AppTag, a laser tag/ blaster that attaches to any smartphone (iOS or Android) or toy gun and turns it into an augmented reality shooter.  The product, which is the first real-world first-person shooter gun/game combo (it works with a free App so users can play immediately), will sell for $39.99 (single unit) and $74.99 (two-pack) starting in June (available online and in stores nationwide).

What makes AppTag different from other laser blasters is that it uses high frequency sound to communicate between the blaster and the mobile device.  This eliminates the need for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth - both of which are expensive to implement in toys, heavily consume batteries and are painful for kids to setup.

Consumers that want to get AppTag before anyone else, and at a discount price, can visit the AppTag page on Kickstarter at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jonatherton/apptag-laser-blaster.  Here, the deals on Kickstarter range in price from $25 – $35 per laser blaster (depending on order quantity). So, anyone who “backs” the AppTag project by pledging money can save quite a bit by ordering before March 16 (remaining time on Kickstarter), thus ensuring they will have a blaster at launch!

Even better, AppTag also has an open SDK and its developer, Jon Atherton, expects some fantastic games from the development community in 2012!  NOTE:  the SDK is being made available for free to all App developers.  Imagine over 1,000 people all playing together across an entire city, or 10-20 friends battling it out in a park!  AppTag will allow for Real World First Person Shooter Games…it’s like Call of Duty in the real world!