From its humble beginnings as a game inspired by a “Star Trek” movie and by technology used by the United States Army, laser tag has evolved into a sport that, nearly three decades later, is still popular with people of all ages.
The Army first used what it calls MILES (Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System) in the late 1970s as a training device to help simulate a realistic battlefield environment for soldiers. MILES used a laser as bullets fired at laser detectors worn by enemy soldiers, similar to what one would experience in a game of laser tag today.
The first actual laser tag game came out in 1979, with laser guns resembling those from “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” but the game never really gained popularity until the 1980s, when, according to lasertag.org, George Carter III founded Photon and opened the first laser tag arena in Dallas in 1984. Photon took off. Just two years later, Worlds of Wonder introduced a laser tag toy and the popularity of the game skyrocketed.

Today, indoor laser tag facilities can be found just about anywhere, including several locations in Eugene. One place that has seen a major growth in popularity since it opened at Thanksgiving is LASERTREK, an indoor laser tag facility that is part of Putters Family Entertainment Center located at 1156 Hwy 99. The facility is unique in that it is one of the few multi-leveled arena in the Northwest.
“There is nothing like it anywhere close to here,” manager Eric Gilbert said. “The closest thing to it (in size) is in Seattle, and it is a single level (facility).”
With LASERTREK being so big – the arena is 7,000 square feet – it allows for larger groups to join in the fun. Gilbert said the games consist of 40 people and that the second level brings an entirely different dimension to the game, changing it to where a player can be tagged from above or below.
“It adds to the intensity of the game,” he said. “There is more stuff going on.”
The only real rules, Gilbert said, are no running and no physical contact – rules that are a staple at most indoor laser tag arenas. The reason behind those rules is that it keeps players from getting injured and from damaging equipment.
LASERTREK is popular with groups of all ages. Gilbert said they have younger kids come in, but they also run a lot of games for teens and college students as well as many company parties.
In addition to the multi-level arena, LASERTREK adds to the fun with high-end scorecards. Gilbert said that when players arrive, they are given a scorecard that tallies not only their scores, but also an individual player’s accuracy, how many times a player was tagged by an opponent, how many bases a player tagged and more.
“We had a company party (that) called last week because they wanted to reprint score sheets because they were having arguments on who won,” Gilbert said about the scorecards’ impact on the game.
Prices for individuals are $10 for 30 minutes, or $16 for an hour. Gilbert said they also do packages for groups, which include pizza, drinks, laser tag and more.
LASERTREK is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. While people can walk in to join a game, Gilbert recommends making reservations, especially if groups are coming on weekends.
For more information about LASERTREK or to make a reservation, call (541) 688-8901.