аЯрЁБс>ўџ ўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ§џџџўџџџўџџџ  ўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџRoot Entryџџџџџџџџ РF`/р{RхМ€WordDocumentџџџџџџџџ %CompObjџџџџџџџџџџџџ^џџџџџџџџџџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџlf facility or so forth) as it has proved necessary to have a manager red-hot at marketing to support a stand-alone site and keep it profitable for more than a year or two. A nearby catchment area of 50,000 is enough to support a centre for a short time as a fad which will give people who like to try things once the opportunity to do so; a bigger town, a healthy tourist sector and sound management all help to create a solid base of repeat players who play again and again. However, the current thinking is that centres stand to make most of their money by catering for kids' birthday parties (instead of hiring a clown or a magician, the streetwise parent nowadays hires a laser game arena for an hour, and the birthday kid invites all their mates to play and be served complimentary party food) and similar private functions, the second-string source of income is from video games, pinball tables and vending machines (the concept here is that a good laser game centre is a cool place to hang out even if you aren't playing the laser game itself) and only then comes the intake from general admission sales, be they from first-time players or from regulars keen to prove their mastery over all-comers. There are at least fifteen different brands of equipment that you'll find in use in the twenty or so countries with at least one laser game attraction. The differences between them are relatively minor to the untrained eye but the different combinations of hardware and software lead to wide variations in the capability for complex games; while all are capable of the basic shoot-and-don't-be-shot philosophy, some have the potential to do a lot more on top and have layers of arbitrary complication available to give extra thrills to players already familiar with the simple versions of the game. The different systems have sufficient dissimilarities to necessitate learning a slightly altered set of skills for each separate game; combine this with the fact that only particularly important towns (and Leicester) have centres using multiple different systems, and most people tend to only ever learn to play the game one way and dismiss all other interpretations as inferior. Brand loyalty is thus very strong. ABCDE\•–—сту  йклклмn o p ›œЖљѓэчслеЯЩФПЛЗГЏЉЅЁ™•‘‰…}yuqmiea]]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a  U]^a ]a ]a ]a ]a V]a V]a  UV]a  UV]a  UV]a  UV]a  UV]a  UV]a  UV]a  UV]a  UV]a #ЖЗИ­ЎЏћїѓяы]a ]a ]a ]a ]a мЅe#Р Џ%Њ,$l,$l$$ $ Њ[($ь$˜$Tю$[ MS Sans Serif Symbol ArialTimes New RomanTimes New Roman The average GIT editor has ten and a half thoughts daily. Here are some of them. (You've got to search for the hero inside yourself, etc.) Well, OK, that's a pretty crummy way to start an article, but this is just A pretty crummy article about laser games For, after all, it's a pretty crummy subject, isn't it? It's something that twelve-year-olds pester their parents into paying for so that they can run around a dark room pretending to be Luke Skywalker. Alternatively, it's the biggest sport of the second half of the 21st century that's already a $50,000,000-a-year industry whose world tournament (which finished on Sunday 26th) featured teams from three continents. When you put it like that, it's worth taking a little more seriously. Not so crummy after all. Popular, but incorrect, legend has US chemical multi-millionaire George Carter taking his son to see Star Wars and funding the development of the original "Photon Warrior" system because his son wanted to emulate what was going on; the timescale is reasonably accurate, though, and the Photon centres spread throughout America from the early 1980s onwards. The essence of the game is that players are given guns which fire "laser" beams of infra-red light and try to shoot one another with said beams. To this end, each player wears a pack which is capable of detecting when a beam has hit it and contains the electronics to detect just whose beam it is so that accurate records may be kept of who has shot whom. The aim for each player is to shoot the others and avoid being shot himself. Once a player is shot, they are eliminated from the game for a few seconds but then return to shoot and be shot once more. A typical game lasts fifteen minutes and takes place in a custom-designed safe, dark, maze-like arena, with carefully-placed flashing, coloured or strobe lights and loud background music; once the game ends, each player is provided with a record of which other players they shot, which other players shot them and a final score based on their performance. Slightly more complicated games divide the players into (typically two) teams and provide the players with visual markings to indicate which team each player is on; players then try to shoot only other players on opponent teams. Slightly more complicated still games provide each team with an immobile base to defend and award score bonuses to players who can penetrate the opposing team's team defences and shoot their base. The logical conclusion features teams drawn from different arenas (and hence geographical locations) playing against each other in tournaments for bragging rights and regional superiority. Advancing to the mid 80s, home versions of laser game equipment become available. An outcry about kids shooting each other with their own realistic-looking guns arises; the game is rebranded laser tag in America and the paradigm is reworded to avoid references to shooting, killing and death. (I pick up two sets of gun and sensor as a birthday present when on holiday in America with my family in 1987; they gobble batteries like billy-o but are functional, ahead of their time and obscurely cool.) In the late 80s the game starts to spread around the globe; Australia develops its own implementations of the same essential idea called Quasar and Zone 3, the latter most notable for featuring three competing teams and not two; Japan gets its own Photon centres and sends teams to an American tournament; Quasar centres reach Europe and Britain gets its own imitator, Laser Quest; the early 1990s see a short-lived Quasar boom in the UK as over fifty towns see investors buy a franchise to run a centre in that locality, exploit the pent-up aggressions of adolescents and burn out within a couple of years. I get rid of my home game guns and sensors in 1990 and regret it in 1991 as a Quasar centre opens in the next town and I join a gang of lads from my neighbourhood going there semi-regularly for the next year or two. Today there are probably at least a thousand laser game centres around the world and perhaps eighty of them are within the UK. The franchising system survives; most laser game arenas are associated with either a nearby shopping facility or a nearby Family Entertainment Centre (horrible American phrase referring to bowling alley, cinema, arcade, crazy goB–ту клo œЗЎЏњѕ№ыхрлжбЬЧТНИ№№№№№№№№№№№№№№ЏЏЊџџџџџџџџ#!K@ёџNormala "A@ђџЁ"Default Paragraph Fontаџ@ўџ џџџџ РFMicrosoft Word 6.0 Document MSWordDocє9Вq