For Those About To Rock….Altec Lansing’s Stage Gig

Altec Lansing “Stage Gig” RM 3010

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK…
Altec Lansing provides a device to unleash your inner rock star with the Stage Gig

The “arcade” market has been a huge moneymaker for a lot of DJs, and a godsend to event organizers notquite sure what “those kids are into these days.” We at Mobile Beat have brought you the scoop on the hottest guitars for Guitar Hero, Dance Floors for Dance, Dance, Revolution, and props for Rock Band. Until now though, there has never been the release of a gaming-specific stage monitor for any system-and certainly none that would hold up to the rigors of the applications DJs use them for. Altec Lansing saw this void and developed the Stage Gig, a multi-format supportable monitor that looks, acts, and feels the part of a real stage monitor, albeit in a smaller form.

Technically a 40 watt active speaker with a 6.5″ woofer, the unit is solid enough to withstand the sometimes-rough usage by your roadies with rubber feet and a molded plastic shell. Physically the unit is about 12″ wide by 10″ deep and is 8″ tall-small enough to fit inside your existing arcade trunk. Although the best part of the Stage Gig though is not having to lug in heavy powered speakers to use as monitors, at roughly $100 the Stage Gig won’t make your wallet that much lighter!

More info available at http://www.alteclansing.com/index.php?file=north_product_detail&iproduct_id=stage_gig

Trivia Ladder – Simple, Intuitive, Easy from DigiGames

Trivia Ladder – Simple, Intuitive, Easy

Now available for download is DigiGames` newest software game: TRIVIA LADDER.

The game is simple: A question appears, and contestants use their wireless buzzes to ring in. If they answer the question correctly, they move up the “Prize Ladder”. Incorrect answers do not bump them off the game (like on TV). They simply move down one “Prize Rung” with a chance to try again to make it to the top. First one to the top, or whoever has the highest spot on the prize ladder when the last question has been solved, wins.

Complete with Question and Answer Resizing - Maximize short and long questions and answers

With DigiGames` new Inteli-text technology, short questions are maximized for optimal viewing. Fonts are reduced automatically for medium or long length questions. You do nothing, Trivia Ladder just simply makes it all works.

This technology has been applied to both questions and answers, making it very easy for your contestants and your audience to be able to clearly read each question, regardless of the question or answer`s length.

Enhanced Editor
DigiGames` most powerful trivia editor yet

DigiGames` intuitive editor contains many of the same great features of it previous games. Easy to add your own questions and answers. With a single click you can:

1. Assign which of the 4 answers is the correct one.

2. Change font, font colors, and apply properties of one question to all in the trivia set.

3. Easy navigation controls to browse, edit , insert, and delete any existing sets of trivia.

4. Easily add your own images and sound clips and apply your own text questions on top of the image or sound controls.

….and much more

Prize Editor
Customize your own prize “rungs”

Each “rung” of the prize “ladder” can be tailored for your specific needs. Trivia Ladder allows you to create your own custom prize boards for any type of event. An unlimited amount of prize boards can be created, saved, named, edited, and loaded into the software game at will with a single click. This is very useful for school, bar, and corporate events.

Options
Make each game interesting and unique
Within Trivia Ladder are various options for customizing your next game uniquely. This includes TM Management, Default Prize sets, sound customization and various controls.

Winner Declaration with fanfare

When the round of trivia is complete, the software declares the winner plays fanfare music, and shows where on the prize ladder all the other participants ended.

Free Updates for Life
You talk, we listen

As with our other popular software games, the many needs of entertainers, trainers, and educators changes constantly. As a result, new additional features are frequently added to our software games. Your purchase of Trivia Ladder includes free updates for life. All Trivia Ladder updates will be posted on our “Game Show Software Upgrades” page along with our other games.

Preloaded with 2000 Questions and Answers
Never run out of trivia questions again!

Trivia Ladder is pre-stocked with 2000 questions and answers to get you started.

Within 2 months, we will have the availability to supply you with well over 150,000 additional questions and answers. Additional newsletters in the future will inform you when various databases are available for purchase.

