Battle Company founder Aaron Fischer (center) with longtime friends and company execs Joe McGeorge (left) and Brian Sytkowski and a Flash Pads Arena. The small-footprint attraction comes in three configurations: two sizes of arenas, the single one here and a larger Ultimate Arena (it doubles the gameplay area), and Temple Escape Arcade. The latter version transforms Flash Pads into a redemption-style arcade game with an even smaller 7’ x 8’ footprint. All Flash Pads integrate ticket redemption and work with major industry card systems.
Social Gaming on Steroids
Battle Company’s Flash Pads Brings Active Fun to FECs
If you’re a fun center operator looking for a small-footprint attraction that checks all the boxes when it comes to active fun and social gaming, be sure to take a look at Battle Company’s Flash Pads interactive gaming floor. You’ll see the attraction at IAAPA this month, marking its third appearance at the mega show.
Flash Pads is the brainchild of founder and CEO Aaron Fischer, the idea man behind the innovations at the Wisconsin-based company best known for its laser tag systems. Believe it or not, the spark of inspiration came from gazing into his backyard back in 2020. “I just pictured my kids jumping around on colored squares,” he said.
The idea excited Fischer and he got right on the phone with his two longtime friends and Battle Company execs, COO Joe McGeorge and Sales Director Brian Sytkowski.
“I called these guys, began throwing around ideas for games, and that’s how we came up with the initial concept.” Development of the interactive floor game system really kicked off after they set up a working prototype at their company Christmas party. “If we’re working on something fun or cool, we’ll set it up for the party.”
Even though that early Flash Pads prototype was simple, the reaction at the party was undeniable. “Everyone thought they were awesome,” recounted Fischer. Added Sytkowski, “The kids gravitated towards them and the adults thought it was cool too.”
A short time after the party, the engineering and software teams were all in, developing the platform, upon which the games are built, and the technology. Fischer said, “We had been developing hardware and software for family entertainment for some time so I felt confident that the product was something we could do.”
Flash Pads made its debut at the 2022 IAAPA Expo, and it became a moment of validation for the entire team. “It was almost emotional for me,” Sytkowski said, recalling the excitement as lines of people formed to try out Flash Pads, a clear indication that they had created something special. “It’s fun to play and a lot of fun to watch, too!” added McGeorge.
“That was a great show for us,” Fischer said. “Obviously, Flash Pads was something I believed in – and so did the team – but it was exciting to get confirmation from people at the show. We’ve had success at IAAPA for years with our laser tag systems, but this was incredible.”
Since the debut, the team has continued enhancing the dynamic social gaming experiences delivered through the flexible system. Flash Pads is built on a 12’ x 12’ square layout with 100 individual square pads forming the gameplay area. This basic layout has been optimized for space efficiency in FECs, report the Battle Company team. They found this size allows for a wide variety of games while keeping the footprint small enough to fit in venues where floor space is at a premium.
The physical design allows for engaging multiplayer experiences, with up to four players on the pads simultaneously in standard play. In the party mode, up to eight players can participate, rotating players four at a time in a tournament-style format.
A Flash Pads Arena complete with its structure of trusses that help the attraction stand out on location. It’s currently an option and buyers can choose to get the pads and do their own audio and visual additions. Battle Company execs said they’re flexible with the options so operators and locations can customize it to their needs.
The Flash Pads system comes in three main configurations to suit different entertainment spaces:
• The Flash Pad Arena is the basic pad setup, equipped with a projector and a camera for tracking players and snapping photos for party modes.
• The Flash Pad Ultimate Arena doubles the size of the gameplay area, allowing up to eight players simultaneously with two projectors and structures, ideal for high-traffic venues like large FECs. “It’s an exciting advancement we made this year,” Fischer said.
Flash Pads Temple Escape Arcade distills the concept into a smaller-still footprint and is set up to operate like any other arcade game in the fun center. Like its larger counterparts, no attendant is necessary and they report players find it approachable and intuitive as they pay and select games they want to play.
• For locations needing something smaller, there’s Temple Escape Arcade. It transforms Flash Pads into a redemption-style arcade game with a 7’ x 8’ footprint. It features a large, 55” LCD display and card reader. The player takes on the role of the treasure hunter who must carefully follow the correct path to escape with the treasure and hopefully win the ticket jackpot in the process.
Yes, you read that last point correctly. The arcade and arena-style Flash Pads integrate ticket redemption and work with major card systems.
Flash Pads also provide flexible options for operators and fun center owners, as the software allows them to customize the system to their own needs. They can choose to offer games for swipe-to-play arcade play or sell wrist bands for exclusive play sessions. Battle Company says the system supports high throughput, handling anywhere from 5,000 to 30,000 games per month depending on the venue’s size and traffic.
As for games players can choose from, Flash Pads comes with 12 built in and support for additional game updates through a location license. New games are regularly added to the library, keeping the content fresh for repeat customers. Games range in duration from 15 seconds to 90 seconds, with both individual and multiplayer experiences. For example, games like Ruby Rush are simple enough for younger players, while more strategic games like Blitz Ball or Snake Pit offer greater challenges.
