Just like the video game arcade, Laser...

Just like the video game arcade, Laser Maze never had a chance.

The Torrance City Council has rejected both businesses as out of character with the retail flavor of the sprawling Del Amo shopping mall.

Two weeks ago, the council refused to allow a 50-game video arcade at Sears because of fears that the operation would draw teen-agers and drive away shoppers.

And last week, council members spent even less time deciding against the Laser Maze, where players use infrared ray guns to zap targets in a series of video theaters.

Although other shopping malls have both, council members made it clear they want to put business before pleasure at Torrance’s biggest shopping center.

The presence of teen-age “mall rats” who congregate in parts of the mall was cited by police as a factor in the council’s recent decision to open a storefront police substation at Del Amo.