Limited time only:

NOW ONLY $99!* - ORDER TODAY

Introductory price will not last long

For a limited time, you can purchase Trivia Ladder with all the great features listed above for only $99. Hurry, this offer will not last long and will expire soon.

Download the demo at Trivia_Ladder_setup.exe

Let The Games Begin: Level 2 by Ryan Burger

Intensify the fun and boost your business to the next level of profit

In the July 2008 issue of Mobile Beat I wrote about the success my DJ company, BC Productions, was enjoying with our new video game-based entertainment service, which we are calling BCP Arcade. Well, it looks like this should be an annual series of articles, based on the tons of possible “features” that can be added. We have found that we were able to grow our business in additional areas by offering an alternative to carnival games, inflatable rides and casino nights. For a long time we’ve done game shows at after-proms, community festivals and other similar events, but we needed to offer something more to start getting a bigger share of the big budgets these events typically have. While disc jockeys were constantly marketing to these events to be the nighttime entertainment we have found that we are able to get in the door doing unique services like this and get paid more than the DJs, and do less work.

Total Immersion Mobile Entertainment

What our company does, as I described last year, is take the video game experience “to the next level.” It’s not just about setting up a PS2 with the cheap plastic guitars that come with Guitar Hero. We use professionally made and weighted wooden guitars, adding lighting, fog and a backdrop to make it look and feel like the players are actually at a concert. For DDR we use professional pads that are the same as or similar to what Dance Dance Revolution arcade games have. It’s all about having the latest games and dressing them up for a full-immersion experience.

This year we added to the show tremendously with new stations, new hardware and new angles on using the system. We upgraded from 32″ to 42″ plasma screens on Global Truss five-foot stands to increase the effect. We also added a Nintendo Wii station with a similar mounting, carpet-painted to look like a race track. Because of demand we have also added more DDR and Guitar Hero systems. (See our full inventory in the sidebar.)

We also were able to purchase at auction several other games for starting at around $50 each, up to $500 for some hotter, more recent arcade games. These full-size arcade games are brought in to help set the scene and also to allow more people to participate in the arcade experience at the same time. The games are rented out for as little as $100 each, but considering their cost, you have your money out of them almost immediately. To find these games, I recommend searching on Google for arcade auctions near you. SuperAuctions.Com and ArcadeGameSales.Com have multiple locations where they run auctions each year, but most of the opportunities to buy are at auctions done by regional companies you can find through searching.

While you can buy the games for what is already loaded into them, they have a standard called JAMMA that allows you to swap out the boards on many units and put in other games. Most games made from the mid ‘80s through the ‘90s were based on this standard. (For more information, check out Klov.Com and JammaBoards.Com.) JammaBoards.Com sells retro boards that have Ms. Pacman, Centipede, Donkey Kong and many other classics on just one board, so you can provide a selection of games in one cabinet-sort of like a jukebox for arcade games.

Video Game Chain Reaction

“After-prom” events have become a major part of our area’s high school dance and party scene, in some cases even eclipsing the prom in their level of entertainment. Our largest client for after-prom services recently expanded their contracted services by adding disc jockey music to their event. Last year the school was a $2,500 client with three video game stations and two game shows; this year they’re paying more for three video game stations, a game show and a DJ. This after-prom was promoted more heavily than the prom and had the attendance to match. Additionally, they had a community walk-through time where three other area high school committees checked out our services for next year’s after-proms. Since then we have followed up and booked a number of new events.

In 2008 we primarily marketed this new service to the high schools and a couple local community festivals, but in 2009 we turned it up as we pursued other potential clientele. Each of Iowa’s 99 counties holds a yearly fair, most of them in June and July. With July being a slower month than most for us, we decided we wanted to pursue the county fairs and some of the other city celebrations that are held. To dive into this potential market head-first we joined the Iowa Association of Fairs. We even exhibited at the association’s yearly expo, where we set up game show and arcade systems in a hospitality room. By having something unique in our room instead of just the standard fliers and munchies for the guests, we drew some interest in our unique offerings. Although it was only our first time exhibiting, we ended up contracting for five different events for a total amount of about 10 times our cost of exhibiting, We are set to make an even bigger impact next year.

