The Year Everything Changed – My Laser Tag Story - Aunty Mars

I thought the best way to begin wasn't by talking about products, technology or industry news, but by telling you how I found myself in the wonderful world of laser tag.

It all started long before I ever picked up a laser tag phaser.

I met my husband Simon when I was just 15 years old, and we've been together ever since. So, in many ways, my laser tag story really begins with his family.

Simon's parents, Kevin and Jessie—known to everyone as Kevvy and Jessie—operated an amusement machine business, supplying pool tables, jukeboxes and arcade games throughout Central Queensland. They worked incredibly hard, built lasting relationships and earned a reputation for always doing the right thing.

Kevvy was one of the most inspiring people I've ever known. He had a knack for seeing opportunity where others saw problems, and he was never afraid to back himself if he believed something was worth doing.

In 1994, something happened that changed everything.

Those of you who have been around the amusement industry for a while will remember the arrival of Daytona USA. It was the game everyone wanted. It was also one of the most expensive arcade machines many independent operators had ever considered purchasing.

Kevvy bought one for his best location.

Because the venue operated on a 50/50 commission split, he approached the owner to ask whether the commission could be adjusted temporarily until the investment had been recovered.

The answer was no.

Many people would have accepted that decision and moved on.

Kevvy didn't.

Instead, he found an entertainment centre that was for sale. It wasn't perfect. It was a little tired and certainly needed some love, but it had good bones and, most importantly, it gave us the opportunity to build something we controlled ourselves.

On 9 April 1994, I started working in the family business, managing that entertainment centre.

We knew arcade games.

We knew pool tables.

We knew jukeboxes.

What we didn't know was laser tag.

The business was purchased as a walk-in, walk-out operation, so the laser tag arena came with it. We decided we'd learn as we went and see where the journey took us.

If someone had told me back then that teenagers would happily line up every week just to spend fifteen minutes running around a dark maze with laser tag phasers, I would have laughed and told them they were dreaming.

But week after week they came back.

Then families came.

Birthday parties became regular bookings.

Schools discovered it.

Corporate groups discovered it.

Before long, I realised laser tag wasn't just another attraction sitting alongside the arcade.

It was something special.

Unlike many amusements, people didn't just play once. They came back. Again and again. Laser tag created repeat visits, loyal customers and memories that kept people returning with their friends and families.

What surprised me most wasn't the technology.

It wasn't simply an attraction.

It was a game.

A game people wanted to master.

A game that challenged them to improve.

A game that brought them back week after week.

But more importantly, it was the people.

Over the years I've watched lifelong friendships form inside our arena. I've seen children become parents and bring their own kids back to play. I've watched businesses build stronger teams, families laugh together, and complete strangers walk out talking as though they'd known each other for years.

Without even realising it, laser tag had become far more than a game.

It had become part of my life.

More than thirty years later, many of my closest friends are people I met because of this incredible industry.

I've also been fortunate enough to experience the evolution of laser tag firsthand. I've worked with Zone Laser Tag systems from V3 and V4 through System T, Infusion and now Helios2, while also working with Laserforce Gen6, Gen7 and Gen8 Infinity systems.

Technology has changed enormously over the years, but one thing has remained constant.

Laser tag works.

It brings people together.

It creates memories.

Over the past four decades, laser tag has evolved into one of the world's true anchor attractions for Family Entertainment Centres because it appeals to almost every age group and keeps people coming back.

I'm certainly not the only person who's dedicated decades to this industry. There are operators all over the world who have done exactly the same thing.

Why?

Because it works.

Because every day we get to create moments that people remember.

Looking back now, I often think about that decision Kevvy made in 1994.

Had he not looked for another opportunity instead of accepting defeat, I may never have discovered the industry that has shaped my career, introduced me to lifelong friends and given me so many wonderful memories.

Kevvy lived to the remarkable age of 94. Just 31 days after he passed away, Jessie—the love of his life and his partner in every sense of the word—joined him. Together they left behind far more than a successful business. They left a legacy of hard work, resilience, integrity and the courage to take opportunities when they appear.

This first edition of The Pew Pew News is dedicated to Kevvy, Jessie and every pioneer who took a chance and rolled the dice on this new form of entertainment more than 40 years ago. Their belief helped build an industry that continues to bring joy to millions of people around the world.

Without Kevvy's decision all those years ago, I wouldn't be here today—still watching six-year-olds experience the excitement of their very first game, celebrating birthdays, and seeing families create memories together.

Thank you for reading.

Welcome to the journey.

Here's to the next 30 years.