Act Labs Light Guns are back!!!

[pacmod]

I just went out to Act Labs website and ordered some guns.  They said they are going to do a limited run of 250 light guns.  The catch now is that they want $99.00 per gun.  I guess it is better than the $200+ on eBay!!!

Their website would not allow me to checkout, but I received an email stating they had the problem fixed.  GOOD LUCK!!!

Here is the information posted on their website:

Pre-Order Details:

Updated 04/01/05
We have received many e-mails asking us about the PC USB Light Gun and TV Light Gun after we sold our last unit in 2004. ACT Labs is considering one final manufacturing run for customers still wanting to purchase a unit. As soon as we reach
250 units in pre-orders, we will ask our factory to proceed with production. Because of the small quantity to be manufactured, we have lost our volume discount and prices have increased.
ACT Labs thanks you for your support and we hope that we can reach the minimum order quantity shortly. Watch this page for updates.

[Nocturnaloner]

Thanks for the news!  We all knew something like this would happen.  I wonder if my recent post about the high bid on ebay had anything to do with this?  Still, I paid a forumite a similar ridiculously high price, and don't feel bad about it.  Act-Labs could've done this long ago if they wanted to.  I'm perfectly content with the one that I have, and I can wait now until an even better gun comes along, which it surely will.

[mahuti]

The price is now listed at $79.99 for pre-orders plus shipping.

I found and used promo code MDM for a 10% discount HAH!

That brought the order with shipping down to about $81. Not bad.

[Quarters]

Thanks for the heads up Pacmod. I just placed an order. Strange that I have not received an email from them yet. I suspect that there are few hundred of us that signed up for email notification. How many of those will actually shell out is unknown but the min order may be reached faster than they think.

[Flinkly]

while i've been waiting to get a lightgun for mame, is this price really worth it to you guys?  mostly after all the new guns about to be coming out...

also, for the pc gun, it still doesn't support two players, right?  and how many games in mame, not counting the clones, use lightguns?  i guess i'm a little frugal, even though i'm willing to spend 200 bucks on a star wars yoke. 

[JODY]

while i've been waiting to get a lightgun for mame, is this price really worth it to you guys?

[Kremmit]

2 ordered.  Thanks PacMod, and thanks for the discount code, Mahuti! 

You know, I spent a while searching for a coupon site called MDM before I realized that was the code! 
It seems to be for people who bought Mad Dog Macree, which I didn't, but don't tell Act-Labs that! 

Just found this, looks like it may be usefull if you want to use these guns with pc games, and the author claims psx emulator support is coming. The Troubleshooter

[jer2665]

also, for the pc gun, it still doesn't support two players, right?

[Jedi Master Matt]

I've got a Taito Arkanoid cabinet with a PC monitor in it and need some advice.

The monitors in the these cabs are laid back pretty far and do you think the guns will work at this kind of angle?

Just want to check before I preorder.

[nostrebor]

I've got a Taito Arkanoid cabinet with a PC monitor in it and need some advice.

The monitors in the these cabs are laid back pretty far and do you think the guns will work at this kind of angle?

Just want to check before I preorder.

If it is laid back Pac Man style, the guns don't work too well. That is the reason I sold mine.

[namedos]

Placed an order.  Thanks for the discount code.  Hopefully the pre-orders will go fast.

[countchocula8]

bah...the tv-guns are still at $99 while the pc version are $79      
i guess its because less of them will be produced....but i need the tv version dammit! 

[namedos]

Did anyone take into consideration that the Act-Labs message was posted on April 1st? 

[shmokes]

God....that would be funny.



...and mean

[mahuti]

One question.... I didn't even think about it...

I have a PC with a TV monitor. Do I need a PC or a TV gun?

[jer2665]

Did anyone take into consideration that the Act-Labs message was posted on April 1st?

[MrSaLTy]

One question.... I didn't even think about it...

I have a PC with a TV monitor. Do I need a PC or a TV gun?

I do not think the PC version works with NTSC so I'm pretty sure you need the TV version..... It probably says on the ACT LABS site I would think.

[jer2665]

Does anyone know...do I need the pc light gun to work with the wells gardner d9200?

[TalkingOctopus]

One question.... I didn't even think about it...

I have a PC with a TV monitor. Do I need a PC or a TV gun?

You need a TV gun.

Does anyone know...do I need the pc light gun to work with the wells gardner d9200?

You need a PC gun.

[killbill]

Hey Guys,

Honestly, considering how many games this gun works well with on MAME, is this really a good deal for this gun?  I don't care that Ebay's prices are basic extortion.

