Incredible Technologies
Encyclopedia
Incredible Technologies (IT), based in Arlington Heights, Illinois
is a US-based designer and manufacturer of coin-operated video games. Some of their games include Silver Strike Bowling
, Power Putt, Target Toss Pro: Bags/Lawn Darts, and Golden Tee Golf. http://www.goldentee.com/gt/GT/Contacts/PressKit/GT_Franchise.pdf IT specializes in the design and development of entertainment and gaming hardware, and software for coin-operated, consumer, cartridge-based and Class III gaming systems. The company employs over 100 people at its suburban Chicago
campus.
software engineer, and Elaine Hodgson, a biochemist, IT began as a software design gaming firm. The company started in the basement of the owners’ home and focused on a wide variety of work-for-hire entertainment projects, including pinball hardware and game programming for Data East
. http://www.itsgames.com/itsgames/AboutIT/history.jsp As demand for its quality programming and design increased, IT soon moved to a larger location and expanded the staff. In 1988 IT developed hardware and software for its first coin-operated video game Capcom Bowling, which used a trackball to simulate the movement of a bowler’s toss. A dozen more titles followed in the 1990s under the brand name Strata Games: Strata Bowling, Arlington Horse Racing, Hot Shots Tennis, Peggle, Poker Dice, Rim Rockin’ Basketball, Ninja Clowns, Time Killers, Hard Yardage, Driver’s Edge, BloodStorm and Pairs.
IT managed to increase its profitability during its formative years, but it did not immediately emerge as a clear threat to larger coin-operated amusement companies such as Midway
, Sega
or Williams
. The company was struggling to maintain profitability without a solid hit.
In September 1989 at the Amusement and Music Operators Association (AMOA) International Expo the company launched a golf game titled Golden Tee Golf, which used a trackball much like the bowling game, this time to simulate a golfer’s swing. http://www.playmeter.com/0409coverstory.htm The game slowly built a following throughout the 1990s, and by 1996 IT was producing updates to the game every year. Golden Tee has seen three major hardware platform changes since its initial release: Golden Tee 3D Golf in 1995, Golden Tee Fore! in 2000 and the latest version launched in 2005 called Golden Tee LIVE, which gives players the chance to compete in online tournaments for cash and prizes with every game played. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-04-30-video-golf_x.htm The game celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009 and IT released a new high definition version of the game in a location-friendly Showpiece cabinet.
IT is also unusual in that it is one of the largest woman-operated private companies in the world: co-founder Elaine Hodgson has been President of the company and led it since its founding in the mid-eighties.
technology, and in 2008 released the Magic Touch collection of video slot, poker and keno games. Initially not for sale in the United States, the casino games became available on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas
.http://brokopp.casinocitytimes.com/articles/46547.html
In November 2009 Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) licensed IT to sell Class III casino games in approved jurisdictions of the United States. http://www.aceme.org/cem-newswire/incredible-technologies The Magic Touch EGM can be configured in stand alone or multi-game mode, and operators can choose multi-denomination or single denomination play, while players can choose the range of volatility for the games.
to create its first WiiWare title, Target Toss Pro: Bags
, released on November 17, 2008, and followed up in the fall of 2009 with a retro return to a title from the 1990s: Carnival King. Another Target Toss game entitled Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts, was released on September 27, 2010. It features a Wi-Fi connection and online leaderboard, which will include games such as darts and poker, by throwing the lawn dart towards the target.
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Arlington Heights is a village in Cook and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it lies about 25 miles northwest of the city's downtown. The population was 75,101 at the 2010 census....
is a US-based designer and manufacturer of coin-operated video games. Some of their games include Silver Strike Bowling
Silver Strike Bowling
Silver Strike Bowling is an arcade game that mimics ten-pin bowling on a monitor corresponding to a player's trackball control. The game shares similar technology with Golden Tee, an arcade golf game: both are produced by Arlington Heights, Illinois-based Incredible Technologies, Inc...
, Power Putt, Target Toss Pro: Bags/Lawn Darts, and Golden Tee Golf. http://www.goldentee.com/gt/GT/Contacts/PressKit/GT_Franchise.pdf IT specializes in the design and development of entertainment and gaming hardware, and software for coin-operated, consumer, cartridge-based and Class III gaming systems. The company employs over 100 people at its suburban Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
campus.
