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    Laser Quest

    Laser Quest pack and phaser - Donated by Anonymous #2
    Laser Quest pack (side view) - Donated by Anonymous #2
    Laser Quest phaser - Donated by Anonymous #2
    Laser Quest chest piece - Donated by Anonymous #2
    Laser Quest R-16 pack and phaser - Donated by Robert Brooks
    Laser Quest comic book

    Founded By: Simon James, Phil Pickersgill and Nick Brunt

    Originated: 1988

    Personnel of Note:

    Laser Quest UK
    Simon James – Co-Founder (no longer with the company)
    Phil Pickersgill – Co-Founder (no longer with the company)
    Nick Brunt – Co-founder and Managing Director

    Laser Quest GB
    Nick Brunt – Managing Director
    Nathan Hicks – Operations Manager

    Versent Corporation
    David Willmont – Chairman of the Board
    F. Gregory James – President and Chief Executive Officer
    David James – President

    InterTech Group
    Jerry Zucker – CEO (Deceased)

    First Location: Laser Quest, Arch 58 Whitworth Street West, Manchester, UK opened December 10, 1989

    Equipment Overview: Laser Quest packs feature front, back and shoulder sensors mounted on printed circuit boards and attached to a vest manufactured using a thick canvas-style fabric. There are sensors on the phaser as well, which flash in red or green when the vest is active. As one of the oldest manufacturers in the laser tag industry, Laser Quest has produced a variety of equipment versions including the R6, the R8, the R10, the R12, the R16 and then the LQX.

    Historical Synopsis: Originally Simon James and Phil Pickersgill were contemplating opening a Quasar laser tag in the UK after Simon’s employer at an engineering firm introduced him to David Cox in 1987 (Cox had brought Quasar to the UK). However, while waiting for James to complete his school education, Pickersgill instead went to Australia where he accepted a job at Phasor Strike later that same year. He also became aware of the laser tag product Vada in New Zealand during this time. James had spent this time scouting locations for where they might open their first laser tag facility and on July 11, 1988 they incorporated Phasor strike U.K. Limited. In spite of being pictured wearing Phasor Strike gear in May of 1989, the two actually opened their first location with VADA equipment and after their first year of operations the duo were inspired to develop a laser tag system of their own, hiring engineers to help them develop the product. On October 25, 1989 the name Phasor Strike U.K. was changed to Laser Quest U.K.

    Leisure Quest Entertainment Inc. (LQE) is incorporated under the laws of Canada on March 22, 1992. LQE was introduced to the Laser Quest concept in June of 1992 after making a visit to England and soon became the Master Licensee for Canada. Later that same year in November  LQE entered into a Master License agreement with Laser Quest UK Ltd. which included 17 states in the United States too. However, this deal was replaced with a joint agreement with Laser Quest UK Ltd. on January 3, 1994 to develop the concept throughout the United States and Mexico through Leisure Entertainment Corp. (LEC)

    To quote in part an article in the Christian Science Monitor dated May 6, 1994:

    “Laser Quest arrived in North America by mistake.

    In June 1992, Mr. Thompson got off the train in Nottingham, England, and asked two teenagers for directions. “They said, `Are you going to play Laser Tag?’ I tried it and liked it so much I canceled my ticket home and went searching for the [game’s] owner,” he recounts.

    Thompson put a deal together with the British developers of Laser Quest, two young men, Nick Brunt and Simon James, and Simon’s father, David, who had provided the financing for the British operation.”

    LQE entered a transaction with Kingscross Resources Inc. on February 22, 1994 which resulted in Kingscross becoming the parent company of LQE. Kingscross then joined with Ontario Inc. to form what became Laser Quest Corporation.

    Laser Quest Corporation acquired LEC on June 20, 1994. Laser Quest Corporation acquired the rights to market and develop the Laser Quest concept in Central and South America in August of 1994, replacing the existing Master License arrangement in Canada with an irrevocable license. Then Laser Quest Corporation acquired the remaining world-wide rights to the Laser Quest concept through its wholly-owned subsidiary LQI in November 1994. The European rights were held by Laser Quest UK Ltd, which was not owned by Laser Quest Corporation. Laser Quest Corporation finalized an agreement to purchase Threshold Electronics Limited on January 10, 1997, which has designed and manufactured Laser Quest’s proprietary equipment since 1989. A change of the company’s name to Versent Corporation was approved on February 19, 1998 .

    Buckingham Technologies Acquisition Group, Inc. purchased 90.5% of the issued and outstanding shares of Versent Corporation on February 15, 2000. Jerry Zucker was the owner of Buckingham Technologies as well as CEO of InterTech Group. Mr. Zucker was the majority stock owner of Laser Quest. Mr. Zucker passed away on April 12, 2008 leaving behind a legacy which includes being a strong investor in the laser tag industry.