Staff Writer
Jacob Plavnick, 13, of Caribou is the youngest member of the Caribou Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The young entrepreneur, along with his parents Brian and Kim, and younger brother, Noah, 6, are in the midst of launching their new G-Force Laser Tag business.
Aroostook Republican photo/Barb Scott
Noah Plavnick, 6, left, with his brother Jacob, 13, demonstrate how the taggers of the G-Force Laser Tag work. Jacob, his parents and Noah have started the new business, with Jacob being responsible for creating the virtual programs. He is currently the youngest member of the Caribou Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
G-Force laser tag has been described as “like getting inside a video game.” “It’s the game that runs on adrenaline, not batteries,” while challenging players ages 5-18 as well as adults with varying levels of play involving skills and strategy.
“I grew up in Florida and have been playing laser tag since I was about five years old, said Jacob Plavnick, but G-Force Laser tag is totally different.” “G-Force is played outdoors and the range of the laser is up to 1,800 feet compared to 75 feet indoors when I played laser tag in Florida.”
Brian Plavnick stated some of the rules of the actual game include,” No running, no physical contact, no climbing and no foul language. Natural objects are used as obstacles during the game including cardboard boxes.
The Plavnicks have written the games for G-Force Laser Tag and have re-designed the components of the laser guns (called taggers, not guns), which use a low intensity laser beam (which is more for effect) and an infrared beam which actually “does all the work” and are reconstructing the tagger casings to allow for greater durability by changing the existing plastic to aluminum.
In one of Plavnick’s laser tag games, ‘Capture the Flag’, two teams set out to capture the other’s virtual flag. Wearing a G-Force Laser Tag vest and armed with a tagger, teams use team skills and strategy to overcome the other’s flag.
The vest has a designed sensor board encased on the front which is activated by lighting up when the aimed infrared beam of an opponent’s tagger makes contact. Once the contact has been achieved, depending how many (lives) or responds have previously been programmed into the vest, the player is out of the game or if programmed for numerous lives, he must search out the player on his team who either is carrying the ‘medic’ or the ‘armory’ box. The player who is in charge of either or these special boxes can, if the player who has been’ hit’ can get to them, have their taggers recharged , allowing them to continue the play.
Each of the taggers, which are programmed to simulate the sound effects of either a single or semi-automatic weapon. Each tagger records the data throughout the game concerning the number of hits and point values. At the end of the game the data is downloaded from the taggers from the system providing information to each players performance. In each game there is a Referee, who can stop a player for ignoring any of the rules listed above.
G-Force Laser is in its introductory stages, but the Plavnicks already are setting up dates and times for the inter-active strategy game. The G-Force Laser will be available at Big Rock, year-round beginning June 7 at 11:30a.m. A schedule for the first sessions to be held at Teague Park for ages 5-7, 8-11 and 12-up is set to be take place June 18,20,23,25,27 and 30.
The Plavnicks are also in discussion with the local Maine National Guard Units to use their gaming system as a training tool as well as the Young Marines organization, as a recruiting tool.
Dates and times for other scheduled presentations can be found at www.GforceLaserTag.com
“This game will teach you how to play in a team environment and will help you build self confidence and strategy through interactive play,” say the family of entrepreneurs.
“ G-Force Laser Tag is also a good team building training tool for corporate outings,” said Jacob. “ We also will schedule birthday parties and fund-raising events and a summer camp is available.”
Jacob Plalvnick said, “ The game offers outdoor activity , is completely mobile and with high clouds the range is as much as 1,800, depending on the amount of light. “There is really not a lot to do during the summer but now this is available, it’s a lot better than doing drugs,” he stated.
The youngest Plavnick, Noah, champions the Capture the Flag game over any others. “The orange soldiers are the bad ones and the green ones are the good soldiers,” he exclaimed., full attired in his green vest, armory box and WWII canteen. Noah also commented, that he had worked very hard on getting the station wagon promoting G-Force Laser Tag ready to go.
G-Force Laser Tag system can handle up to 100 players.