I mean, to pretty close to triple your original price seems pretty crap to me.

I mean I want to play Crossbow, Cheyanne, Chiller and several others, but how well does this gun really work with these games?

Is it the kind of thing where you get the gun hook it up and pretty much feel disappointed or what?

Any info is appreciated.

[Paul Olson]

They would probably reach 250 faster if they would have emailed people on the wish list. 

I think I will wait until a better solution comes out, more than double the original price is a bit much (even with the outrageous ebay prices).  I was actually hoping they were improving the product during this time, kinda disappointed.

Paul

[Lilwolf]

This SUCKS!  (for me) I was about to put up my act-labs gun because the 100% are NOT worth the money people are paying for them.

I was hoping to cash in on a few hundred for a 30 buck investment..

oh well...   I guess ebay auctions wont go over 80 for some time to come.  I guess its worth hacking into my real arcade gun now.

[sWampy]

Darn,  MDM code has expired.

[jer2665]

haha, well they had to catch on eventually 

[namedos]

KillBill,
There is a very good review of light guns on retroblast at:
http://www.retroblast.com/reviews/lightgun1.html
Sounds like it is worth it to me.

[Flinkly]

if you cant wait for a couple more months for a better solution, then by all means get the gun.

[jer2665]

I bought two, and I gotta say, for the point blank games alone it's worth it to me.

[jer2665]

if you cant wait for a couple more months for a better solution, then by all means get the gun.

[Lilwolf]

dont' expect much from rev-x.  That was a gun on a joystick (*t2*) type gun.

These are only good for point blank and those styles of games.

[Kremmit]

if you cant wait for a couple more months for a better solution, then by all means get the gun.  but andy of ultimarc is pretty far into designing his own light gun and there is another, the G1 i think, that doesn't even need to flash the screen when you shoot, which to me is great.  both of these should be coming within 6 months, so i'm waiting.

Have you heard of this?

I'll believe it when I see it.  Where'd you get that 6 months figure, anyway?

[Toonces]

if you cant wait for a couple more months for a better solution, then by all means get the gun.  but andy of ultimarc is pretty far into designing his own light gun and there is another, the G1 i think, that doesn't even need to flash the screen when you shoot, which to me is great.  both of these should be coming within 6 months, so i'm waiting.

Have you heard of this?

I'll believe it when I see it.  Where'd you get that 6 months figure, anyway?

Well, I don't know about ulitmarc but here's what I got from eReal Sales team back in the middle of Feb:

Thanks a lor for your interest in our G1 light gun.

Due to great responses from many PC users, We will develop a PC version.
Hopefully, we will be able to release a PC light gun prototype at E3. We may
also release a dual-player version at E3.

Best regards,

eRealGames, Info team

[Kremmit]

Hopefully, we will be able to release a PC light gun prototype at E3. We may
also release a dual-player version at E3.

Best regards,

eRealGames, Info team

Have you heard of this?

[Flinkly]

well, E3 is in may, if i'm not mistaken, so that falls well within 6 months.

[Shape D.]

i'm informing some of the noobs who haven't heard, that more options are coming soon, that hopefully wont cost as much and will be better (in some ways).

hopefully be better as in not looking like a sissified version of a gun a 14 year old girl would keep in her purse.

[mahuti]

hah, I wondered how long it would take for that coupon to expire once we ALL started using it.

[Toonces]

Hopefully, we will be able to release a PC light gun prototype at E3. We may
also release a dual-player version at E3.

Best regards,

eRealGames, Info team

Have you heard of this?

Yes, I sure have. Perhaps you should look at your previous post.

I'll believe it when I see it. Where'd you get that 6 months figure, anyway?

[Kremmit]

I'm not looking for a flame war. 

I'm just pointing out that PROTOTYPES we HOPE MAY come out are a little less certain than a commitment from a manufacturer that's already manufactured and sold the product in question. 

As for the Ultimarc product, IIRC, Andy just said he was looking into it.  I've seen too many projects and products on the arcade scent that never got out of vaporware to count on something that's being "looked into", even if it is Andy.

And as for the 6 months, I see that particular verbage now only exists in my quote, above.

Look, folks, I'm not trying to talk anybody into buying something they don't want to buy.  $79 is pretty darn pricey, especially considering the number of games it gets you.  Both of the proposed products sound like they ought to be pretty good, and the gun style is certainly better looking.  I'm buying becasue my wife is really into shooting House of The Dead Zombies, and wants two players.  If I'm going to waste all the time and $$ I'm spending on arcade crap, the least I can do is spend some of it on a game she wants to play.  I don't want to miss what could be my only chance at a pair of working guns.  If you don't NEED guns, and prefer to wait and see if one of the other products comes to market, fine by me.

