WHAT IS LASER TAG?

Our LASER TAG FAQ Sheet:

Q. What is the equipment?
A. We provide 100% Digital Indoor / Outdoor Laser Taggers. These taggers are very advanced, yet simple to use. The taggers are of the proper weight for realistic game play and have metal housing for durability. Each unit has a reload button, a red / green dot scope, trigger and adjustable stock. There are 3 sensors on the head band and one on the tagger. We do not use the unsanitary or cumbersome laser 'vest' or 'helmet' found in most indoor tagger systems. The maximum range varies on the lighting; up to 1000 feet in bright daylight and 2000 feet in the dark.

Q. What makes Digital equipment different from all the other taggers out there?
A. Unlike Analog Tagger systems, our Digital Taggers offer these options.. to name just a few:

Q. How much does extra ammunition cost?
A.  $ ZERO $. All the ammunition you need is 'digital' and always included.

Q. Where can you play?
A. Where would you like to play? We have multiple Mobile / Indoor / Outdoor field systems throughout the United States and the World. Also, being a fully mobile operation, a system can always bring the game to you. If you want to play at your home, office, park, forest, fair, school, gymnasium, inside or outside - you name the location and we will work with you to make it happen. The play area possibilities are endless.

Q. How much fun could it be to play in an open field?
A. Our mobile systems set up the field using portable air-filled barriers and wall units. There are two types of these rubber bunkers available for your use - 6 foot tall 'footballs' and 4 foot tall 'boxes' and the amazing 8 foot tall wall units with windows and doors.  Any number of these bunkers can be setup per field.

Q. How much space do you require?
A. We have played in an area as small as 30 x 90 feet (10 x 30 meters) and as large as dozens of acres.

Q. What do I bring?
A. We strongly recommend you wear covered shoes/hiking boots, shorts or light long pants and bring bottled water. Players have also been known to bring 2-way radios for team communications. Clothing and protection appropriate for the environment (sunscreen, bug spray, gloves, etc.)

Q. What if it rains?
A. We get wet. Light rain or patchy weather is acceptable and does not require cancellation. However, very heavy rain may necessitate that we reschedule, if it is a prolonged downpour. We NEVER play in unsafe weather conditions. The Field Marshal will determine if the play area is safe to use. The equipment is very weather resistant so we can play in most weather conditions including rain, snow, or sunlight.

Q. When you are tagged out is your day over?
A. No. Just like in many video games you have a set number of hit points and lives. The beginner's missions have quite a few respawns. If you are tagged out you can be respawned, i.e. the referee will re-enable your tagger. Once you have been respawned you can jump right back into the game. In the more advanced missions it is possible you will not be respawned, but then you play in the very next game.

Q. How do I know I need to be respawned?
A. Don't worry you'll know. Your tagger will light up, cease firing and let you know audibly by calling for a Medic.

Q. How do I know I have tagged someone?
A. Generally you can hear the "ouch" sound from the opponent's tagger. Also the sensors light up every time you tag them.

Q. Does it hurt when you get "hit"?
A. Not at all. The system uses harmless infrared technology that is very similar to a TV's or Cable Box's remote control. When you are "hit" your tagger lights up and emits an audible "ouch" sound.

Q. What is this "mission" you keep talking about?
A. Missions are the types of games available. Players all over the world have developed a variety of missions; some classic ones like Team Elimination and Capture the Flag and more advanced ones based on recreating video games or movies such as Terminator (humans vs. Robots) or Residential Evil (Police vs. Zombies).

Q. Which missions do we get to play?
A. This is up to you. A typical one hour beginner's session will have the following missions -- one round of Terminator and two rounds of Elimination. We can design missions to suit you or you can design your own.

Q. Is it like paintball?
A. It can be very similar to paintball in terms of play but definitely NOT in terms of safety, pain or mess. Our equipment does not shoot any projectiles. The game is about stealth, teamwork and fun.

Q. Is this like indoor laser tag?
A. Only slightly. If you have seen or played traditional indoor laser tag then you'll have an absolutely great time at any Laser Sports USA event. The technology is similar, but the range, accuracy and anti-cheating is superior in every way.

Q. Who can play?
A. The game is open to anyone 7 years of age or older, male or female.  We will not, for the safety of the child, allow games to be played with anyone under the age of 7 years old, even if supervised by a parent or guardian.

Q. Do I need a reservation to play?
A. Only for Private events. We have field locations in many states/countries, and we are also fully mobile and can come to you. A person should book early to avoid having your preferred time slot taken for any public events.

Q. How many people do I need to play?
A. A minimum of 10 people is usually required for any private event (less can still play but the fun gets better with more people).  Public events are first-come, first-served.

Q. Is it really as safe as your web site says?
A. This game is safer than any other sport we have played for the following reasons:

• No contact allowed.

• No projectiles (nothing shoots from the laser taggers except for an invisible light beam).

• No laser (the light emitted is perfectly safe and is similar to the infrared light used by your TV remote control).

• Supervised play, all games have at least one fully trained referee monitoring the game.

