Evolution of light gun games Ryne Okimoto

Hardware Photodiode in the barrel of the gun Amplifier Buffer Lens Trigger switch

Photodiode in the barrel of the gun

Amplifier

Buffer

Lens

Trigger switch

How it works TV Light Lens Photodiode Amplifier Analog waveform Clipped Digital pulse Trigger switch Hit or miss

Display Only works on CRT displays! The video game draws raster lines on the screen to display graphics Electron gun goes across the screen left to right, top to bottom, one line at a time The video game knows where (X,Y) it is drawing raster lines and when (refresh rate)

Only works on CRT displays!

The video game draws raster lines on the screen to display graphics

Electron gun goes across the screen left to right, top to bottom, one line at a time

The video game knows where (X,Y) it is drawing raster lines and when (refresh rate)

Detection Two techniques Sequential targets . The video game blanks the screen (black) then paints the target white. If the photodiode detects darkness then light, then the game registers a hit. Cathode ray timing . The video game blanks the screen and paints the entire screen white. The game counts the number of microseconds from when the screen is being painted white until the photodiode senses light. The time tells the location that the gun is pointing. If the actual position and timed position match then the computer registers a hit.

Two techniques

Sequential targets . The video game blanks the screen (black) then paints the target white. If the photodiode detects darkness then light, then the game registers a hit.

Cathode ray timing . The video game blanks the screen and paints the entire screen white. The game counts the number of microseconds from when the screen is being painted white until the photodiode senses light. The time tells the location that the gun is pointing. If the actual position and timed position match then the computer registers a hit.

A list of light gun games Arcade Desert Gun (Midway, 1977) Triple Hunt (Atari, 1977) Turkey Shoot (Williams, 1984) Duck Hunt/vs. Duck Hunt (PlayChoice-10, 1984) Shoot Away (Namco, 1984) Clay Pigeon (Exidy, 1986) Atari 2600 released in 1977 Sentinel Shooting Gallery Atari 7800 released in 1986 Alien Brigade Barnyard Blaster Bug Blaster Crime Buster Crossbow Meltdown Sharp Shooter Commodore 64 released in 1982 Army Days Blaze-out Gangster Operation Thunderbolt Time Traveller NES released in 1985 Baby Boomer Barker Bill’s Trick Shooting Chiller Duck Hunt Freedom Force Hogan’s Alley Gumshoe Gotcha! The Sport! Laser Invasion The Lone Ranger Mechanized Attack Operation Wolf Shooting Range The Adventures of Bayou Billy To The Earth Wild Gunman

Arcade

Desert Gun (Midway, 1977)

Triple Hunt (Atari, 1977)

Turkey Shoot (Williams, 1984)

Duck Hunt/vs. Duck Hunt (PlayChoice-10, 1984)

Shoot Away (Namco, 1984)

Clay Pigeon (Exidy, 1986)

Atari 2600 released in 1977

Sentinel

Shooting Gallery

Atari 7800 released in 1986

Alien Brigade

Barnyard Blaster

Bug Blaster

Crime Buster

Crossbow

Meltdown

Sharp Shooter

Commodore 64 released in 1982

Army Days

Blaze-out

Gangster

Operation Thunderbolt

Time Traveller

NES released in 1985

Baby Boomer

Barker Bill’s Trick Shooting

Chiller

Duck Hunt

Freedom Force

Hogan’s Alley

Gumshoe

Gotcha! The Sport!

Laser Invasion

The Lone Ranger

Mechanized Attack

Operation Wolf

Shooting Range

The Adventures of Bayou Billy

To The Earth

Wild Gunman

Early light gun games Arcade 1936 Seeburg Ray-O-Lite First light gun game Duck shooting game Duck with light sensing tube. Duck drops if shot. Gun shoots a beam of light

Arcade

1936 Seeburg Ray-O-Lite

First light gun game

Duck shooting game

Duck with light sensing tube. Duck drops if shot.

