<s>
BattleTech	B-Application
Centers	O
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
first	O
BattleTech	B-Application
Center	O
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	O
remained	O
operational	O
in	O
Japan	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	O
experience	O
on	O
the	O
road	O
in	O
2008	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
August	O
2018	O
,	O
BattleTech	B-Application
center	O
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>
