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Why I Use Battlefield Live Equipment

Note from Mike: Anyone who's combed over this page may notice some changes made in July 2008. The changes are exclusively related to BFS as a company and were the result of a courtesy call made by BFS to me without any request on my part. They clarified some points that I had only heard one side of and gave me some facts that I hadn't previously had. For the record I was not ordered or otherwise coerced to make the changes. I changed the page to be thorough. The old text can be found in the source code and is commented out.

In no particular order, both what I do and don't like:

BFL gear is realistic. Video gamers these days vote with their dollars for digital universes that have elements that are more consistent with what they've seen in movies and TV. Why? It's a common language of objects. When players see an M4 they have a general idea what to expect: power and range. When they see a scorpion they expect something else (and they get it!). When an object does something unexpected we often laugh. Think of the concept of a squirting flower or the "Noisy Cricket" from the movie Men in Black.
BFL gear is physically accurate. Not only are the gaming guns realistic but they are full size, full weight and close replicas of actual firearms. My biggest, most consistent customers are the U.S. military. The Navy, Marines and Army all love the gear. It's easier than MILES, cheat-proof (ask an Army soldier about "sniper mode" with MILES gear!), and far more simple than the complicated rigging that MILES requires you to wear. The "near future" guns are just as good. People recognize the pulse rifle and often mention the Aliens connection before I do. No one complains that the Commando and Scorpion are too fake. In fact, I had a full squad of Army sergeants ooh and aah over a Scorp and Commando. Jaws dropped and eyes bulged when I pulled out the M4. This physical accuracy is the #1 thing that BFS does better than any other manufacturer.
BFL gear exceeds players' expectations. Thanks to the first two points and the fact that most lasertag systems have neither of those attributes people hold low expectations of lasertag systems. I listen to players describe the system to friends all the time. Almost every player describes it as follows: "It's the coolest lasertag you've ever seen and it's not lasertag like you're thinking!" The wow factor on Battlefield Live lasertag guns is so huge that it doesn't matter how many pictures I've shown someone in the past, their eyes bug out when they see the gear in person. At business expos I have problems getting people to give the guns back! Getting someone's hands on the guns is usually the final straw to closing the sale.
BFL gear is immersive. Players recognize the gaming guns before they use them. The guns' relative size are consistent with their range, spread and sound. There's a language of size and function that is easy to grasp and sensible to our brains. That internal consistency of the system combined with the realism allows for an improved suspension of disbelief.
BFL gear is sturdy. I've watched people slam into trees and rocks. I've had people drop the guns. I've seen players dive into the mud and then slide into rocks or down hillsides. The guns are insanely durable. I have no complaints about the frame of the guns, excepting only the minor point that some of the models can be a pain to take apart. (Thus, why I'm posting disassembly instructions on this site!)
BFL gear is simple to use. My wife and I own a substantial collection of the Lazertag: Team Ops gear from Hasbro. We have 4 pistols, 2 rocket launchers and over a dozen of their rifle equivalents. They're lots of fun. They can run lots of lasertag games that can't be run with BFL gear or are more challenging to run with the BFL gear, like "Own the Zone" (basically, King of the Hill but you have to work as a team because if you get hit while in the zone you have to leave it or the zone kills you) to hunting games where you have a specific target to eliminate.
The problem is that when we play with friends no one else can figure out most of the gun's features. People forget how to engage shields, how to lower their shields or charge up multiple rounds into a more damaging shot. Explaining how to review post-game stats takes at least half an hour between games because you have to explain it at least twice to each player. Battlefield Live gives players fewer concepts to float in their heads with regards to their weapon and simplifies objectives. The end result is simply that more people have more fun. We had players get frustrated all the time with the LTTO gear because they felt like they weren't using the full capabilities of the equipment. They were right! People felt like they were playing a dumbed-down version of the game if we didn't use all the features. They didn't just enjoy the game we were playing for what it was.
Obviously, people who play with a complicated system frequently can adapt and use the high-end features. Those complicated features can provide an amazing and intricate experience. I love playing games with complicated rule sets where the rules and limitations of play can be used as leverage against the other team and are an additional aspect of the combat. 98% (or more) of players in a commercial environment, however, will never use those features, though, and will fall into the group that feels disillusioned.
BFL gear doesn't inhibit high-end players. This is similar to the simplicity argument above but coming from the other direction. Just because there aren't buttons all over the lasertag gun or a feature list a mile long does not prevent top players from having fun. Just look at paintball! Paintball guns hold too little ammo, shoot erratically, have short range and yet still have an international tournament circuit! The accuracy of lasertag, extremely generous ammunition loadout per life, respawning, rate of fire (which is higher than most speedball guns!) and flexibility of full auto, semi auto and bolt action allow for insanely more flexible and complicated games just on their own! Mix in seven different models of guns each with their own performance capabilities and you've got a rich system that keeps people coming back for more.
Battlefield Sports has treated me like gold. They always try to be helpful and they've gone the extra mile for me on several occasions. In the interest of full disclosure, I do know two field owners that had some different experiences. One of them had some initial trouble around startup and has gone on to make truckloads of money using BFS gear. The second changed his mind on using BFS gear at around the time that his gear was ready to ship and wanted to work with different gear. (He now works for Adventure Sports at their HQ in Omaha.) He wanted a refund for the full cost of his gear (which was fully paid for) not long before the guns were to be shipped. (Depending on who you talk to the guns were or were not done being manufactured.) BFS offered him first 35% and then later 40% on the gear. While I think this is pretty low, it's more than some companies might have offered. I think that the transaction may have gone poorly, too, because the gent in question, while a great guy whom I like to chat with, can occasionally build up a head of steam. More than once he's admitted that a forum post or message was not phrased as diplomatically as possible. BFS says that a BBB complaint was made but deleted when they shared his e-mails with the BBB. They also claim that this one transaction is the only one that has been sour in the history of the company and that they turned down two other requests for the same area while this deal was still in progress. Again, I have nothing but glowing things to say of Battlefield Sports from my experiences.

