World's First Light Gun?

[Japan-Games.com]

This is the Nintendo Beam Gun from 1970. Does anyone know of any light/beam guns released before this?

Thanks!

http://www.japan-games.com/eBayPictures/BeamGun_1A.jpg

http://www.japan-games.com/eBayPictures/BeamGun_1d.jpg

http://www.japan-games.com/eBayPictures/BeamGun_1f.jpg

http://www.japan-games.com/eBayPictures/BeamGun_1r.jpg

[loopyeddie]

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

http://archive.gamespy.com/top10/march03/genres/08s.jpg

[Steve W]

Nintendo's Beam Gun wasn't an actual 'light gun', was it? Since there wasn't any game console for a light gun to register anything on screen. I'm guessing that the "Beam Gun" probably had a lightbulb in the barrel to act like a flashlight.

[ubikuberalles]

The picture in this link (http://squirl.info/asset/show/286?c=ToysAndGame&cid=465&i=30) confirms that the beam gun was NOT a light gun but a toy gun with a lightbulb built-in.

[Japan-Games.com]

Cool, thanks for the link. Wikipedia has a section about beam guns and it mentions some commercial centers where you could go and play but nothing about a home unit that you could actually buy.

I've heard of the Magnavox light gun, but it was released with the Odyssey in 1972, correct? Could it be purchased before 1972?

Thanks!

[Japan-Games.com]

Actually the gun is pointed at a target and registers a hit. In the picture you linked to, you shoot the lion in the forehead and his eyes light up and he "growls."

Here's a video of the one I have. I did close up shots just to get the gun and target in the same picture and I didn't want to waste times with a miss. Nintendo claims to have a range of 100m.

http://www.japan-games.com/eBayPictures/Video_LionTarget.avi

Here's a second video with the same gun using the Roulette target:

http://www.japan-games.com/eBayPictures/Video_Roulette.avi

The gun and the targets were sold separately.

[ubikuberalles]

Yes. I understand that. Keep in mind that a Beam gun is NOT a Light Gun. A light gun has a photocell and registers a voltage when it senses light (usually from a TV screen). A beam gun has a light bulb built in and the target senses the light from the gun. Completely different operation.

So, in answer to your initial question, Nintendo might indeed have produced the first beam gun but it didn't produce the first light gun.

BTW, I was unable to view your video (Windows Media player had an error loading the codec). What codec are those avi files using?

[Lemmi_Is_God]

i got it to play in classic windows, i only have divx 5.0 bundle and xvid codecs

kind of a silly light gun i can see kids getting bored with the lion and junk and just playing cowboys and indians with it :)

[ubikuberalles]

OK. I got it to play on DivX.