[Toonces]

My only purpose in answering your question was to say where the 6 month time frame came from.

Personally, I would consider the Act Labs gun simply because it does not look like the real thing. My own opinion is that I want a gun that looks like a toy because I have 3 kids. I want them to respect firearms and not associate them with toys. Hopefully, if they do come into contact or possession of a real gun, they would be able to tell the difference and not play with it. There's a lot more that goes into that kind of an argument than I am writing here but it's just my preferrence.

I haven't purchased one yet and at $79 may not. At $30 I was considering the purchase but by the time I got around to it they were sold out. If my wife were to develop an interest in House of the Dead I would most likely jump on whatever was available.

[NoOne=NBA=]

There are actually a good number of games supported by the light guns.
This number grows even more if you include the games from Digital Leisure, and makes the gun worth the cost to me.

I would suspect the price on any new gun coming to market will likely be considerably higher than the $35-40 that Act Labs was previously charging.

[MajorLag]

Just pre-ordered mine. I've wanted a couple of ACT LAbs guns for a while now, but couldn't justify the E-Bay price. Alas, I can only afford one at the moment. If this is a joke, then someone at ACT Labs will die for it.

[the3eyedblindman]

Take it from me, the act labs gun works great on both T2 and Revolution X, no matter what others say. Also, what have you heard about andy from ultimarc making a lightgun? I havent heard anything...

[dan57fina]

anyone had any luck interfacing a guncon 2 to a pc yet?

[markb]

I'm gutted for myself. I literally posted my guns on eBay less than an hour ago. I should have checked the forum first!

Ah well you win some you lose some eh!

[Shape D.]

have a friend bid some rediculous price on them.

[the3eyedblindman]

I can keep upping the price for you...but if I end up winning Im not paying.... Its up to you..

[MrSaLTy]

Just say your dog ate it..... 

[mahuti]

Watch it... shill biddin' is illegal.

[markb]

Not too bothered really, I think it's more important that there's a good source of guns out there than making a few bucks. Besides I genuinely would have felt guilty if they had of went for an extorionate sum and I honestly mean that.

Besides if I wanted to have made a profit I wouldn't have posted the link to the shop in Holland that sells them and would have just bought them all myself!

[JODY]

Also, what have you heard about andy from ultimarc making a lightgun? I havent heard anything...

I read Andy's post here on BYOAC that he was looking into a light gun.

On eReal's gun:

For the non-believer's, you may go to eReal's website and read the news that they committed resources to do a PC version of their gun.

[NoOne=NBA=]

No screen flash and very accurate.

The report on the board here awhile back was that accuracy was suspect on them.
If you moved too far from the original calibration point, or altered your aiming method, it required recalibration.

That, and the official word from the makers was "why would you want to aim it like a real gun? Just hipshoot like the guy in this picture".

Any gun is only as accurate as the person aiming it.
There's a reason you don't see professional shooters hipshooting.
It looks neat in the cowboy movies, but is horribly inaccurate.

[JODY]

No screen flash and very accurate.

The report on the board here awhile back was that accuracy was suspect on them.
If you moved too far from the original calibration point, or altered your aiming method, it required recalibration.

That, and the official word from the makers was "why would you want to aim it like a real gun? Just hipshoot like the guy in this picture".

Any gun is only as accurate as the person aiming it.
There's a reason you don't see professional shooters hipshooting.
It looks neat in the cowboy movies, but is horribly inaccurate.

I must have missed that.  The review I read was by a gaming magazine.  If I remember right they gave it a 8.5 out of 10.  The reviewer never mentioned shooting from the hip and left the impression he used it as a regular light gun and mentioned the accuracy was very good.  Told how the calibration was different from normal.  Due to how it tracks he mentioned it would be more accurate with large displays.  E.g. if you're shooting at a target on a screen displaying a game in 400 x 300 resolution it will be more a lot more accurate if the display is 4 x 3 feet rather than 19 x 17 inches.

With CRTs on the way out something has to take over for the traditional gun eventually or no more gun games.

[NoOne=NBA=]

I'll see if I can dig up the thread that had that in it.

And it's not truly the ACCURACY that is suspect, but rather the TOLERANCE of the system--if that makes sense.
The gun is supposed to be very accurate, when properly calibrated.
It apparently doesn't like changes in shooting position/style/angle/etc... without RECALIBRATION.

[NoOne=NBA=]

Here's the original post from the eReal guy.

