[Kane]

VWE Tesla II BattleTech: Firestorm cockpits come home for Anime Central 2009!

To celebrate the 25th year of BattleTech and the 20th year of BattleTech VR attractions, Virtual World Entertainment, LLC is taking its critically acclaimed Tesla II BattleTech: Firestorm cockpits to the Anime Central.

These are the exact Tesla II cockpits that operated in the original BattleTech Center at the North Pier Mall in the 90’s and later at the Gold Coast Dave & Buster's until 2005. Following this the cockpits and the company were relocated to Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Tesla II cockpits, featuring the BattleTech: Firestorm software, are fully enclosed military style simulators that feature 7 screens, over 90 control systems, and a 12 speaker surround sound system. When seated in the cockpit or 'pod', the player will pilot his or her own walking tank known as a BattleMech onto the virtual landscape to compete for battlefield superiority with those seated in surrounding cockpits.

This is the first, but not the last, major convention appearance for the Kalamazoo operation this season. These cockpits are slated to appear at other major entertainment conventions in the Midwest later this Summer. Visit www.virtualworld.com to get all of your BattleTech: Firestorm and Tesla II information as well as other appearance dates.

Another set of VWE BattleTech: Firestorm Tesla II cockpits owned by an independent operator, Houston based MechCorps Entertainment, LLC. have already started making appearances down south. MechCorps' mobile division, aptly named ‘Mobile Armor Division’ or MAD for short, have already appeared at OwlCon in Houston, TX and ChimaeraCon in San Antonio, TX. MechCorps is scheduled to return to MechaCon V in Lafayette, LA July 24th through the 26th as well as other unannounced events. More details regarding MAD deployments can be found at www.MechCorps.com Headquartered in Kalamazoo, Virtual World Entertainment is a leading supplier of high-end, centerpiece attractions to the location-based entertainment industry. Virtual World has produced and distributed cockpits since 1989.

Virtual World Entertainment, LLC is a privately held company.
Visit today at www.virtualworld.com.

Picture: James ''Komodo'' Moe helps a player enter a Virtual World Tesla II cockpit at GENCON in 2006
http://www.virtualwo...es/IMG_6345.JPG


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BattleTech Room Location & Hours:
BattleTech will be located in HEATHROW A&B, on the International Level (basement) of the Hyatt.

Friday: 12noon - 4am*
Saturday: 10am - 4am*
Sunday: 10am - 5pm*
Times are tentative; BT Room may stay open later and/or open earlier than times listed.


TENTATIVE Pricing:
1 Mission: $5*
5 Missions: $20*
10 Missions + Manual: $40*
*Prices are tentative, and may differ at con


TENTATIVE Programming:
Midnight Madness - Option where groups can make a party reservation in hour blocks for a discounted rate during the off hours (late night / early AM).



Please remember:
Anything listed as tentative means just that, tentative. It is not for-sure, and may be different or absent at-con.



Stay tuned for more info and updates!

[SA Caitlin]

This is pretty much the best news about ACen I've ever heard.

Will there be a fee to use the pods or are they going to be located with the rest of the game center or...?

[Kane]

Origional Post updated with new information! Take a read!

[Cryptoknight]

Kane, on Apr 13 2009, 03:17 PM, said:

Origional Post updated with new information! Take a read!

Quick math... if you don't sleep... the con is 53 hours.

If a mission is 10 minutes that's

53 hours * 60 minutes/hour * 1 mission/10 minutes * $40 / 10 missions = $1272 to play Battletech continuously for the entire con.

Hmmm time to sell something.. blood perhaps.

[SA Caitlin]

Any information about this "manual" as in all of my years of playing I don't seem to recall one? Is this some limited run thing or something that I could pick up online from them later or blah blah blah?

Hope I'm not being a bother, I'm just really trying to make time for this and see what's up.

[Kane]

It is the BattleTech: Firestorm operations manual.

As you'll see in the next post, Cryptoknight beat me to it.

[Cryptoknight]

I'd bet it's a printed copy of this.

http://www.virtualwo...rm/manual.shtml

[Lina]

I am so doing this! -squeals- 5 bucks is totally worth a mission! :3

[akaikurama]

I am sure there will be a line but I will at least have to come by and gawk at it.

[Kane]

There will actually be a waiting/watching area for those up next or that just want to sit mouth-open at the wonders you may behold.

[fenderbrat27]

this will be awesome!

[mole_force]

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=0amfBz6Dg2c

A very helpful quick video tutorial on general controls of battletech. :3

[Silent Knight]

Does this system let you customize the mechs at all? I saw no mention of it in the manual, so I'm going to assume no, but if somebody could say for sure that would be great.

[PropWash]

Silent Knight, on Apr 30 2009, 08:26 PM, said:

Does this system let you customize the mechs at all? I saw no mention of it in the manual, so I'm going to assume no, but if somebody could say for sure that would be great.

I'm afraid we do not allow any 'Mech customization. All 'Mechs are designed and balanced for its role within the BattleTech: Firestorm environment.

[Silent Knight]

Curses. I was really hoping I would get to use my designs, or at least some of the preprogrammed alternate settings from other games. But it should still be fun.

[PropWash]

Being one that appreciates fine custom 'Mech design, I understand how you feel.

I hope that doesnt discourage you from trying one of the many hundreds of 'Mech variations that we will have on hand.

[Crazyeye72985]

this is like the greatest news ive heard the whole time. this brings back childhood memories of sitting on my computer playing mechwarrior 4.

[tweaker]

The guys running the Battletech pods Saturday night were awesome. I hope you bring the pods back to the con. They are great break from Soapbubble.

[Valencia Crowe]

The battletech pods were awesome.

[Dark Stranger]

I will definitlly check it out next year. I wanted to play but I didn't want to pay 5 bucks just to get owned. lol

[zerovelocity]

Battletech was win as was everyone running it. Almost all of the people in my normal ACen group agree it was one of the highlights this year for sure!

[PropWash]

I want to extend my grattitude to the ACEN staff for allowing us to participate.

I'd also like to thank the con-goers for giving me and the BattleTech staff such great reception and allowing us to have so much fun.

Because of the unexpected popularity of the BattleTech pods, some of our volunteers worked over 15 to 24 hour shifts! THAT is dedication.

Big hats off to Chris O and Rosa for working on the impossible and allowing a group of crazy MechWarriors into the party.

I apologize to some of you who didnt get a chance to play, or those who had to wait 2.5 to 3 hours to get in a game. I promise, if we are allowed to come back next year, we will likely double our pod count, and triple our staff.

If you want us back, please let your ACEN representative know!

Thanks again, and hats off to our ironman attraction volunteers! Hope to see you next year.

Note: We have other events tentatively scheduled. Want to play for free? Want to be a MechJock RedShirt™?, then volunteer! Sign up at www.mechjock.com and keep an eye our for a casting call near you.

[EchozAurora]

Yesh! It was awesome having you guys out there!

My friend and I played 12 games over the course of the con.. next time I hope to play twice as many! (To anyone that was playing.. I was Echoz and my friend was Unknown)