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Lazer Tag

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This article is about the "Lazer Tag" branded product. For the sport and technology in general, see Laser tag.
Lazer Tag
Original Lazer Tag Logo
TypeGame
Inventor(s)Worlds of Wonder
Company
CountryUnited States
Availability1986–
MaterialsPlastic with electronics

Lazer Tag is a brand name for the infrared pursuit game generically known as "laser tag," "lasertag," or "lazertag."[1][2] First introduced by Worlds of Wonder in 1986, the toy was exclusively sold through high tech catalog The Sharper Image for the first three months of it's release before being purchaseable through retail outlets.The Lazer Tag brand is currently a subsidiary of Hasbro's Nerf toy line.

History

Lazer Tag was created by the toy company Worlds Of Wonder in 1986, appearing at approximately the same time as the home version of Entertech's Photon brand.[3] Like Photon, Worlds of Wonder's Lazer Tag brand also inspired a TV series. The animated series Lazer Tag Academy was produced by Ruby-Spears Productions, with one season airing on NBC from 1986-1987.[4] Two Game idea books and t hree Choose Your Own Adventure-style books were released by Role Playing Game company TSR based on the game as well. A boy is briefly shown playing Lazer Tag in the 1988 film Married to the Mob and the toy was also features in episodes of Kate and Allie and Mr. Belvedere. A Lazer Tag video game was released in the late 1980s for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64.[5]Recently the toy was part of an episode of the 80‘s themed show The Goldbergs.

The toy, however, was not without controversy. In April 1987, 19-year old Leonard Falcon was shot and killed in Rancho Cucamonga, CA by a sheriffs deputy after witnesses saw him and several friends playing with it, mistaking the toys for real guns.[6] The deputy who shot him quit his job soon afterwards. Shortly afterward Worlds Of Wonder modified all new Lazer Tag Starlytes without the muzzle flash feature. As well they began making white versions of the Starlyte and Star Sensor but the company began to go bankrupt thus causing the line to be discontinued and all existing for sale products to be drastically marked down for guick sale with the once expensive and hard to get game kits being priced as low as ten dollars.

The Lazer Tag brand name was acquired by Shoot The Moon Products[7] of Pleasanton, CA, after Worlds Of Wonder ceased operations in late 1990. Since then, the brand name has been licensed to Tiger Electronics from 1996–1998 and to Hasbro from 2004–present under the Nerf banner.[8][9]

In August 2012, Hasbro released an all-new Lazer Tag line, which allows users to integrate their iPhone or iPod Touch units with the blasters. The provided apps convert the smartphones into HUD units, which display power levels and update players' gaming progress on an online leaderboard. Gaming experience is further enhanced with unlockable attacks and gear.[10]

Original Game Equipment 1986-1988

In the months up to the games release, Worlds Of Wonder created a media advertising campaign billing LazerTag as "The Game That Moves at The Speed of Light" replete with a futuristic arena gameplay commercial and advance purchase through The Sharper Image. The stylized high tech game was packaged in glitzy professional packaging also abundant with high tech sheen and attractive child models enjoying play. One aspect of the products uniqueness was that all the game equipment included blueprint style instruction posters which added to the futurist motif the product and it's creators strove for. As the first Christmas sales season emerged, LazerTag by Worlds Of Wonder was the most requested toy of the season, creating a buying frenzy much like was seen with Cabbage Patch Kids Dolls. Worlds Of Wonder in partnership with Coke A Cola created an intercollegiate tournament tour where players could test their skills for prizes in several states. Up until World Of Wonder's bankruptcy more products were released and the futuristic commercials kept coming until the fall of 1988 when the remaining retail stock was sold at more than 80 percent of it's original price as a means for Worlds Of Wonder recoup monies to buy out of their bankruptcy. The company never recovered, LazerTag would not be sold under that name until the early 1990s

