LaserVenture
Founded By: Peter Newbury
Originated: August 4, 2005
Personnel of Note:
Peter Newbury – Founder
First Facility: LaserVenture, Penally, UK opened in 2005
Equipment Overview: LaserVenture originally produced laser tag equipment that included a “Crystal Phaser”, which they upgraded to their current “Crystallite Phaser” style in 2011. The phaser has a transparent body and three pulsing tri-LEDs. The phasers are attached to a vest that features four mounted sensors on the shoulders, chest and back along with LED display forms on front and back with V design, somewhat reminiscent of the design used by Pulsar.
Historical Synopsis:
The following information was supplied by LaserVenture and edited by the Laser Tag Museum’s former curator.
Sequoia Developments entered the laser tag field in 1992 when it was asked to design the software, firmware and electronics for a laser tag system for a UK company called Laser Force (no connection to the Australian outfit) [CLARIFICATION NOTE: We reference the UK branded company as Laser Force, using two words instead of the one word Australian company known as Laserforce].
Laser Force initially supplied systems to sites in Cleethorpes and Hastings, followed by Tilburg, Amsterdam and Zwanenburg (Holland).
When Laser Force ceased trading, the contract electronics manufacturing company call Autolec started to provide support. Sequoia continued to produce software and firmware for Autolec until it was approached by a US company called LaserChaser, who was an Autolec customer unhappy with the service that it had received.
Sequoia Developments (SD) went on to produce the electronics for more than 70 systems which LaserChaser assembled and sold throughout North America and a few other places around the world.
A sale by LaserChaser to Hotshots in Ilford, London, England, landed SD with the whole installation job, and when complete, the quality of the mouldings in the equipment sent from California proved so bad that SD continually needed to make site visits to Ilford to repair the bad plastics and wiring.
Eventually Laser Chaser was sold to LaserMaxx in The Netherlands, leaving SD with the software and firmware and nothing else, selling all stock. SD gave that company some production assistance, but the project floundered due to their unwillingness to correct the faults in the LaserChaser product.
Eventually, customers from other sites contacted SD, asking for service aid, which was willingly supplied. Early in 2004, SD were contacted by Marksman Leisure (Bromsgrove, England), who had the possibility of a system sale in Tenby, Wales, and had been also been negotiating with LaserChaser about the purchase of new equipment – this was the birth of LaserVenture – to complete the sales a moulding machine needed to be purchased so mouldings could be made. Because the design of the mould bore a passing resemblance to an Airdale terrier, the product was nicknamed ‘The Dog’ alongside the more formal ‘Crystal Phaser’ and the new trading name of LaserVenture was adopted. The Crystal Phaser had a clear case, with black trim.
Happily, the moulds were much, much better than the old LaserChaser attempts and the Tenby installation was completed in time and on budget. The Tenby system completed, Marksman then purchased a 30 pack system from LaserVenture and went on to make more introductions.
LaserVenture went on to design and produce the Ctarget target system for Marksman. It also had been making sub-assemblies for a product called LaserMaze for LaserChaser so this was redesigned and made available.
In 2009, an old customer of LaserChaser, for whom LaserVenture had been performing service work for some time, decided that his LaserChaser system needed replacing and because of his needs and other reasons, LaserVenture decided to introduce the Crystallite phaser, a lighter and less ‘gun-like’ looking unit with a state-of-the-art processor and allowing access for servicing by the removal of a single screw. Initially 16 packs were sold into Victoria BC, Canada, along with a LaserMaze, quickly followed by another 30 pack system, to a former LaserChaser customer,Laser Jungle, in Stonewall, Manitoba. Then a full system comprising a 30 pack Crystallite system, a LaserMaze and a Ctarget system were sold to Zap Attack in Ontario.
2009 also saw the start of a long-standing relationship with Laser House (Laser Wizards) in Poland. It is estimated that to date they have sold around 30 LaserVenturesystems.
In 2012, LaserVenturebegan supplying LaserTag Deutchland with complete equipment and, some years later, with electronic assemblies so that they could manufacture equipment under licence. Sadly, after opening 20+ sites, LaserTag Deutchland ceased trading.
LaserVenturealso came to an arrangement with LaserHouse, so that they now build equipment in Poland under licence.
Since its conception, LaserVenture has now supplied equipment to customers in no less than 47 countries. The end of 2019 will see the introduction of the Crystallite Gold system, featuring up to 6 teams and multiple arena operation. Also underway – the expansion of LaserMaze to a maximum scale of 64 channels. All the electronics are still manufactured in Rye, England, PCBs being assembled by an iMP pick and place machine, which has been a favourite purchase.