Lazer Tag facts for kids
Original 1986 logo
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| Type | Game |
|---|---|
| Inventor(s) | Worlds of Wonder |
| Company |
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| Country | United States |
| Availability | 1986– |
| Materials | Plastic with electronics |
Lazer Tag is a super fun game where players use special toy guns that shoot invisible infrared beams. It's a bit like a real-life video game! This popular brand was created by a company called Worlds of Wonder (WoW) and first came out in 1986.
Lazer Tag quickly became one of the most popular toys in America during 1986 and 1987. It was so popular that it even helped the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) get into more stores. This helped Nintendo of America bring back excitement for video games after a difficult time for the industry. Today, the Lazer Tag brand is part of Hasbro's famous Nerf toy line.
Contents
How Lazer Tag Began
What children gain from our toys is social value. Lazer Tag teaches them to play with each other, and Teddy Ruxpin teaches bravery and friendship.
Lazer Tag was invented by Paul Rago at Worlds of Wonder in 1986. It launched around the same time as another similar game called Photon. Lazer Tag and another popular toy, Teddy Ruxpin, were huge hits for Worlds of Wonder.
Lazer Tag and Nintendo
From 1986 to 1987, the new company Nintendo of America worked with Worlds of Wonder. Worlds of Wonder used its strong sales network to help launch the Nintendo Entertainment System across the country. Many stores were hesitant to sell video games because of a big video game slowdown in 1983.
However, Worlds of Wonder's sales team told retailers that if they wanted to sell popular toys like Lazer Tag and Teddy Ruxpin, they also had to sell Nintendo. This helped the NES become widely available and led to Nintendo becoming a leader in the video game world.
Safety and Toy Guns
Lazer Tag, like other toy guns, became part of a discussion about toy safety. In 1987, there was a sad incident where a young person playing Lazer Tag was mistaken for someone with a real gun. This showed how important it is for toy guns to look different from real ones.
Changes Over Time
Shoot the Moon Takes Over
After Worlds of Wonder stopped operating in 1990, a company called Shoot the Moon Products bought the Lazer Tag brand. They then licensed the brand to Tiger Electronics from 1996 to 1998. Later, Hasbro took over after buying Tiger Electronics.
Tiger Electronics released many Lazer Tag products in the mid-1990s. They even made Star Wars-themed blasters, including toys for the 1999 movie Star Wars Episode 1.
Lazer Tag Team Ops
In 2004, Shoot the Moon licensed a new and improved Lazer Tag system to Tiger Electronics. This new version was called Lazer Tag Team Ops (LTTO). It had a cool double-barreled design that helped players identify targets and confirm hits from far away.
LTTO also allowed players to set up their own timed games with up to three teams. They could choose different rules and game types. After the game, players could review their scores. All Lazer Tag products made since 2004 can work together in LTTO games, even if they have different features.
Nerf Brand
Around 2012, the Nerf brand replaced the Tiger Electronics name on all Lazer Tag products.
In August 2012, Hasbro launched a brand-new Lazer Tag line. These new blasters allowed players to connect their iPhone or iPod Touch devices. A special Lazer Tag app turned the smartphone into a display screen, showing power levels and an online scoreboard. The app also offered cool features like augmented reality and unlockable attacks.
Lazer Tag's Impact
Lazer Tag was so popular that it inspired a cartoon TV series called Lazer Tag Academy. This show was produced by Ruby-Spears Productions and aired on NBC from 1986 to 1987. There were also three Choose Your Own Adventure-style books based on the game. A Lazer Tag video game was also released in the late 1980s for computers like the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and Commodore 64.
As one of the top toys of 1986-1987, Lazer Tag played a big role in helping the Nintendo Entertainment System become a success. It helped Nintendo of America lead the country's recovery from the 1983 video game slowdown and become a major force in the gaming world.
See also
- Entertech shooting deaths, based on mistaken toy water guns
- Shooting of Andy Lopez in 2013, based on a mistaken airsoft toy gun