  • Game Kit : Lazer Tag originally sold in a 3 piece kit that included the hand-held Starlyte, an infra-red firing black pistol. The StarSensor a silver hexagon shaped hit counter with a red target dome and sound, light and rudimentary scoring functions and The StarBelt with included StarHolster that were worn to allow the sensor unit and pistol to be on-person. The Starlyte had a red light stripe near the muzzle that would flash when fired. It also had a switchable diopter in the barrel to concentrate the infra-red beam into a tighter diameter, a separate on/off switch for the firing sound and a red dot sight in the scope that activated when the trigger was pressed halfway. The StarSensor had a five LED three color bar that tallied hits taken and a scanning red 9 LED array inside the red dome for greater target visibility, it would also sound a game over siren if turned off and on in the middle of a game to prohibit cheating. The StarBelt had velcro fabric that held the StarSensor and two removable strips so that team designation could be achieved. The Starlyte took six AA batteries and the StarSensor used one 9volt battery. A second revision kit replaced the original diagonal sash style StarBelt with a apron two strap design. A later revision that removed the StarLyte muzzle flash and replaced the clear red flash window with a solid black one happend after the accidental shooting death of a player by police. In some kits developed for foreign sales, a black clip on holder was provided as an additional means to wear the sensor.
  • StarSensor : Shortly after the game kit became available for retail sale, Worlds Of Wonder released individually packaged StarSensors so that players could have additional targets for play or as replacements for a damaged original unit. The individual sensor had the same hook fastner velcro affixed to it's back like the one in the game kit but also included a mating swatch of velcro for use by the user.
  • StarCap : A stylized futuristic cloth cap with sound effects and 360 degree taggable sensor dome on the top. The cap contained the same three color LED hit counter of the base StarSensor but lacked the scanning LEDs having only a single red power LED under the hit counter. Like the StarSensor the StarCap took one 9volt battery.
  • StarHelmet : Futuristic plastic helmet with integrated chin strap, sound effects and 360 degree taggable sensor dome on the top and scanning LEDs and Three color LED hit counter on the helmet's brim. Like the StarSensor the StarCap took one 9volt battery. Originally the StarHelmet came with an attached smoked plastic flip-down visor, but it was omitted before sale as it could inadvertently flip down and injure the user.
  • StarVest : Futuristically styled alternative bodywear to hold the StarSensor. Had a central velcro pad in the chest that mated with one StarSensor and removable velcro team stripes seated on the right shoulder. The waist belt could also accept the StarHolster but did not come with one. The StarVest came in two sizes.
  • StarBase : An automated StarSensor base station that could be programmed to take a certain number of hits, or be programmed to time the player in a timed contest. The StarBase's advanced microprocessor could also randomly fire back at players or shield itself from attacks. The StarBase had dual digit 7 segment displays that could register up to 50 hits and a flip-up cover control panel where custom game functions could be accessed and an internal light inside the dome area that signaled when the base was firing.

Current models

Lazer Tag Single Blaster Pack

The individual pack comes with one orange-colored blaster that is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPod Touch 4th generation. The free apps enable up to 24 players to engage in battle.[11]

Laser Tag 2 Blaster Battle Pack

This set comes with two blasters (one in orange and the other in white), giving users instant one-on-one or dual-wielding action out of the box.[11]

References

  1. ^ "You Call These Toys?". Time. 1987-12-07. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
  2. ^ Cuff, Daniel F. (1988-04-04). "BUSINESS PEOPLE; Worlds of Wonder Loses Its Chairman". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
  3. ^ Zonana, Victor F. (1987-12-22). "Cash-Strapped Toy Maker Worlds of Wonder Petitions for Chapter 11 Protection". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
  4. ^ "Saturday Morning: Good And Bad". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
  5. ^ "Sinclair Infoseek". World of Spectrum. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
  6. ^ "Student Killed by Deputy Is Remembered as 'Neat Kid'", April 10, 1987, Associated Press in the LA Times. Retrieved 2013-04-08.
  7. ^ "fuzzycouch.com". fuzzycouch.com. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
  8. ^ "History of the Lazer Tag Brand - Worlds Of Wonder (WOW), Tiger (TLT), and Team Ops (LTTO)". Home.comcast.net. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
  9. ^ "Sports Are Always More Fun in the Dark". Bleacher Report. 2008-12-03. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
  10. ^ "Hasbro reinvents Lazer Tag for the smartphone generation, lets you live out your Doom-fueled fantasies". Engadget. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
  11. ^ a b "LAZER TAG Armory | LAZER TAG Equipment & Set | Hasbro". Lazertag.com. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
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