Taking Aim at Success

A new face to BCP Arcade is coming online while this article is being penned. BCPArcade.Com is being revamped to dramatically demonstrate all the services we provide that aren’t directly DJ related. On this site you will find an easily updated, custom-designed, Wordpress-driven blog system with a custom design showing the latest additions to our catalog of services, including rental jukeboxes, karaoke systems, airbrush tattoos and all the arcade stuff described above. Please check out BCPArcade.Com if you have an interest in taking your “down time” business to a higher level, check out our site.

Ryan Burger is the Owner/Publisher of ProDJ Publishing, including Mobile Beat and ProDJ.Com. He also helms one of Iowa’s most successful mobile entertainment and event production companies, BC Productions.
The BCP Arcade Inventory

Rockband Show
- 7.5′ x 10′ screen
- XBox 360 – Rockband Box Set
- 2000-lumen LCD projector
- 4 15′ USB extensions
- 2 powered speakers
- Set of PAR cans (LED preferred due to low power draw)
- Basic fogger, when allowed at facility
- Audio and video extension cables

Dance Dance Revolution Show
- 42″ plasma television with Marathon Professional case
- Playstation 2 – DDR (several editions)
- 2 Cobalt Flux Commercial School Pads (cobaltflux.com – see review in MB 115)
- Flood lights on basic chase along with strobes
- 1 powered speaker

DDR Show 2 (2009 Addition)
- 42″ Plasma Television with Marathon Professional Case
- Playstation 2 – DDR (several editions)
- iON Master Dance Pad (ddrgame.com – see review in MB 122)
- Flood lights on basic chase along with strobes
- 1 powered speaker

Guitar Hero Show
- 42″ plasma television with Marathon Professional case
- Playstation 2 – Guitar Hero (several editions)
- 2 Peavey AG Riffmaster Guitars (peavey.com – see review in MB#115)
- Riffmaster Power Station for sound (peavey.com – see review in MB#115)
- Flood lights on basic chase along with strobes (pull from available DJ gear)
- 8′ x 10′ backdrop with concert scene

Guitar Hero Show 2 (2009 Addition)
- 42″ plasma television with Marathon Professional case
- Playstation 2 – Guitar Hero (several additions)
- 1 Dreamgear BC Rich Warbeast (dreamgear.net – see review in MB 122)
- 1 Harris Musical Products Rock Axe (harrismusical.com – see review in MB 122)
- Riffmaster Power Station for sound
- Flood lights on basic chase along with strobes
- 8′x10′ backdrop with concert scene

Wii Mario Kart Show (2009 Addition)
- 42″ plasma television with Marathon Professional case
- Wii with 4 remotes and recharging unit
- 1 powered speaker on tripod

Arcade Games (2009 Addition)
- 5 Multi-Arcade games with retro games installed (Ms. Pacman, 1943, Donkey Kong, etc.)
- Mortal Kombat 4
- Big Buck Hunter
- Golden Tee
- Narc
- Gauntlet 2
- Punch Out
- several others brought in for variety

As Debuting at MBLV09 from Digigames

Are you looking for a fresh new way of performing trivia? This one is about as fresh as it comes!
The objective is for the contestants to hit themselves or each other over the head with a plastic bat to answer, or force another contestant to answer.

System includes 4 wireless hard hats, 4 plastic bats and the software to run it plus instructions, a 1-year warranty and a 30-day money back guarantee.

Within the hard hat is a wireless transmitter which sends a signal to your computer about which contestant was clobbered first. A contestant who knows the answer clobbers himself. If a contestant thinks that another participant doesn’t know the answer, he/she can clobber them and put them on the spot.

Imagine your contestants running around the room clobbering each other. Contestants generally gang up on a single contestant and the amount of chaos that happens is strictly within the rules that you establish at the beginning of the show.

Clobber interfaces with all of DigiGames’ software games! More information can be found at http://www.triviaparties.com!