Tee for Two
Entrepreneurs find a swingingly successful venture in arcade-style video games, such as 3-D golf.
Vital Stats: Elaine Hodgson,
47; Richard Ditton, 50; co-founders of Incredible Technologies Inc.
(IT) in Arlington Heights, Illinois
Company: Manufacturer of
coin-operated computer video games
Projected 2003 Sales: $60
million
Content Continues Below
Drive: When their employer,
which did contract work for home video game publishers, stopped
giving out paychecks to its employees, designers/programmers
Hodgson and Ditton decided to start anew and play by their own
rules.
Ace! The partners say their
popular 3-D simulated golf game, Golden Tee Fore!, is the most
successful coin-operated arcade-style game since Pac-Man, based on
revenue from player use. In approximately 35,000 bars or other
venues, thousands pay the $3 to $5 fee to play a virtual 18-hole
round. Even with the proliferation of home gaming systems, Golden
Tee draws crowds. "People still want to go out, have a few
drinks and socialize," Hodgson theorizes. Other IT offerings
include deer hunting and a shooting gallery.
"From
accounting to programming to taking out the garbage, we've done
it. Now we have over 110 employees."
|
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Hodgson and
Ditton were married when they started IT. Now divorced, they defy
convention by still working together-amicably. What's the
secret? "Great respect," reveals Ditton. "I respect
Elaine, and she respects me. We have three children and a business.
Although there were problems along the way, we worked out the
differences."
Stay Putt: Golden Tee
continues to flourish, with 400,000 registered "golfers"
vying for $200,000 in tournament prize money. Linked online from
each video game, finalists meet face-to-face in a national
championship, with winners advancing to a world championship. Tiger
Woods, watch out.