Caught in-beam, Paul Eager on the Laserforce range looking forward to the last five weeks before shutting the doors for the last time on July 20. Photo / Paul Taylor
Caught in-beam, Paul Eager on the Laserforce range looking forward to the last five weeks before shutting the doors for the last time on July 20. Photo / Paul Taylor
Popular Napier games centre Laserforce will close next month after almost 17 years blazing away as the ultimate, all-ages live-action laser tag-game experience.
Its closure at the end of the July school holidays, was announced by founder and owner Paul Eager on website and Facebook pages on Tuesday. The lastday will be July 20 and Laserforce vouchers will need to be used by that time.
It follows the sale of the site at the junction of Wellesley Rd with Latham and Sale streets, where Eager introduced Laserforce to Hawke's Bay soon after arriving in New Zealand from England in 2003.
Planning to emigrate, he and "Kiwi" wife Carol, from the Kapiti Coast, had spent a few days in Napier on the lookout for an opportunity and set their minds on returning to live.
"I came over from the UK looking for business for sale," he said. "We liked the area and decided it was where we wanted to be."
They bought the site – a 1940s building in use as fruit and vegetables mart The Barn with history as a builder's shed, a taxi station and an auction house - and set up the maze of lights and laser beams, and with smoke music as effects was soon attracting gamers young and old in large numbers.
Sold up and ready to go, Paul Eager looks forward to the last five weeks before he closes the doors of Laserforce for the last time on July 20. Photo / Paul Taylor
It's become a popular home for birthday and work parties, apart from the Covid-19 lockdown still capable of turning over 200 people each weekend.
In business in the Midlands and south east of London before coming to New Zealand he'd found previous ventures had been ones which needed a "push" as they gradually took on appeal within their markets.
But Laserforce took hold quickly to the point of being much the life for himself and his family, including two sons who became more than proficient at the skills of stalking and firing the laser guns in the dark, and trying for top points, as had become the drawcard for 26,000 "members" over the years.
As for his own proficiency, he says: "I was never any good. The staff became fairly good, but when I played I'd get beaten by myself."
One of the current part-timers hadn't been born when Laserforce started and, like Eager's sons - an electrician and a builder - many of the earlier customers are returning with their own children.
Despite the advances in games available for people to play at home, against combatants on computers around the world, and the emergence of other multiple games venues, the interest in Laserforce barely waned, but with retirement the next plan he decided against selling the business as a going concern.
He says didn't want to be driving past each day wondering how it was going.
"I've enjoyed it thoroughly," he said, remembering the many groups that have become regulars, including those with disabilities. "Being with the kids, the glowing smiles… It's something I won't forget."
The building has been sold to an investor hoping to tenant the property in the next few weeks.
