The Hot Seat Arcade system of the 1980s

SaraAB87 January 8, 2008 10

Here is another obscure simulator to ponder. The Hot Seat was a motion based simulator produced in the mid 1980’s. This simulator did not come with any dedicated game, its intention was to be a multi-game simulator (in that you could install any existing arcade game in it) and turn that game into a motion simulator to generate more profits. It was made by a company called Balance Technology – Colorado Game Exchange out of Denver, Colorado. The examples mentioned in the article were Williams Blaster and Atari Star Wars and the simulator would be best used with flying or driving games.

I do not have any other information on this simulator other than the article but the article does mention the AMOA and is from November of 1984 so I can only assume if you were at the 1985 AMOA show you may have seen this simulator. There must have been at least 1-2 units of this simulator produced for the AMOA Expo but it is unknown if it even went to locations or into full production which is unlikely. I seem to remember a rumor about one of these popping up on ebay with Star Wars in it but I have never seen it myself on ebay.

I don’t know about you but the idea of Blaster or Star Wars in a simulator game sounds pretty cool to me! Here’s some pictures of the machine:

Hot Seat - Front Image

Hot Seat - Back Image

10 Comments »

  1. editor January 8, 2008 at 6:16 pm - Reply

    Wow – blast from my past, I reviewed this system when I first started in the industry. It had the same problem of limited number of titles – think they may have even had their wrist slapped by Atari over using their stuff – will have to check my files.

    Hey if your going to cover what if motion systems you should cover my old project:
    http://www.algorithm.com/shared/products/thomson_entertainment_s2i.jpg
    http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CEED8123CF937A35751C0A964958260

  2. SaraAB87 January 9, 2008 at 3:40 am - Reply

    If you have any more info about this one that would be great, the only thing I have is the photos I posted. I can’t remember who sent them to me. I should probably mail that to the flyer archive as well as they probably don’t have it but perhaps they have already picked it up from here.

    • Lonny Dawson April 8, 2010 at 5:54 pm - Reply

      call me if u want info. 720-882-8110. lonny

  3. Greg September 18, 2009 at 4:45 am - Reply

    Thank you SO MUCH for having this info, as a kid they had one of these in Circus Circus in Vegas with the old Star Wars vector line game in it. I LOVED playing this version of the game. If you went back and forth fast enough this thing would whip you back and forth fast enough to make your neck sore. I loved it and NO ONE knows what I am talking about.

  4. jaafaman February 25, 2010 at 5:48 am - Reply

    Thank you for the info. You can bet your Permanent Link will find a use here:

    (so you know what you’re clicking, it’s a YouTube to a test run on a newly-restored HS Star Wars conversion)

  5. Chris February 26, 2010 at 8:38 pm - Reply

    The one in the video is on ebay right now. $50,000.00.
    http://cgi.ebay.com/260559627566

    • jaafaman February 28, 2010 at 7:04 am - Reply

      Indeed.

      I have my fingers crossed that he gets a good-sized percentage of it, too. It’ll mean a few more jobs for me…

  6. Lonny Dawson April 8, 2010 at 5:51 pm - Reply

    I have one of these hot seat games. if you are interested in buying it or wanting to talk please call me at 720-882-8110. thanx

  7. Lonny Dawson November 25, 2010 at 10:55 am - Reply

    Re; The Hot Seat. I have a new # 720-435-7679. IIf anyone would like to talk about the game and the facts surrounding this game feel free to call me. I am always accepting interesting trades on this and other items. Lonny 720-435-7679

  8. Oliverr August 12, 2012 at 8:00 am - Reply

Leave A Response »