Sente Technologies
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Arcade game development |
| Predecessor | Videa |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Founder | Roger Hector, Wendi Allen, Ed Rotberg |
| Defunct | 1988 |
| Fate | Acquired by Bally Midway; shut down |
| Successor | Bally Midway |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Nolan Bushnell (owner 1983), Owen Rubin (developer) |
| Products | Arcade games, arcade hardware platforms (SAC-I, SAC-II, SAC-III), Rollerbowl skee-ball machines |
| Owner | Nolan Bushnell (1983–1984), Bally Manufacturing (1984–1988) |
| Parent | Pizza Time Theatre (1983–1984), Bally Manufacturing (1984–1988) |
Sente Technologies—also identified as Bally Sente, Inc.—was an arcade game developer originally established under the name Videa in 1982 by former Atari staff members Roger Hector, Wendi Allen (then known as Howard Delman), and Ed Rotberg. In 1983, Nolan Bushnell acquired the company, integrating it into his Pizza Time Theatre enterprise. The following year, Bally Midway took over the division and managed it until its shutdown in 1988. The term Sente, similar to Atari, is derived from Bushnell’s favored board game, Go, symbolizing "taking the initiative."
Videa
Under the Videa banner, early projects included titles such as Gridlee (also referred to as Pogoz), Lasercade, and Atom Smasher (Meltdown) developed in 1982 with plans for arcade and home console releases in 1983. Efforts to collaborate with Gottlieb for Gridlee and Fox for Lasercade and Atom Smasher did not materialize into market launches. The combination of the 1983 video game industry downturn and unsatisfactory field test outcomes led both companies to decline distribution opportunities.
Sente Technologies
Following its acquisition by Nolan Bushnell’s Pizza Time Theatre, Sente was strategically positioned for a swift return to the arcade sector as Bushnell’s non-compete contract with Atari was nearing expiration. The $2.2 million acquisition was publicized in January 1983, with Sente formally established on October 1, 1983.
Atari initiated legal action against Bushnell concerning the takeover but resolved the dispute through a licensing agreement that granted Atari exclusive rights for home versions of Sente’s arcade titles; notably, only Hat Trick was eventually launched on the Atari 7800 platform in 1987.
As a division of Pizza Time Theatre, Sente evolved the Gridlee prototype into the Sente Arcade Computer I and II (SAC-I/II) platforms. The SAC-I system introduced one of the earliest arcade architectures featuring interchangeable "cartridges"—bare printed circuit boards designed for rapid swapping—and modular control panels housed within a robust steel-framed cabinet. This design innovation enabled arcade operators to switch games quickly and economically, a method that later became industry standard. Operators could select from an upscale metal and plastic cabinet, a conventional wooden cabinet, or conversion kits compatible with existing machines; some games were also offered in cocktail cabinet formats.
In addition to video games, Sente manufactured at least 240 skee-ball-style devices named Rollerbowl for Pizza Time Theatre starting in 1982. First unveiled at the IAAPA Expo in 1982 and later displayed at the 1983 Amusement Operators Expo in Chicago, Rollerbowl broadened Pizza Time Theatre’s arcade portfolio beyond traditional video gaming.
Sente’s inaugural video arcade release, Snake Pit, launched in December 1983 alongside previews of SAC-II hardware and Shrike Avenger. Although shipments commenced shortly thereafter, sales were constrained due to Pizza Time Theatre’s financial difficulties amid rapid growth. Within five months of Pizza Time Theatre’s ownership, the parent company declared bankruptcy. Subsequently, Bally Manufacturing acquired Sente Technologies for $3.9 million in May 1984 and rebranded it as Bally Sente.
