An interactive laser game from Laserpromotions was shown for the first time at TiLE 2004 recently and became a winner in the Award for Innovation in Products and Services category.
The game, for two players, resembles squash but using laser beams instead of balls. Three metres wide, it is attached to a wall and has an actual playing area of approximately 5m wide by 4m deep.
The concept of the game sees laser beams being shot in different directions and players needing to hit them with a special laser stick, or wand, to score points.
The direction of the beams is entirely random and they are only visible briefly, with players needing to react and move quickly before the next one is shown. Dynamic sound and lighting effects are designed to add to the atmosphere and the wand itself, when a beam is hit, will both vibrate and light up.
Different game décor environments are available.
The game’s software is designed for maximum flexibility, with almost all aspects of it – such as speed, the length of time the beams show and the length of the game itself – under the control of the operator. A more advanced setting is the automatic stepping up of the speed and/or frequency when the player hits all the beams.
The wand is made from almost unbreakable polycarbonate and contains a rechargeable battery which will allow play for about ten hours when fully loaded.
To avoid a laser beam hitting the eyes, they are sent either over the head of a player or below his ankles. If a player gets too close to the system, a warning sounds and the laser beam is immediately switched off.
The game has already found its first customer, with a sale to Attractiecentrum Zoetermeer, one of the biggest attractions centres in The Netherlands, and has raised serious interest at several other sites including the U.K.
leisure-kit keyword: Laserpromotions