Gun shoots a beam of light

Early light gun games Magnavox Odyssey Shooting Gallery Created by Ralph Baer in 1968 First commercial light gun Four playable games Gun would detect light. A player could cheat by shooting any light source

Magnavox Odyssey

Shooting Gallery

Created by Ralph Baer in 1968

First commercial light gun

Four playable games

Gun would detect light. A player could cheat by shooting any light source

Early light gun games Coleco 1977 Telstar Ranger 1978 Telstar Sportsman 1978 Telstar Gemini 1978 Telstar Arcade Telstar Sportsman Telstar Ranger Telstar Arcade

Coleco

1977 Telstar Ranger

1978 Telstar Sportsman

1978 Telstar Gemini

1978 Telstar Arcade

Early light gun games Coleco Telstar Marksman Released in 1978 3 difficulty settings Scoring system Skeet Shoot a square moving diagonally across the screen Target Shoot a square that bounces around on the screen

Coleco Telstar Marksman

Released in 1978

3 difficulty settings

Scoring system

Skeet

Shoot a square moving diagonally across the screen

Target

Shoot a square that bounces around on the screen

Japanese influence Gunpei Yokoi and Masayuki Uemura developed the Nintendo Beam Gun games Released in 1970 for 4,000-5,000 yen ($34-$42) Sold over 1 million copies Consisted of a beam gun and targets with solar cells (sensors) mounted on them

Gunpei Yokoi and Masayuki Uemura developed the Nintendo Beam Gun games

Released in 1970 for 4,000-5,000 yen ($34-$42)

Sold over 1 million copies

Consisted of a beam gun and targets with solar cells (sensors) mounted on them

Japanese influence 1973 Laser Clay Shooting System Another one of Gunpei’s ideas Solar cells on the pigeons can detect light Nintendo bought many unused bowling alleys and converted them to these shooting ranges Big hit! Influenced the development of arcades

1973 Laser Clay Shooting System

Another one of Gunpei’s ideas

Solar cells on the pigeons can detect light

Nintendo bought many unused bowling alleys and converted them to these shooting ranges

Big hit!

Influenced the development of

arcades

Japanese influence 1974 Wild Gunman Quick draw game Used a projection screen and 16 mm film Found in light gun arcades Shipped to the U.S. and Europe

1974 Wild Gunman

Quick draw game

Used a projection screen and 16 mm film

Found in light gun arcades

Shipped to the U.S. and Europe

Japanese influence NES Zapper Released in 1985 with the NES Uses the sequential target technique for detection Popular because of the Laser Clay Shooting System and Wild Gunman fans Probably led to the NES being the best selling console at the time Duck Hunt was influenced by skeet shooting

NES Zapper

Released in 1985 with the NES

Uses the sequential target technique for detection

Popular because of the Laser Clay Shooting System and Wild Gunman fans

Probably led to the NES being the best selling console at the time

Duck Hunt was influenced by skeet shooting

On-rail shooters Early light gun video games had “shooting gallery” like gameplay. The view doesn’t change In rail shooters, the view moves as if you are on a track Simplest type was a sidescroller The player does not have control over the path the character takes First person viewpoint

Early light gun video games had “shooting gallery” like gameplay. The view doesn’t change

In rail shooters, the view moves as if you are on a track

Simplest type was a sidescroller

The player does not have control over the path the character takes

First person viewpoint

Precursor to FPS? Operation Wolf 1987 Storyline Damage meter = health in FPS Limited ammunition 2 different weapons: Gun and rocket launcher Concept of stages and bosses Differences No freedom of movement Controls: light gun vs. joystick/d-pad and buttons

Operation Wolf 1987

Storyline

Damage meter = health in FPS

Limited ammunition

2 different weapons: Gun and rocket launcher

Concept of stages and bosses

Differences

No freedom of movement

Controls: light gun vs.

joystick/d-pad and buttons

References http://www.epanorama.net/documents/pc/lightpen.html http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question273.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_gun http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stack_Light_Rifle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NES_Zapper http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photodiode http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0mx9dO3BxI http://marvin3m.com/arcade/rayolit.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_Gallery http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleco_Telstar_Marksman http://www.pong-story.com/coleco.htm http://www.pelikonepeijoonit.net/lightgungallery.html http://www.nintendodomain.net/content.php?news=60 http://www.nintendoland.com/home2.htm?history/hist2.htm http://nindb.classicgaming.gamespy.com/1889.shtml http://www.nintendo.com/corp/history.jsp http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_shooter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Wolf

http://www.epanorama.net/documents/pc/lightpen.html

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question273.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_gun

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stack_Light_Rifle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NES_Zapper

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photodiode

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0mx9dO3BxI

http://marvin3m.com/arcade/rayolit.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_Gallery

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleco_Telstar_Marksman

http://www.pong-story.com/coleco.htm

http://www.pelikonepeijoonit.net/lightgungallery.html

http://www.nintendodomain.net/content.php?news=60

http://www.nintendoland.com/home2.htm?history/hist2.htm

http://nindb.classicgaming.gamespy.com/1889.shtml

http://www.nintendo.com/corp/history.jsp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_shooter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Wolf