3 days ago
Namco-Backed AI-Powered Light Gun Brings ‘Time Crisis' To Modern TVs
The G'AIM'E light gun could finally be the gateway back to classic shooters that so many people have ... More craved.
One of the great casualties of modern technology was the demise of the light gun, which demanded classic CRTs to work properly. Sure, the Wii came tantalizingly close to replicating the experience with The House of the Dead: Overkill and Link's Crossbow Training, but it wasn't the same.
Luckily, the powerhouse behind the gun-based arcade revolution — Bandai Namco — has backed a new light gun that promises to bring the experience to modern TVs, with in-built games including Time Crisis, Point Blank, and Steel Gunner… so long as it meets its soon-to-be announced Kickstarter target.
The G'AIM'E gun, created in partnership with Namco by established Japanese electronics firm Tassei Denki, claims to have solved the conundrum with a plug-and-play setup that contains proprietary technology, replacing traditional infrared sensors with a high-resolution camera and AI for more responsive gameplay.
What's more, the G'AIM'E promises to eliminate manual recalibration by automatically adjusting the experience to movement and angle, ensuring performance remains consistent regardless of your setup. Those backing the entry-level gun will receive a custom-licensed version of Time Crisis, recreated from the original arcade ROM. Point Blank, Steel Gunner, and Steel Gunner 2 will be available in expanded packages, which also include additional bonuses such as foot pedals and keychains.
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On the face of it, the G'AIM'E gun looks great, if not a bit on the cheap side. The gun is only available in blue outside of Japan, which gets a black option – potentially to avoid replica gun restrictions in other countries. The unit supports multiplayer modes with two gun connectors, essential for Point Blank. The one major thing it lacks is a recoil slider — a staple of the GunCon and a few of its rivals. That said, I don't think I've seen a working recoil in an arcade in about ten years, so maybe it's just one less thing to inevitably break.
The Japanese bundles will likely be replicated for other markets, albeit with a blue gun, not a ... More black one.
There's no information as to whether more games can be loaded at a later date — you'd hope the Bandai Namco partnership might lead to the inclusion of series like The House of the Dead, Virtua Cop, Crisis Zone, and even the other Point Blank and Time Crisis titles.
However, presuming the Kickstarter succeeds (which, let's face it, there's basically no chance it will — pending its cost, or course), it's probably only a matter of time before someone mods the unit so people can play other classics of the era: Die Hard Trilogy, Resident Evil Survivor, Area 51 and, if we're lucky, the delightfully baffling Puffy: P.S. I Love You.
Given that this is Tassei Denki's first-ever original product — and presuming it's successful — one can only hope the company will lean on its existing partnerships to create something for consoles, reviving niche genres in the same way CRKD is with its Les Paul-inspired Rock Band guitars.
The G'AIM'E Plug & Play Time Crisis Gun System for Modern TVs will go live on Kickstarter at 12 noon EST on June 24. Pricing isn't available just yet, but given it's already touting ¥4,000 ($28) discounts for early-bird backers, chances are it'll be on or over the $100 mark for an entry-level kit.
