Laser tag is a game where players wear a laser tag vest with targets. Each player has a gun that emits a beam of light which marks the target of the person they are trying to hit. Laser tag is fun, active, and unpredictable. It’s like paintball without the mess and expense. Laser tag is played in dark rooms using infrared beams and LED lights.
What makes laser tag so exciting?
The guns shoot invisible beams that do not cause physical damage to other players but are instead detected by sensors in the gun wielders’ vests or helmets. The vests also have sensors that detect hits to keep track of their scores. If a beam hits a laser tag vest or helmet, the player wearing it is tagged, and the shooter scores points, or the opponent or team gets removed from the game.
The laser tag arena is like a real war zone with rooms, hallways, bridges, and tunnels. You can move from room to room to get the best strategic position to attack the opposing team. Unlike paintballing, it is played in enclosed spaces like warehouses and gyms rather than outdoors. The person with the most points wins instead of just the last man standing. Plus, you get to run around in your combat suit with a backpack full of ammo! It’s cool!
Laser Tag History
Laser tag was originally developed for the U.S. military in the 1970s as a training exercise for soldiers and marines. Still, it has made its way into the public domain and is now enjoyed by people of all ages. It was perfect for training the soldiers under harsh conditions without causing actual bodily harm.
The history of laser tag is riddled with myth and scant facts. It is baffling how a serious military training tool became a favorite sport for many. The sport now allows friends and families to enjoy exciting adventures and active competition.
The Laser Tag Creator
George A Carter III is credited with being the laser tag creator. He was inspired to develop a scored arena game from watching the Star Wars IV in 1977. Carter opened the first laser tag arena in Dallas, Texas, in 1984, called Photon Laser Tag Center. Two years later, Photon publicly released the Photon laser tag toys. Other big firms caught on to the technology, and the game and toys spread far and wide.
Sadly, most laser toy manufacturing firms, including Photon, went under in the 1990s after the craze died off. At the turn of the century and with the invention of the internet, laser tag picked up popularity.
Where Laser Tag is Today
Sports companies adopted the technology to produce commercial sport with time. The game’s newest version involves taggers who have wristbands that emit sounds when hit by a light beam from another player’s gun.