Bally Sente
Between Pizza Time Theatre’s bankruptcy filing and Bally’s acquisition, Sente temporarily halted Snake Pit’s release but continued developing new games. Upon resuming production under Bally’s ownership, they launched several titles including Snake Pit, Stocker, multiple versions of Trivial Pursuit, and Hat Trick, which became their top-selling product. From 1984 through 1987, Bally Sente produced numerous games for the SAC-I platform along with at least one SAC-II title, Shrike Avenger. Initially emphasizing convertible metal-framed cabinets, Bally later transitioned to more economical wooden upright and cocktail cabinets after restarting production. Additionally, they replaced the original cartridge-based PCB system with more affordable bare PCB designs. Despite these modifications, Sente’s games never reached significant commercial success, resulting in a gradual slowdown of new releases over time.
Final Projects
The flagship SAC-II title, Shrike Avenger, underwent development for three years but was never completed. Bally Sente tasked Owen Rubin with six weeks to transform the prototype into a playable game. Rubin created a trainer-style flight simulation called Last Starfighter for testing purposes. This game integrated a SAC-1 system alongside a Motorola 68000-powered motion control computer within a motorized flight simulator cabinet. Despite generating strong financial results during trials, problems such as player vertigo, mechanical breakdowns, and safety hazards prompted Bally to discontinue the project, primarily due to its high manufacturing cost (approximately $10,000 per unit in 1986) and associated liability concerns.
The Shrike Avenger prototype made its first appearance at the Amusement Trades Exhibition International (ATEI) in London in early 1986. The motion simulator cabinet attracted favorable attention, often being compared to Sega's Space Harrier, which was also showcased at the event. Industry critics hailed both games as major crowd-pullers, even eclipsing Nintendo's European introduction of Super Mario Bros..
Sente's last major effort was the Sente Super System (SAC-III), built around the Commodore Amiga 500 platform. It was intended to provide arcade operators with an economical upgrade path through modern hardware or standalone units, with Moonquake as its flagship title. Nevertheless, the system was discontinued before full-scale production for reasons not publicly disclosed. Bally Sente declared bankruptcy shortly afterward, transferring its assets to Bally's Midway division in 1988. The company was recognized for its diverse game lineup and innovative control mechanisms, including uncommon "missing children" public service announcements featured in attract modes.
Games developed by Sente
- Chicken Shift (1984)
- Euro Stocker (prototype)
- Gimme A Break (1985; a billiards game unrelated to the TV series)
- Goalie Ghost (1984)
- Grudge Match (prototype; distributed in Italy by Playtronic)
- Hat Trick (1984; hockey-themed; ports for DOS and Commodore 64 by Capcom; Atari 7800 version by ibid inc., published by Atari)
- Moonquake (prototype for Sente Super System)
- Name that Tune (1986; based on the television quiz show)
- Night Stocker (1986; sequel to Stocker featuring first-person perspective and light gun functionality)
- Off the Wall (1984; unrelated to other games sharing this title)
- Rescue Raider (1987)
- Rollerbowl (1982; skee-ball style redemption game)
- Sente Mini Golf (1985)
- Shrike Avenger (prototype for SAC-II)
- Snacks'n Jaxson (1984)
- Snake Pit (1984)
- Spiker (1986; volleyball-themed)
- Stocker (1984; top-down racing game; DOS and Commodore 64 ports by Capcom)
- Stompin' (1986; floor pad game involving bug-squashing)
- Street Football (1986)
- Team Hat Trick (prototype; 15 playtest cocktail cabinets produced)
- Toggle (prototype)
- Trick Shot (prototype)
- Trivial Pursuit: All Star Sports Edition (1984)
- Various versions of Trivial Pursuit, released in 1984, including Spanish-language editions licensed to Maibesa from 1987–88, some operating on alternative arcade hardware
Legacy
In 1987, Bally Midway—not Bally Sente—released Rescue Raider, running on SAC-I hardware. Two years later, in 1989, Bally Midway introduced Mini Golf Deluxe, a follow-up to Sente Mini Golf, as part of the Tri-Sports compilation alongside the bowling title Power Strike and the billiards game Pool Shark.