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What I wish was different about BFS

All the guns are hand-built, which I do love. This manufacturing is done exclusively in Australia, which I don't. Battlefield Live lasertag guns are expensive, as are replacement parts. I used to wonder why BFS didn't bother setting up an additional plant either here in the U.S. or somewhere else. I recently had an interesting discussion with Shaun Browne where he explained why. In short, the answer is quality control. BFS guns have always been hand-made. The first prototypes Peter threw together were wood and cardboard. The current models are still bolted together by hand. The folks controlling construction have always been family or family friends. In essence, these guns are their babies. Nevertheless, their head construction guy's getting older and they've been wanting to find a way for him to be able to leave without cutting off production. The challenge is finding a factory that can

Assure the same level of quality of the guns
Be willing to produce however many or few units are needed in a month
Assume production of the guns, the circuitry, etc. without outsourcing

Apparently one has been found, however, and changeover processes are in progress as you read this. How long will it take to complete? Good question. I'm excited.

Battlefield Sports has started charging a licensing fee for the exclusive marketing rights to a given area. I didn't have any such fee. While the licensing fee is far from franchising, it is an additional cost to startup that, I will admit, would have prevented my ability to open. When I opened I barely scraped together the startup costs from investors and a startup lender. Starting with any fewer guns than I did would have hurt me but I wouldn't have been able to pull together the additional fee, had it been required in my contract. Shaun assures me that BFS never has and never will franchise and that no field owner pays any portion of their income to BFS. BFS has the best guns in the industry right now for a commercial enterprise. They also have among the most expensive. The licensing fee is relatively low to be a base of income, especially since it's only secured initially and not continuously, like the guns. Nevertheless, it's a good deal to have an exclusive market area and I just count my lucky stars that I slipped in.

I wish that checking and responding to field owners on the Battlefield Live forums was a higher priority for Peter. Since he's the guy we're supposed to e-mail with technical questions about games, operation, etc. and the forum is billed as being a great way for field owners to connect it seems like it would be important for him to check in or pass on some nugget of wisdom when threads pop up in the forums with field owner conversation. It would be similarly nice if Nicole stopped in when people asked for feedback on event flyers or web sites. Sure, we've got the web marketing seminar to look at, but execution can be tricky. I'm not asking for handholding. I'm looking for a "you're on the right track" or "here's some ideas that might help you improve." I think that the forums are an opportunity that's currently underutilized by Battlefield Sports. I understand that both Peter and Nicole are ridiculously busy but that doesn't make it any less of a bummer that they only post so rarely.