The ability to create compelling and fun games is enhanced by the design of the pads themselves. While the pad shape is square, they ramp up gameplay by using shape lighting such as circles or two colors on the same pad, as well as animations as players step and stomp their way across the floor. And while there are other interactive gaming floors on the market today, Fischer and his team engineered a more tactile game.
“We explored different technologies and options to make a game like this,” Fischer said. “and something that makes us different is you’re actuating something rather than stomping on a hard floor. After all, how interactive does a hard floor feel, right?
“It’s not just the hardware that makes it great,” he continued. “There’s a lot of power in the software and what we do with it. We’re pretty good at rolling out updates, fixing bugs and being on top of that, something we proved we could do in the things we did in laser tag that no other company did,” he claimed.
Addressing the concept of social gaming, McGeorge explained, “People make a game and then just call it ‘social gaming.’ We focus on making a fun game. Are players laughing? Are they talking, looking each other in the eyes? Our games create genuine social experiences.”
Battle Company says Flash Pads is reliable and simple to repair. “That’s important for operations,” Fischer said. “It’s also straightforward in how it connects and assembles, which is nice. Some operators install the pads themselves while others have us do the installation and I think having that choice is important. For players, it’s easy and intuitive to operate.”
Added McGeorge, “One thing I think is important about us is that we’re really a start-to-finish manufacturer – from hardware to software, prototyping to manufacturing. It’s something we focus on as a company. We’re not using somebody else’s stuff. That is a key differentiator for us, and it’s true with our laser tag systems, and also with Flash Pads.”
“We focus on fun, whether it’s laser tag or anything we do,” Sytkowski said. “Aaron brainstormed a couple of fun game ideas right off the top of his head and some of those are still among our top hits! If people are having fun, we know the product is going to sell, and that’s what we strive for here.”
Battle Company will be promoting Flash Pads at IAAPA but also teases that laser tag lovers should be sure to check out their booth, too. “We innovated laser tag in 2012-2013 and we’re going to innovate it again. People should definitely come take a look,” Fischer concluded. See Flash Pads and uncover what’s new in laser tag at IAAPA booths #4262 and 4462. You can learn more online at www.battlecompany.com. Flash Pads information can be found at flashpads.com.
More of the Battle Company Story
“I’ve always loved coming up with ideas, and I love gaming,” said Aaron Fischer. “Wanting to bring those things together is how I got started in the family entertainment business, first with laser tag back in 2012.”
In the early days of Battle Company, Fischer would call his friend Joe McGeorge who had a long commute to his job building flight training programs for colleges. “I’d call and we’d strategize about what we could do with the business. He was always supportive and had great ideas of his own. He’d build upon anything I told him or would introduce other ideas that hadn’t occurred to me.
“You’ve got to have people like Joe when you’re doing something like this. You need to have people who believe in what you’re doing. There will be plenty of those who don’t. They’ll tell you things like ‘oh, that’s been around already’ and this and that. But I knew there was an opportunity to do something new with live-action gaming and laser tag, and that’s what really got me excited about starting this business.”
Fischer also got McGeorge excited, and he eventually made the decision to leave his 10-year career developing college-level aviation training and join forces with his longtime friend. It was when the two men were on a date with their wives in 2014 when he committed.
“We just shook hands on it,” Joe said. “I came on to run operations, and that freed Aaron to dream up new ideas and chase the concepts that would be our next product. That year, 2014, was important for us. It was then that we established our core team and that was an important bridge to cross. I think we executed very well with our people.
“It’s really exciting to be in that product development world, launching product, making new things, making software, making all that come to life,” he said.
Just a few years later, the core leadership team was complete when Fischer’s friend since the age 4, Brian Sytkowski, came aboard. “We grew up across the street from each other so I could see Aaron’s house out my front window. He was my first true friend,” Sytkowski said.
“We played laser tag, made up games, played sports and ran around the neighborhood together until we were 18,” Fischer added.
Even after Brian went off to college, the pair stayed close, filling each other in on what they were doing. “I had a good career, but wanted to be part of something bigger,” Sytkowski said. “Joining Battle Company is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It’s wonderful. A lot of people never love what they do. They go to work, they come home. But when you can put your heart and soul into something, and to love being with the people you’re working with, there’s nothing better. We have a very cool dynamic here, and are very family-oriented in the way we work.
Added Fischer, “It’s funny that here we are, 35 years after we first met, still having fun together, but now supporting our families doing it.
“They always say you shouldn’t work with your friends, but maybe those people just need to have better friends!” he laughed. “It’s certainly worked well for us.”
In closing the interview, Fischer said, “This might not be appropriate for your article, but we are definitely faith-based, and I know I wouldn’t be here if God wasn’t so good. He’s helped me through a lot of challenging times as an entrepreneur and I feel very blessed by the opportunities God has opened up to us.”
