Photon: The Ultimate Game on Planet Earth
Encyclopedia
Photon was the name of the first commercial lasertag arenas. The company also came out with a home lasertag game, and there were various media tie-ins: a TV show also called Photon
and a series of novels by Peter David
.
when it premiered in 1977. In 1982, research and development started in earnest, and the first Photon center in Dallas, Texas
opened in March of 1984. The first franchisee opened in Toronto in June 1985. The architect for Photon was J.C Collins.
The home units were introduced in 1986, as were the Lazer Tag
brand units of competitor Worlds of Wonder
. Both companies were very successful in the Christmas shopping season of 1986.
By 1987, 70 franchise licenses had been sold and 45 arenas were operating.
In 1989, lack of financing and loss of franchise revenue forced the corporation to sell off its assets and cease operations.
In 2007, a new Photon center was constructed in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. It opened on July 1st, 2008 but on September 9th, 2008, after less than 9 weeks, lack of business revenue and interest forced the center to cease operations and sell off its assets.
Photon players joined either a red or green team (solo games were not an option), and played in an arena. Dramatic music, strobe effects, and smoke machines were used in the arena during games to enhance play. Players gained points for shooting other players and for shooting the enemy team's base. Players lost points for being shot ("zapped" in game terminology) or by shooting teammates. (A player "zapping" a teammate would lose a massive amount of score and be automatically "zapped" himself.) One feature of the game was that no player could be "zapped" more than three consecutive times by the same player. This forced players to vary their targets. When "zapped", a player's weapon would be inert for five seconds and then reactivate automatically, with no need to "charge up" at a base as was required in the games of competitors. At some locations, the amount of time a player's weapon would be inert would vary based on score. A player would a high score would have an inert weapon for up to 10 seconds. For safety reasons, referees would try to enforce a rule that you must be at least 5 feet away from an opponent that you are shooting.
Customers joined by purchasing a photo ID badge (ranging in price at different areas from $10- $35), and then paid a per-game fee (or a blanket fee on special nights that allowed unlimited play). Games lasted six minutes, with cues from the soundtrack that regular players could utilize for more strategic games. During game play, monitors on the observation deck and in the waiting areas showed scoring, with players listed under self-chosen handle
s.
In many franchises, Photon leagues were formed, with rules somewhat more complex than in general gameplay, and tournament games were held regularly.
did not cease operations when the rest of the system went out of business. That location continued operations throughout most of the 1990s. At some point, they were forced to change locations and stop using the Photon brand name, but built a new location close by with a similar arena layout under the name XP Laser Sport. XP reportedly stands for eX-Photon.
. This was the first Photon branded field since the closure of the first iteration at the Laurel location in 1998. This location opened on July 1st, 2008.
Photon (TV show)
Photon was a live action television show in the mid 1980s, which was tied in to the Photon lasertag arenas and home game.-Hook:Photon followed the adventures of a young high school student, Christopher Jarvis with the alias of "Bhodi Li"...
and a series of novels by Peter David
Peter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
.
History
George Carter III claimed to have had the idea for Photon while watching Star WarsStar Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
when it premiered in 1977. In 1982, research and development started in earnest, and the first Photon center in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
opened in March of 1984. The first franchisee opened in Toronto in June 1985. The architect for Photon was J.C Collins.
The home units were introduced in 1986, as were the Lazer Tag
Lazer Tag
Lazer Tag is a brand name for the infrared pursuit game generically known as "laser tag," "lasertag," or "lazertag."The brand name was created by the toy company Worlds Of Wonder in 1986, appearing at approximately the same time as the home version of the Photon brand.The Lazer Tag brand name was...
brand units of competitor Worlds of Wonder
Worlds of Wonder (toy company)
Worlds of Wonder or WoW was a 1980s American toy company, founded by former Atari employees, including Don Kingsborough and Mark Robert Goldberg.Their products included:* Teddy Ruxpin, a story telling bear, in 1985...
. Both companies were very successful in the Christmas shopping season of 1986.
By 1987, 70 franchise licenses had been sold and 45 arenas were operating.
In 1989, lack of financing and loss of franchise revenue forced the corporation to sell off its assets and cease operations.
In 2007, a new Photon center was constructed in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. It opened on July 1st, 2008 but on September 9th, 2008, after less than 9 weeks, lack of business revenue and interest forced the center to cease operations and sell off its assets.
Technology and gameplay
While primitive compared to technology today, entailing wearing 18 pounds of battery packs and equipment, Photon was one of the first video game-like experiences that one could play in the real world. The arenas featured multiple levels, catwalks, mazes, and an observation deck from which people not participating could cheer their friends in the game, or get target practice by shooting players from special token-operated emplacements. (Shots from observation deck guns did not affect the game in any way at most arenas.) This contrasted sharply with competing laser-tag centers, whose fields were small, single-level, composed of clusters of free-standing painted cardboard barriers, and typically contained no observation area of any sort. Also, in Photon, players were allowed to roam at will through the entire playing field rather than be restricted to team-specific zones.Photon players joined either a red or green team (solo games were not an option), and played in an arena. Dramatic music, strobe effects, and smoke machines were used in the arena during games to enhance play. Players gained points for shooting other players and for shooting the enemy team's base. Players lost points for being shot ("zapped" in game terminology) or by shooting teammates. (A player "zapping" a teammate would lose a massive amount of score and be automatically "zapped" himself.) One feature of the game was that no player could be "zapped" more than three consecutive times by the same player. This forced players to vary their targets. When "zapped", a player's weapon would be inert for five seconds and then reactivate automatically, with no need to "charge up" at a base as was required in the games of competitors. At some locations, the amount of time a player's weapon would be inert would vary based on score. A player would a high score would have an inert weapon for up to 10 seconds. For safety reasons, referees would try to enforce a rule that you must be at least 5 feet away from an opponent that you are shooting.
Customers joined by purchasing a photo ID badge (ranging in price at different areas from $10- $35), and then paid a per-game fee (or a blanket fee on special nights that allowed unlimited play). Games lasted six minutes, with cues from the soundtrack that regular players could utilize for more strategic games. During game play, monitors on the observation deck and in the waiting areas showed scoring, with players listed under self-chosen handle
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
s.
In many franchises, Photon leagues were formed, with rules somewhat more complex than in general gameplay, and tournament games were held regularly.
Last survivor
For some reason, the franchisee in Laurel, MarylandLaurel, Maryland
Laurel is a city in northern Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County, Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Incorporated in 1870, the city maintains a historic district including its Main Street...
did not cease operations when the rest of the system went out of business. That location continued operations throughout most of the 1990s. At some point, they were forced to change locations and stop using the Photon brand name, but built a new location close by with a similar arena layout under the name XP Laser Sport. XP reportedly stands for eX-Photon.
A 'new' era?
An attempt at a 'new' Photon center, owned by Jim Strother, was constructed in Broken Arrow, OklahomaBroken Arrow, Oklahoma
Broken Arrow is a city located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma, primarily in Tulsa County but also with a small section of the city in western Wagoner County. It is the largest suburb of Tulsa. According to the 2010 US Census, Broken Arrow has a population of 98,850 residents...
. This was the first Photon branded field since the closure of the first iteration at the Laurel location in 1998. This location opened on July 1st, 2008.