tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post6881648219345999278..comments2024-03-24T17:41:28.172-05:00Comments on The Golden Age Arcade Historian: Hologram Time Traveler - The Revolution That Wasn'tKeith Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08421308095592306594noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-9446880908120578942020-03-05T19:32:15.748-06:002020-03-05T19:32:15.748-06:00I played Gunsmoke as a young kid in the Jolly Joke...I played Gunsmoke as a young kid in the Jolly Joker arcade in the Yakima mall in Washington state in the mid 70s. I was amazed by the "hologram" and wanted to work in "holography" when I grew up. The game was only in the arcade for a year or two and I never saw anything like it again until Time Traveler came out in the early 90s. Time Traveler was amazing and boring for the reasons you mentioned. Fast forward another 30 years and we're still without any real hologram games. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-83306599221618977582017-08-16T17:47:35.681-05:002017-08-16T17:47:35.681-05:00I was amazed by this game as a kid..always surpris...I was amazed by this game as a kid..always surprised me that there was nothing since..imagine watching a movie like this but on a much bigger scale..that would be awesome Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07361667943489679089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-60906649389906320572015-02-27T03:11:29.399-06:002015-02-27T03:11:29.399-06:00I saw Time Traveler at Golf N Things (now called, ...I saw Time Traveler at Golf N Things (now called, because it was purchased by, Golf N Stuff), in Tucson, Arizona. I thought it looked weird and clunky, and the screen was way too small. I wasn't alone. People put money into it, but it didn't stay long. They should've done a DLP-like thing, or straight out projection screen (like the TVs they had in places like Shakey's Pizza).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-45127202522371698922014-06-20T18:20:38.933-05:002014-06-20T18:20:38.933-05:00Why was the tech in this Arcade never used else wh...Why was the tech in this Arcade never used else where? Or taken further?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01847667165816924961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-581080998555944942014-04-09T11:55:37.137-05:002014-04-09T11:55:37.137-05:00Nice article as always, Keith. Just want to add s...Nice article as always, Keith. Just want to add some info about Atari's Cosmos. It was never released, but I interviewed Roger Hector last year, who was one of the designers of it: <br /><br />http://www.2600connection.com/interviews/roger_hector/interview_roger_hector.htmlScottithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16758802163566683045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-45326495131971883312014-04-03T02:24:33.928-05:002014-04-03T02:24:33.928-05:00I referred back to some news footage of the game I...I referred back to some news footage of the game I saw a while ago. I was thinking maybe that company provided the live action video or something. But the video didn't mention it. Still fun to watch though. <br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkoJ7LCq7dkAdam Coatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10173118527796266162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-2009937496203724142014-04-01T15:56:14.438-05:002014-04-01T15:56:14.438-05:00I recall an arcade a few miles from home that had ...I recall an arcade a few miles from home that had one of those Time Traveler units. Never did play it.Chris Sobieniakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09838106041175506925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-32319886432632713822014-03-31T08:01:43.278-05:002014-03-31T08:01:43.278-05:00Any word on what GTE ImagiTrek did on Time Travele...Any word on what GTE ImagiTrek did on Time Traveler? Various resumes and articles imply they created or developed it.CRVhttp://gdri.smspower.org/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-86376016514386327892014-03-30T17:10:22.941-05:002014-03-30T17:10:22.941-05:00you know, I remember playing this game after heari...you know, I remember playing this game after hearing about it on a videogame tv show that used to air called "Electronic Gaming?" It aired in the early 1990's, and they also showcased Dragon's Lair 2 arcade game, which I thought was really cool. Time Traveler has possibilities with holograms being the new video game technology, bringing gamers into the videogame, but without getting hurt, and the player getting into the action.J.M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14776230377794486016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-22668674560101513462014-03-30T07:26:00.615-05:002014-03-30T07:26:00.615-05:00I can't say anything about holography for arca...I can't say anything about holography for arcades from 1991-2013 or so since I never heard or saw anything, but the Voxiebox is pretty interesting, and they do want to sell it as a coin-op. I don't think this particular tech will take off though as they're trying to sell it for $20k. Their goal is to get the price way down and have a consumer version for $1,000 or less but I just don't think a display that needs to vibrate to function will take off. It also sounds like VR goggles will never really take off either because people don't like 3d glasses, and huge goggles are even more constricting. Maybe only true holography with 3d images displayed in open air will really wow people. <br /><br />http://www.killscreenmagazine.com/articles/news/feast-your-eyes-holographic-game-system-voxiebox/Adam Coatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10173118527796266162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-60076755434586443252014-03-29T09:01:26.280-05:002014-03-29T09:01:26.280-05:00I agree. Dyer was an incredibly creative individua...I agree. Dyer was an incredibly creative individual with a lot of great ideas but game design wasn't his strong suit. With Time Traveler, the basic gameplay was almost identical to Dragon's Lair, but with even less variety. Even the story, with its "rescue the princess from the bad guy" theme was similar (yes, you actually teamed up with the princess this time, but that's a small difference). Why would anyone think that the same concept that had failed 8 years before would work in 1991? <br />I also agree that hologram technology could have worked if used to better effect (like in a truly interactive fighting game) but it seems that no one ever really tried again (maybe they did - I'd have to check). I don't know if it was just too expensive or if Time Traveler soured people on the concept (for coin-op, part of the issue may have been the decline of arcades in general). <br /><br />I do cover Halcyon in the book, but only for a page or so. I don't fully cover consumer games, but if a consumer game was made by a coin-op manufacturer, I discuss it.Keith Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08421308095592306594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8167179463808604240.post-88138392406750137522014-03-29T04:41:48.109-05:002014-03-29T04:41:48.109-05:00Nice write-up. At least one of the Wunderland nick...Nice write-up. At least one of the Wunderland nickel arcades in Portland Oregon had a Time Traveler. I know I gave it multiple tries and wanted to like it since it was such cool tech and it was Sega, but the gameplay was really bad. Unfortunately new tech alone can't entertain people, it's the gameplay that needs to be innovative to keep players interested. Rick Dyer knows how to be the first to the punch on bringing new tech to the arcade, but he isn't a game designer really. I do think a fully interactive game with Dragon's Lair type of animation is achievable though, just not in the early-mid 80's.<br /><br />By the way, I know this is slightly out of the scope of this block, but a related and interesting venture to cover would be the Halcyon. Evidently there's actually a decent amount of info out about this. <br /><br />Adam Coatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10173118527796266162noreply@blogger.com