The history of the game of laser tag
The first Star Wars movie inspired the first laser tag game.
The original brand of "Lazer Tag" was created in 1986 by Worlds of Wonder.
The founder of WoW was Don Kingsborough. Using Lazer Tag equipment, players shot sensors worn by other players to "tag" them.
If you're tagged a certain number of times, you're out. The Worlds of Wonder Lazer Tag equipment used a 57.6 kHz carrier frequency modulated with a 1.8 kHz signal.
Worlds of Wonder ceased production of Lazer Tag equipment when it went out of business in 1988.
However, the term "laser tag" remained used to describe many games of the same kind.
Ten years later, Tiger Electronics licensed the Lazer Tag brand and began producing its own Lazer Tag equipment. Tiger Toys picked up the license to use the Lazer Tag logo and produce Lazer Tag guns.
Unfortunately, these new guns are not backward compatible.
Other companies started producing tag systems as well. For instance, ToyMax's Laser Challenge line, Playmates/Sega Lock-On, Tomy's Electronic Survivor Shot, etc. These, however, were designed for a child's Christmas present rather than for robust commercial purposes.
Laser Tag in a Box started in tropical north Queensland.
One of the original outdoor laser tag models was called the "Berserker".
It was made of marine ply. And had an analog software system and a LED display.
So whether you are old enough to remember the original toy or simply must have the latest innovation by Battlefield Sports used today by Laser Tag in a Box, laser tag is a lot of fun.
©2025 All rights reserved