 Original 1986 logo | |
| Type | Game |
|---|---|
| Inventor(s) | Worlds of Wonder |
| Company |
|
| Country | United States |
| Availability | 1986– |
| Materials | Plastic with electronics |
Lazer Tag is a brand name for the pursuit game using infraredtoy guns, generically known as "laser tag".[1][2] It was developed byWorlds of Wonder and launched in 1986. As one of America's top hit toys of 1986-1987, Lazer Tag was aggressively leveraged by Worlds of Wonder's retail sales network in an ultimatum to force theNintendo Entertainment System into retail stores, allowing its smash hit nationwide launch, which promptedNintendo of America to lead the nation's recovery from the1983 video game crash and dominate the industry. The Lazer Tag brand is currently a subsidiary ofHasbro'sNerf toy line.
What children gain from our toys is social value. Lazer Tag teaches them to play with each other, andTeddy Ruxpin teaches bravery and friendship.
— Worlds of Wonder CEO and founder, Don Kingsborough[3]
Lazer Tag was created by Paul Rago[3] at the toy companyWorlds of Wonder in 1986, launching that year at approximately the same time as the home version ofEntertech'sPhoton brand.[4] With reported revenue of $23 million on sales of $320 million for fiscal year 1986, WoW had $800 million in back orders for the Christmas season, mainly for Teddy Ruxpin and Lazer Tag.[3]
From 1986 to 1987, the young startupNintendo of America contracted Worlds of Wonder for use of its retail distribution and sales network, in thenationwide launch of theNintendo Entertainment System. The hit toys of 1986-1987, Lazer Tag and Teddy Ruxpin, were aggressively leveraged by Worlds of Wonder sales staff to force the NESvideo game console into reluctant nationwide retail stores which were still recovering from the disastrous1983 video game crash. Retailers who balked at hearing the words "video game" received the ultimatum, "if you want to sell Teddy Ruxpin and you want to sell Lazer Tag, you're gonna sell Nintendo as well. And if you feel that strongly about it, then you ought to just resign the line now."[5][6][7]
Lazer Tag entered the nationwide controversy over the role oftoy guns in violent crime and mistaken shootings by police.[8][9][10] On April 7, 1987, 19-year-old Leonard Joseph Falcon was shot and killed inRancho Cucamonga, California by sheriff's deputy Daniel Durrant after witnesses saw him and several friends playing Lazer Tag, mistaking the toys for real guns.[11] The deputy soon quit his job. According to some sources, the negative publicity associated with the incident contributed to Worlds of Wonder's bankruptcy and dissolution in 1988.
Shoot the Moon Products[12] ofPleasanton, California acquired the Lazer Tag brand name after Worlds of Wonder ceased operations in late 1990. The brand name was licensed toTiger Electronics from 1996 to 1998, and to Hasbro following its acquisition of Tiger.[13][14]
Tiger released a variety of Lazer Tag-branded products in the mid-1990s, and a series ofStar Wars-themed blasters, culminating in a toy collection themed for the 1999 release ofStar Wars Episode 1. Tiger discontinued the poorly selling line.
With a ground-up redesign, Shoot the Moon licensed its next generation product to Tiger Electronics. Released at Toy Fair 2004,[15] Lazer Tag Team Ops (LTTO) features a double-barreled design allowing a tagger to identify targets and confirm hits at a distance, and the ability to self-host timed games of up to three teams with various rules and scenarios, following the game with debriefing and score review.[16]
All Lazer Tag-branded products since 2004 arebackward compatible and can join LTTO-hosted games, each with various capabilities and limitations.[17]
Nerf branding replaced the now-defunctTiger Electronics labeling on all products in production beginning in 2012.
In August 2012, Hasbro released an all-new Lazer Tag line, which allows users to integrate aniPhone 3GS, 4, 4S, oriPod Touch unit with the blasters. The associated Lazer Tag app converts the smartphone into aHUD unit, which displays power levels and anonline leaderboard. The app offersaugmented reality, unlockable attacks, and gear.[18]
Like thePhoton animated TV series, Worlds of Wonder's Lazer Tag brand inspiredLazer Tag Academy. It was produced byRuby-Spears Productions, with one season airing onNBC from 1986 to 1987.[19] ThreeChoose Your Own Adventure-style books are based on the game. TheLazer Tag video game was released in the late 1980s for theZX Spectrum,Amstrad CPC, andCommodore 64.[20]
As one of America's top hit toys of 1986-1987, Lazer Tag was leveraged by Worlds of Wonder in an ultimatum to force theNintendo Entertainment System into nationwide retail stores, allowingNintendo of America to soon lead the country's recovery from the disastrous1983 video game crash and dominate the industry.[5]
