Do you remember your first laser tag game? It sure was a lot of fun, wasn’t it? But with your busy schedule, plus the fact your friends are busy with other things as well, you cannot seem to find time taking your friends along for a round of laser tag.
A group of game developers plans on taking the laser battle to the streets using your smartphone and electronic guns. The game is called Dustcloud, wherein players are registered in an online database that can easily be checked with your smartphone. If you find another player within the vicinity who is not part of your alliance, you can take the person out using your tiny “duster” gun.
The Dusters, however, do not use lasers. Instead, they shoot out invisible bullets called Speks, which are transmitted via Zigbee, a type of home automation networking standard. Shoot the Duster at enemy targets by pressing the index finger on the end of the barrel and they get “dusted”. The game of Dustcloud has two limitations: you cannot block the shots using your body or clothing, and the weapons only have a five-meter range. This makes the gunfight fairly close, yet you need to be discreet to make a clean shot, which is easy because of the Duster’s small size.
The wireless guns sync with your smartphone via Bluetooth. Any progress you have made, whether a clean hit or a loss, gets automatically updated onto your player data. The app also works as a social network of sorts, allowing players to find nearby opponents and forge alliances. Losing players have an opportunity to inform your allies that you intend to seek revenge on your nemesis.
There is a catch, though. The game itself is not free, as every Spek you fire would cost you ten cents, while getting dusted would wipe out your Duster’s full five-round clip.
The Dustcloud is currently being prepared for crowdfunding, potentially on Indiegogo. Backers will be able to get themselves a Duster and 300 Speks for $79.
Source: Engadget
