Back in 1998, a small California cabinet making company called LAZER-TRON partnered with computer software developer id Software to bring high-end PC gaming into the arcade. Teaming up with Opus Entertainment and LBE Systems, the troop attempted to stir up the arcade industry. The new model proposed integrating high-end PC systems, generally out-of-reach and unavailable in the majority of homes, to be integrated into arcade cabinets for multi-player arcade play for everyone.
While LAZER-TRON did create custom cabinets branded QUAKE A.T.E., the game was primarily marketed as a conversion kit for commercial arcade operators to bring new life to tired and underperforming arcade machines. Change the marquee, add a new control panel, stuff a powerful PC into the base and “voilà” a brand-spank-ing-new coin earner!
Read the rest of this article on page 18 by clicking here!
Be sure to sign up to get Old School Gamer Magazine for free by clicking here!
Michael Thomasson is one of the most widely respected videogame historians in the field today. He currently teaches college level videogame history, design, and graphics courses. For television, Michael conducted research for MTV's videogame related program Video MODS. In print, he authored Downright Bizarre Games, and has contributed to nearly a dozen gaming texts. Michael’s historical columns have been distributed in newspapers and magazines worldwide. He has written business plans for several vendors and managed a dozen game-related retail stores spanning three decades. Michael consults for multiple video game and computer museums and has worked on nearly a hundred game titles on Atari, Coleco, Sega and other console platforms. In 2014, The Guinness Book of World Records declared that Thomasson had “The Largest Videogame Collection” in the world. His businesses sponsor gaming tradeshows and expos across the US and Canada. Visit www.GoodDealGames.com.