Q. Why haven't I heard of this kind of thing before?
A. The technology to fire accurate infrared beams of light in any condition day or night is fairly new, only a few years old. There are only about 30 commercial outdoor laser tag operators in North America, with even fewer offering mobile events, let alone no-cost providers. The digital tagger equipment is very expensive, making it accessible to only those that are serious about running a professional operation.

Q. Can this be used as training for police and military personnel?
A. Definitely! The equipment is realistic in its functions and does not require any safety gear. Participants can train in the same uniform they would use in the field. This allows for realistic missions and higher intensity - a combination that helps prepare those in dangerous professions.

THE WORLD OF LASER TAG

LASER TAG OF TODAY:

Laser tag is a team sport where players attempt to score points by engaging targets with a hand-held infrared emitting 'tagger'. Infrared-sensitive targets are worn by opposing players and sometimes integrated within a specialized laser tag arena. Since its birth in 1979, Laser Tag has evolved into both indoor and outdoor styles of play and includes simulations of combat, role play-style games, and competitive sporting events with tactical configurations and precise game goals.

The computerized targeting device wielded by a player, called a 'tagger', emits a brief infrared beam, which carries an identifying signal, and the sensors worn by other players or mounted in fixtures around the arena record the signal when they are "tagged". In some cases the targeting device also contains a low-power visible laser, to assist the player and create ambiance. At a glance, laser tag may appear similar to paintball and other simulation-shooting or targeting sports, but it is notable that laser tag is both highly processor-dependent and exceptionally versatile in game play. Most laser tag equipment may be used for one style of play, rules, timing and goals, known as a game format, then switched rapidly to another game format. Differences can include switching from solo to team play, or from direct player interaction to siege-style rules, with the software altering both general game play and equipment behavior. Many modern laser tag systems allow for different characteristics to be applied on a per-individual basis, based on game progress or personal in-game adjustment, allowing for even greater customization.

Laser tag is popular with a wide range of ages, and is considered to be far safer and less physically demanding than other simulation-shooting sports, such as paintball, because there is no physical projectile impacting the target, and many indoor venues prohibit running or roughhousing. There are amateur tournaments in several countries, featuring one, or occasionally, multiple laser tag systems.

Laser tag systems vary widely in their technical capabilities and their applications. The game mechanics in laser tag are closely linked to the hardware used, the communication capabilities of the system, the embedded software that runs the equipment, the integration between the player's equipment and devices in the facility, the environment, and the configuration of the software that runs the equipment.

The resulting game play mechanics can result in anything from the highly realistic combat simulation used by the military to far fetched scenarios inspired by science fiction movies and modern video games.

Rate of fire, objectives, effects of being "tagged", and other parameters can often be altered on the fly to provide for varied game play.

A BRIEF HISTORY:

(Please note, "Lazer Tag" is a brand name and registered trademark, originally created by Worlds Of Wonder and now owned by Shoot The Moon products. Laser Tag and Lasertag are generic terms for any game or sport in which players attempt to tag one another with infra-red or visible light beams.)

In late 1970's and early 1980's, the United States Army developed and deployed a system using infrared beams for combat training. The MILES system functions like laser tag in that beams are "fired" into receivers that score hits. Similar systems are now manufactured by several companies and used by various armed forces around the world.

The first known toy to use infrared light and a corresponding sensor was manufactured and marketed in 1979 as the Star Trek Electronic Phaser Guns set. In 1982, George Carter III began the process of designing the system and facilities for his new business idea and can be credited as the originator of the sport of arena based laser tag by opening the first Photon center in Dallas, Texas in 1984. Players could come to one of the centers (there were as many as 45 operational in the US in the mid-1980s) and compete against each other, but the equipment was not sold in stores.

In 1986, the first Photon toys hit the market, soon followed by Lazer Tag toys from Worlds of Wonder. The Christmas season of 1986 was the real beginning of home laser tag, and soon millions of kids would be playing laser tag with each other anyplace they could. Worlds of Wonder went out of business around 1988, and Photon soon followed in 1989, as the fad of the games wore off.

Today there are laser tag arenas all over the world bearing various names and brands, as well as a large variety of consumer equipment for home play and professional grade equipment for outdoor laser tag arenas and businesses.

THE TECHNOLOGY:

Infrared (IR) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of radio waves. The name means "below red" (from the Latin infra, "below"), red being the color of visible light of longest wavelength. Infrared radiation spans three orders of magnitude and has wavelengths between approximately 750 nm and 1 mm.

Outdoor commercial systems are not too different on the surface from their indoor cousins, but are quite a bit different under the surface. Real lasers are not usually used due to the hazards to players and anyone within blinding range, partly because of the increased laser power required when playing outdoors and because there are no walls to block the laser from traveling long distances. Range is required to be much greater so better lensing is used, and full sunlight requires improvements in both sensor and IR emitters. Sensor placement is similar to indoor commercial systems. The outdoor industry caters strongly to birthday parties as well as enthusiasts.