History
Founded in July 1985 by Richard Ditton, a NASA software engineer, and Elaine Hodgson, a biochemist, IT began as a software design gaming firm. The company started in the basement of the owners’ home and focused on a wide variety of work-for-hire entertainment projects, including pinball hardware and game programming for Data East. In 1988 IT developed hardware and software for its first coin-operated video game Capcom Bowling, which used a trackball to simulate the movement of a bowler’s toss. A dozen more titles followed in the 1990s under the brand name Strata Games: Strata Bowling, Arlington Horse Racing, Hot Shots Tennis, Peggle, Poker Dice, Rim Rockin’ Basketball, Ninja Clowns, Time Killers, Hard Yardage, Driver’s Edge, BloodStorm and Pairs.
IT managed to increase its profitability during its formative years, but it did not immediately emerge as a clear threat to larger coin-operated amusement companies such as Midway, Sega or Williams. The company struggled to maintain profitability without a solid hit.
In September 1989 at the Amusement and Music Operators Association (AMOA) International Expo the company launched a golf game titled Golden Tee Golf, which used a trackball much like the bowling game, this time to simulate a golfer’s swing. The game slowly built a following throughout the 1990s, and by 1996 IT was producing updates to the game every year. Golden Tee has seen three major hardware platform changes since its initial release: Golden Tee 3D Golf in 1995, Golden Tee Fore! in 2000 and the latest version launched in 2005 called Golden Tee LIVE, which gives players the chance to compete in online tournaments for cash and prizes with every game played. The game celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009 and IT released a new high definition version of the game in a location-friendly Showpiece cabinet.
IT is also unusual in that it is one of the largest woman-operated private companies in the world: co-founder Elaine Hodgson has been President of the company and led it since its founding in the mid-eighties.
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