8 Insane Inventions Ripped Straight From Video Games

8. Tactical Laser System - Ace Combat

Ace Combat's Tactical Laser System (TLS) is an experimental laser weapon which can attach to a player's aircraft, allowing them to paint a target and then annihilate it with a devastatingly powerful laser blast.

The TLS was first introduced in 2004's Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War, and though its power has changed numerous times over the years for the sake of balance, it seemingly eventually caught the attention of aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

In 2020, the company announced their "Directed Energy" initiative - a laser defense weapons system which could, like Ace Combat's TLS, be mounted to a plane's fuselage, used to paint a target, and then near-instantaneously shoot it out of the sky.

Lockheed Martin even included a test video on their website showing the laser in action, and while it's entirely possible the company came up with such tech independently, it sure is amusing - and also a teensy bit scary - to consider them getting the idea from Ace Combat.