X-Generation of Laser Tag Equipment

X gen laser tag equipment

 

 

 

Since announcing the 10th generation (X-gen) it has become one of the most popular generations among our laser tag business operators. The main reasons are the price, functionality, versatility and reliability.

What is Xgen?

This is an equipment generation featuring a Wi-Fi module integrated into the laser tag weapon, which allows running games both with and without online game scoring.

All playsets of weapons are automatically connected to a Wi-Fi network and exchange data with the central PC, where they transfer game statistics to, and receive game commands from. The Internet connection is not needed for this. The operator needs only a Wi-Fi network, which is easy to set up both indoors and outdoors. Moreover, with a laptop and a router connected to a power bank, operator can play even where there is no access to the power line.

What can be done with a Wi-Fi network?

  • distribute players between teams and change their individual settings (more than 40 parameters, from the amount of health  points and damage, to magazine reload time and the duration of the player's shock after being wounded).
  • customize existing game scenarios in the laser tag configurator application
  • create your own scenarios that will end according to the criteria of interaction with other devices, for example, capturing a base, delivering the enemy flag to the team base, defusing a bomb, dominating a point by a team for a certain time, etc.
  • edit the settings of additional devices that are connected to the Wi-Fi network, as well as the conditions for ending the round and determining the winner when interacting with these devices.
  • start and stop game rounds.
  • setting the game points values for certain players actions, as well as for interactions with additional game devices connected to Wi-Fi.
  • gathering online statistics and displaying it on a big screen during as the game unfolds, as well as the results after the game.

X-gen can also work without Wi-Fi, in offline mode. In this case, players can be split into teams with a remote control and the game may be started with a whistle blow.

What technologies X-gen is based on?

First of all, X-gen is a unique modular platform of our own development called X-core, which was created by combining Wi-Fi-standard 802.11n and Bluetooth v.4.2 BR / EDR and BLE in one board. The choice of Wi-Fi on the 2.4 GHz standard allowed us to make a very large network coverage radius, with a sufficiently high data transfer rate, and also made equipment compatible with almost any Wi-Fi routers and PCs. This not only ensures the reliability and speed of the connection during the gaming process, but also allows the business owner to quickly update the firmware of their gaming kits. Moreover, most importantly, that this laser tag gear is compatible with the most common communication standard. And on the one hand, if the operator needs more coverage, they can just buy a more powerful router in any store, and one the other hand, an ordinary user can set up their personal laser tag gun just by creating a hot spot on their phone. Now that’s a universality!

The X-gen equipment is based on a 240 MHz processor and is equipped with a 16 MB flash memory module, enough to store several-week-long volume of game statistics.

All boards are assembled by robots in our own automated production line, so hand soldering defects are virtually eliminated and are covered by our 24-month warranty.

It is clear, that such power and the presence of a constant connection with the server require significant power consumption, therefore, on the one hand, we provided the 10th generation kits with high-capacity batteries, and on the other hand, we developed a low-power mode, so the equipment will allow the arena operator to work without further charge all day, which is especially necessary in hot weekends.

Upgrades possibility

We always ensure the backward compatibility of our equipment between game kits, not only in the gameplay, but also in terms of hardware upgrades, so the 10 generation board has the same size as the 8-9 offline generation boards, which means that it can be installed in game kits of previous generations and for an upgrade, it is enough just to cut off the wires of the old board and solder the wires of the new board in their place.

In addition, as in previous generations, we have this board in two versions, with built-in and external Bluetooth module, which allows tech-savvies to install it even in the smallest game kits, such as handguns.

Software

The online configuration and scoring application is a source of our pride, and most importantly, we do not charge for it, no installation or recurring payments, no payments for updates and new versions.

Our online Scoring/Configuration application allows to

  • make manual or automated splitting players into teams, which can be up to 4 different ones.
  • change the options of game sets by adjusting more than 40 game parameters
  • change the game scenarios settings
  • introduce additional devices to game scenarios, such as bases, bombs, control points and customize these game devices.
  • set up scoring points for certain actions
  • start and stop rounds both duration-wise and according to players' goals for interaction with additional devices.
  • quickly run several simple but unique embedded game scripts.
  • export game statistics to an external format for operator's website
  • send statistics to the Laserwar external game server to determine the local, regional ratings

Since we care about our operators and device backwards compatibility, all of our hardware across generations are back-compatible in gameplay. It means that players with 2nd generation equipment sets created back in 2011 and with the latest Alphatag created in 2021 can play in one game, but all generations will have their own score tables.