns, can fire lasers, spotlights and can be made to swivel around. Warbots can be themed in many different guises.
Generator Targets. These are the simplest of our devices. Targets are aligned by color. Players score bonus points by zapping the target three consecutive times. Multiple players can hit the target at once, but each player can “destroy” the target but once per game. When the target is being attacked there are accompanying sound effects and explosions over the main sound system and the player’s battlesuit says “Well done, enemy target destroyed”
Defdroid. A Defdroid is inherently similar to the Generator Targets but can be hit by any team.
Stargates. For the record we were using the word “Stargate” way back in 1991 well before the movie. Stargates are where players log in to the mission with their individual ID barcode. A laser scanner reads the card at the same time as the Stargate reads the infra-red code of the battlesuit - thus allowing the software to individually identify the player during the game. The Stargate is a realistic interactive device as the players log themselves into the mission. As they walk through the Stargate they activate their battlesuits and warp into the Laserforce arena.
Thermo-mines. Thermo-mines detect players in their proximity and go off. The can be programmed to detect friend, foe or both. They can also be programmed to come on randomly.
Angels (under development). Angels are very welcome allies to come upon in a game. They have a series of illuminated panels that randomly activates a “Power Up”. If the Life icon is illuminated you will be powered up with extra life. Angels can also provide extra points, shots, special abilities etc.
Radiation Explosions. An incredibly exciting event. Most Laserforce sites have several centerpiece devices, which we call Force Field Generators. When a certain percentage of players have successfully “destroyed” the targets then the generator starts to explode. Players - friend and foe are warned to seek protective cover. Any player caught in direct vision of the generator will be caught by radiation leakage and suffer a penalty.
Touch screen. The Touch Screen allows the players to interact with the control PC to view their statistics. It is extremely popular after each mission because players will swipe their card and see if their average score has increased and propelled them into a new Skill Level.
Events Screen. The Laserforce events screen is second to none - the graphics and feedback are superb. This is the main screen that spectators watch during the game and that players view after the game. It is packed with vivid real time information and is entertaining in its own right. Future developments will include animations of game events and snap photographs of players in action.
Website access to member data (under development). This will allow players to view their player history online.
Lock On Tone. To make the game easier and to enhance its hi-tech appeal, the Laserforce system provides a locked-on-to-target indicator. This exclusive feature lets players know when they have acquired a target. Of course, it is not necessary to wait for the lock-on tone to score a hit, but is an invaluable aid to beginners. A simple feature but a necessary one.
Laserforce - Realism In Laser Tag
Membership System -Skill Levels And Handicapping
Barcoded membership cards. Laserforce has adopted a barcode based membership system. The beauty of this is that it is cheap, leading edge and individual. Some Laserforce sites boast over 98% of all players becoming members. Once they are members you capture the important demographic data that goes with it. You are able to target select groups of players for upcoming events. Particularly you know when each kid is having their birthday and are able to send them out an individual letter promoting the Laserforce birthday party package.
Skill levels and Handicapping. One of the biggest problems operators encounter is games with both beginners and experienced players. Without some form of equalisation, the beginners do not stand a chance and will become discouraged. The Laserforce system has a computer-controlled multi-level skill ranking system that makes the game easier for beginners, while still challenging the experienced players. This keeps everyone happy: the beginner, the regular and the operator. See the enclosed charts as to how are skill levels and handicapping actually works.
Role Playing Games (RPG) and Non Standard Games (NSG)
Just how important are RPG’s and NSG’s to the profitability of your site? Some people say not much but long time operators of Laserforce say it is critical.
Presume you operate your laser tag site with only the standard games of Team or Individual. You can also assume that both these formats can be altered to adjust game length, shot speed, down-time etc. Therefore 100% of your income is derived from standard games.
Now assume that you operate with Laserforce software that operates with a full suite of RPG’s and NSG’s. The enclosed Mission Usage Table is taken from an actual Laserforce site. It shows that 18% of all games played are RPG/NSG. Only 82% of your income is reliant on standard games and an extra 18% is earned from the RPG/NSG’s genre.
Who plays RPG/NSG’s? RPG/NSG’s are played by regular players who look for more of a challenge than the standard team or individual games. They are typically young adults with a high level of disposable income. Typically once a player has clocked up 20-50 games their mind starts to seek more challenging and different games. This is where the beauty of the Laserforce system steps in. RPGs/NSG are typically too deep for new players to grasp. It is not until players have a thorough understanding of standard games that the complexities of the RPG/NSG’s come to light. They become intrigued by the depth of these new games - the secret moves, the combo attacks etc. Players have special abilities and positions in games such as the very popular Space Marines where Commanders, Heavy Weapons, Scouts, Ammo Carriers and Medics all have specific functions to ensure that their team survives. No extra costs need be involved to you or the player - role playing is available to everyone!
These new players are now “regulars” and they have highly advanced games to play that will keep them entertained for years.
To answer the question, “How important are RPG/NPG’s to your income? The answer - “Very important”.
Marketing & Auditing
Laserforce has all the aids that modern managers need to effectively control their business. Tools to assist you in auditing, battlesuit usage statistics and daily records are all at your fingertips. Easy database access and sophisticated marketing systems ensure that you can provide follow up promotions to your existing client base with the greatest flexibility. Direct mailing features ensure that the profitability of your operation is maximised.
Total Arena Management Interface (TAMI)
TAMI takes arena management to a new level. Forget having to train your staff to turn on lights, pump in fog, start the sound. TAMI does all that for you. You can set up and design your own light shows, in fact you can design as many as you like to make each game different for your customers. TAMI can control up to 512 different channels, control the output of the smoke machine and even adjust the intensity of each lighting device. It has full software interface linked into the Laserforce software – with a single click of the mouse button the whole programmed Laserforce experience begins. WOW!
