On my recent trip to Nevada I spent a day attending the Amusement Expo International trade show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, which was alive with activity as many of the top companies in laser tag and the amusement industry showcased their latest innovations.
The opening ceremony and ribbon cutting kicked things off with an air of optimism as show organizers announced that this year’s event represented the largest participation in the last 12 years.
I took the opportunity to speak with all the laser tag manufacturers in attendance to find out “What’s New In Laser Tag” for 2022.
I also visited the Laser Tag Museum booth where both my Laser Tag Day poster and the V1 Pulsar pack I modeled were on display with some other pieces of laser tag history.
While at the booth Bob Cooney (who himself played a big part in the history of Laser Storm) stopped by to chat.
Bob self-describes as “a former laser tag guy, now the VR guy”, so we discussed our differing opinions about the future of VR and laser tag. Keeping an open mind, I told him I would sample more of the VR-laser tag products on the show floor, so I went off to expand my VR education.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vngA7rgLoA
I’ll be honest, VR has its place as a cool attraction, but I cannot see it displacing laser tag. When wearing the headset I think the key element of social interaction is severely reduced (if not eliminated altogether). However, I played a VR game with these Laser Tag Convention attendees and did enjoy it for what it was.
I also looked at a few other interesting attractions and tried my hand at Bazooka Ball for the first time, a target gamje that is played with soft, spongy yellow balls that can be aimed at another player or (as I tried) against this screen that registers the hit.
With so much to see, it was a very full day at the trade show and I am heartened to see the amusement industry bouncing back. It was quite an informative day at the show before we heading out for a sushi buffet and (here’s a shocker) some more laser tag in Vegas!
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Contact: Tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com and www.photonforever.com
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