History
Founded in July 1985 by Richard Ditton, a NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
software engineer, and Elaine Hodgson, a biochemist, IT began as a software design gaming firm. The company started in the basement of the owners’ home and focused on a wide variety of work-for-hire entertainment projects, including pinball hardware and game programming for Data East
Data East
also abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game developer and publisher. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, when it declared bankruptcy...
. http://www.itsgames.com/itsgames/AboutIT/history.jsp As demand for its quality programming and design increased, IT soon moved to a larger location and expanded the staff. In 1988 IT developed hardware and software for its first coin-operated video game Capcom Bowling, which used a trackball to simulate the movement of a bowler’s toss. A dozen more titles followed in the 1990s under the brand name Strata Games: Strata Bowling, Arlington Horse Racing, Hot Shots Tennis, Peggle, Poker Dice, Rim Rockin’ Basketball, Ninja Clowns, Time Killers, Hard Yardage, Driver’s Edge, BloodStorm and Pairs.
IT managed to increase its profitability during its formative years, but it did not immediately emerge as a clear threat to larger coin-operated amusement companies such as Midway
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
, Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
or Williams
Williams
-People:* Williams , a surname English in origin, but popular in Wales, 3rd most common in the United Kingdom* "Williams", the pseudonym of racing driver and SOE agent William Grover-Williams-United States:Communities*Williams, Arizona...
. The company was struggling to maintain profitability without a solid hit.
In September 1989 at the Amusement and Music Operators Association (AMOA) International Expo the company launched a golf game titled Golden Tee Golf, which used a trackball much like the bowling game, this time to simulate a golfer’s swing. http://www.playmeter.com/0409coverstory.htm The game slowly built a following throughout the 1990s, and by 1996 IT was producing updates to the game every year. Golden Tee has seen three major hardware platform changes since its initial release: Golden Tee 3D Golf in 1995, Golden Tee Fore! in 2000 and the latest version launched in 2005 called Golden Tee LIVE, which gives players the chance to compete in online tournaments for cash and prizes with every game played. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-04-30-video-golf_x.htm The game celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009 and IT released a new high definition version of the game in a location-friendly Showpiece cabinet.
IT is also unusual in that it is one of the largest woman-operated private companies in the world: co-founder Elaine Hodgson has been President of the company and led it since its founding in the mid-eighties.
Casino Gaming
In the face of declining coin-operated video game sales http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/07/games.it, IT looked to diversify its product line. The company began researching the improvement of Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) or Slot MachineSlot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
technology, and in 2008 released the Magic Touch collection of video slot, poker and keno games. Initially not for sale in the United States, the casino games became available on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas
Independence of the Seas
MS Independence of the Seas is a operated by the Royal Caribbean cruise line that entered service in April 2008. The 15-deck ship can accommodate 4,370 passengers served by 1,360 crew. She was built in the Aker Finnyards drydock in Turku, Finland, builder of Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the...
.http://brokopp.casinocitytimes.com/articles/46547.html
In November 2009 Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) licensed IT to sell Class III casino games in approved jurisdictions of the United States. http://www.aceme.org/cem-newswire/incredible-technologies The Magic Touch EGM can be configured in stand alone or multi-game mode, and operators can choose multi-denomination or single denomination play, while players can choose the range of volatility for the games.
Technology
Technological innovations at IT have included:- ITNet server-based technology, employing CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), compiles statistics such as player scores and tournament activity from online coin-operated machines without use of telephone lines or an Internet connection.
- Silent Partner route management tool, which was the first computer-based tool that coin-operated video game and vending machine operators had to electronically track and manage machine collections.
WiiWare
IT teamed with n-SpaceN-Space
n-Space is an American video game developer founded in 1994 by Erick S. Dyke, Dan O'Leary, and Sean Purcell. n-Space is focusing mostly on Nintendo consoles since 2001...
to create its first WiiWare title, Target Toss Pro: Bags
Target Toss Pro: Bags
Target Toss Pro: Bags is an arcade video game by Incredible Technologies based on the backyard game Cornhole. A version for WiiWare co-developed by n-Space was released on November 17, 2008 in North America.-Overview:...
, released on November 17, 2008, and followed up in the fall of 2009 with a retro return to a title from the 1990s: Carnival King. Another Target Toss game entitled Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts, was released on September 27, 2010. It features a Wi-Fi connection and online leaderboard, which will include games such as darts and poker, by throwing the lawn dart towards the target.