Light gun support comes to LCD monitors — new G’AIM’E gun controller comes with bundled Namco titles via Kickstarter

A new Kickstarter project could rekindle fast and responsive light gun gaming fun in your home. Launching soon on the crowdfunding platform is a campaign for the curiously titled G’AIM’E gun controller set, which will come with some of the best gun-toting titles of yesteryear.

Japanese firm Tassei Denki is behind this project and has won the stamp of approval of Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (global license) to include Time Crisis, Point Blank, and two Steel Gunner titles in their bundles.

The ascendancy of LCD TVs (and monitors) has come with lots of positives, but one of the biggest negatives was felt by light gun gaming enthusiasts. Light gun controllers offered fast, slick, and responsive gun play on CRTs, but the tech didn’t translate to LCDs. Consoles introduced during the LCD era instead used motion controls and/or additional IR sensor bars for gun crosshair positioning.

There have since been some solutions, but they haven’t made it to mainstream. The low-latency G’AIM’E light gun controller, which we first heard about last September, is a self-contained product that promises to make light gun gaming fun again on modern LCDs, and now the campaign is about to launch.

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‘Utilizes a high-resolution camera and AI’

Sadly, the newly published Kickstarter ‘launching soon’ page doesn’t provide much technical insight into the new light gun controller.

“The G’AIM’E gun uses our own bespoke technology that utilizes a high-resolution camera and AI; in place of the traditional infrared used in light-guns of the past,” the page explains. The blurb goes on to promise the hardware is capable of “giving you the same intense, time-based action you remember, now playable on modern displays.” We’ll point out this is a standalone solution — it doesn’t rely on the power of your console, PC, smart TV, or mobile. It’s also wired, with a 10-foot (3m) cable, so users won’t have to worry about modern gaming issues such as Bluetooth wireless lag.

It is reassuring that Tassei Denki admits that light gun gaming on LCDs has been lacking, until now. However, we would advise potential Kickstarter backers to test out something as nuanced as light gun response before backing. At least check out a demonstration video, and third party reviews of the product. It will be interesting to see experienced users compare how well the hardware performs compared to CRT light gun controllers of old.

There’s no Kickstarter launch date or pricing indicators for the various G’AIM’E bundles at the moment. Also, remember that crowdfunding a project is not a guarantee of receiving a finished product. Backing a crowdfunded project is akin to an investment; you believe in the project and want it to succeed. You are not purchasing a guaranteed retail product.