Hi All,

My name is Jonathan Jaffa, I'm Managing Director of eReal Games UK. I was just browsing and noticed you have been chatting about the G1 Light Gun. So I thought I would fill in the missing gaps for you.

PC Version
We are talking to Sega at the moment about bundling possiblilites for the G1 as they are due to launch House of the Dead III for the PC in a couple of weeks. We will only develop a PC version of the light gun if there is enough demand. I am not completely clued up with the world of MAME. Maybe one of you guys could fill me in. If I felt there was enough people out there that wanted the PC version we would definately develop it this year. The PC version of the light gun will also be smaller because you don't need to be so far away from the screen. The current light gun is developed for use up to 12 feet away and is capable of being used on Projected images larger than a cinema screen.

HOW IT WORKS
The G1 system works by tracking 2 infra-red LED's that are positioned at 2 points on the light gun itself. The camera does all the magic. It is incredibly sophisticated and calculates the position of the light gun relative to your original calibration point. The calibration process can be adjusted at any point before or during game play and only takes 3 seconds. So even if you do change position its no problem. One of you mentioned that you get sore shoulders when playing for a short while. We discovered this was a real issue and we actively promote that you don't use the gun in a Military Down-the-Barrel shooting position. There is no need to use a gun like this anyway, your brain is capable of calculating the position of your target relative to your position with out accurate sighting. So we recommend that you calibrate and then continue playing games from a relaxed position. After a short while you soon get used to it and realise it is much better, especially when you play a game for 30 mins or so.

2 PLAYER G1
We are actually developing the 2 player version at the moment and hope to launch it in time for E3. We are still discussing whether we will make it 1 gun that is switchable or have 2 separate guns.

So....I hope this info is helpful to you, if any of you have any other comments, please let me know, you can email me direct on jjaffa@erealgames.com.

Happy Shooting.

[JODY]

That is kind of funny.  Sounds like they just came up with that to prevent sore shoulders.  Haven't done enough pistol shooting myself to be accurate from the hip so I guess I'll just have to work out more and get used to holding that thing up... .

He did mention the PC version would be smaller so I assume lighter.

I gave my email address to Act Labs but strange they haven't emailed those people yet.  Also, what is the final verdict with the wild shots?  Do some people have defective guns or is there a problem with certain TVs and / or monitors.

We just need a great product that works...

[NoOne=NBA=]

I haven't had any accuracy problems with either of the Act-Labs guns I have.

There are certain games that have accuracy problems, but I think that's an interfacing/emulation/game calibration problem, rather than a defect in the guns themselves.

For the Digital Leisure series, the guns are absolutely dead-on for me.
Same with House of the Dead 2.

I may pick up one of the eReal guns, when they come out, because they will work with my big-screen.
I've even been toying with the Idea of picking up a PS2, solely for shooting games.

[JODY]

I haven't had any accuracy problems with either of the Act-Labs guns I have.

You don't experience any wild shots?  Keep reading about people saying a shot once in awhile will occur way off target.  Not a simple accuracy issue, more like the gun just malfunctions or has a problem reading the tv.  Haven't heard about regular accuracy problems except with specific games like you mentioned.

Haven't noticed anyone mention a fix or reason.  Since they require a flash, maybe the monitor / tv just isn't bright enough.  Don't know...

[Flinkly]

it sounds like the act lab guns are reading a spot on the screen as the flash, before the flash gets to that point, so it reads it as farther up the screen.  this will make sense if you understand how the flash guns work, but i'd have to explain a bit if you don't.  hope this helps.  most flash guns have this problem that weren't designed with certain games in mind.

for instance, most nintendo games that use the light gun don't use white to cover this issue, but with todays ever-realistic games, people tend to forget about the gun and it's flash.

[NoOne=NBA=]

You don't experience any wild shots?

I haven't ever seen a "wild" shot.
My guns hit exactly where I aim them on any game where the shots aren't just completely off to start with.

I'm using a PC monitor though, so that may cause better accuracy somehow.

[the3eyedblindman]

You have to recalborate the gun to every game or you experience wild shots, if you simply take the 2 seconds to move it up and down and left to right on the screen before each game, you dont expereience this. also, heres the email I got from andy regarding work on the gun...Doug,
 
That's correct but the project is at a very early stage. It's something that I do some work on now and then. I don't have any target date at all for launch of this.
 
Cheers
 
Andy

[Will]

Thanks for posting this...Anyone know if it will work right out of the box with a wg k-7000?I remember reading about having to add a wire for synch for this gun?Can anyone comment on the k-7000 with this bun?I went ahead and preordered it thinking it will work...