<s>
BattleTech	B-Application
Centers	I-Application
are	O
commercial	O
virtual	O
entertainment	O
venues	O
that	O
feature	O
multiplayer	O
virtual	O
combat	O
in	O
the	O
fictional	O
BattleTech	B-Application
universe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
centers	O
were	O
initially	O
created	O
and	O
operated	O
by	O
Tim	O
Disney	O
's	O
Virtual	B-Application
World	I-Application
Entertainment	I-Application
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
Today	O
,	O
the	O
gaming	O
cockpits	O
can	O
now	O
be	O
found	O
in	O
various	O
sites	O
around	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
BattleTech	B-Application
Center	I-Application
opened	O
in	O
Chicago	O
in	O
1990	O
,	O
with	O
others	O
in	O
Yokohama	O
following	O
in	O
August	O
1992	O
and	O
Tokyo	O
in	O
1993	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1991	O
,	O
Computer	O
and	O
Video	O
Games	O
called	O
Battletech	B-Application
"	O
definitely	O
the	O
most	O
exciting	O
interactive	O
videogame	O
system	O
yet	O
devised.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Red	B-Application
Planet	I-Application
was	O
the	O
first	O
non-BattleTech	O
game	O
added	O
,	O
and	O
involved	O
racing	O
through	O
the	O
mining	O
tunnels	O
of	O
Mars	O
using	O
vectored	O
thrust	O
mining	O
hover-crafts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
rapid	O
advances	O
in	O
arcade	O
games	O
and	O
online	O
games	O
meant	O
that	O
the	O
Japanese	O
Centers	O
began	O
closing	O
in	O
1995	O
,	O
and	O
by	O
2000	O
no	O
BattleTech	B-Application
Centers	I-Application
remained	O
operational	O
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
Virtual	B-Application
World	I-Application
Entertainment	I-Application
,	O
INC	O
and	O
FASA	O
Interactive	O
Technologies	O
merged	O
and	O
became	O
wholly	O
owned	O
subsidiaries	O
of	O
Virtual	B-Application
World	I-Application
Entertainment	I-Application
Group	O
(	O
VWEG	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
acquired	O
another	O
four	O
pods	O
in	O
2007	O
,	O
and	O
hosted	O
the	O
2007	O
National	O
BattleTech	B-Application
Invitational	O
in	O
September	O
2007	O
with	O
all	O
12	O
pods	O
operational	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MechJock	O
LLC	O
,	O
MechCorps	O
Entertainment	O
LLC	O
,	O
and	O
VGCorps	O
decided	O
to	O
refit	O
existing	O
Tesla	O
II	O
pods	O
and	O
take	O
the	O
BattleTech	B-Application
Center	I-Application
experience	O
on	O
the	O
road	O
in	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gaming	O
,	O
sci-fi	O
and	O
anime	O
conventions	O
(	O
including	O
Comicpalooza	O
,	O
Oni-Con	O
,	O
MechaCon	O
and	O
Dragon	O
Con	O
)	O
in	O
the	O
southern	O
U.S.	O
were	O
introduced	O
to	O
MechCorps	O
 '	O
Mobile	O
Armor	O
Division	O
while	O
Virtual	B-Application
World	I-Application
Entertainment	I-Application
in	O
association	O
with	O
MechJock	O
LLC	O
made	O
appearances	O
in	O
the	O
Mid-West	O
at	O
events	O
including	O
Gencon	O
,	O
Origins	O
,	O
ACEN	O
and	O
Youmacon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
trend	O
indicates	O
that	O
public	O
Battletech	B-Application
sites	O
are	O
diminishing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2017	O
,	O
Virtual	B-Application
World	I-Application
Entertainment	I-Application
,	O
LLC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2018	O
,	O
BattleTech	B-Application
center	I-Application
and	O
game	O
store	O
Big	O
Kidz	O
Games	O
in	O
Grand	O
Rapids	O
,	O
MI	O
permanently	O
closed	O
.	O
</s>
