So in the 80's we had flashlights that made a "vroom" sound when we swung them. In the 90's it was play swords we swung and the blade uncolapsed to make it appaer to come out of the hilt. Fast forward to mid-to-late 2000 and we had Force FX lightsabers costing $100 to $500. In the past few years we've gotten Force Unleashed lightsabers that cost about $30-$50 and we can play with making all the cool sound effects. But in the end, they're just toys. But now, thanks to M.I.T. researchers, we may actaully get real lightsabers. Let the accidental slicing your own foot and your friend's arm off commence.
Without getting all super nerdy (basically because I'm not that smart), A Team of scientists from Mi.I.T. and Harvard have been working on passing photon atoms thru a vaccuum chamber that has been super cooled to get the atoms to bind or group together. These then become molecules. Normally light keeps going until something blocks it's path, but these would become solids that can be shaped. According to a new paper just released, they may have created a new form of matter made up entirely of photons which is the same thing that lightsabers are made out of.
It's a long way off, but at the rate of technology I can completely see a real "light" weapon or lightsaber being built and used.
May the force be with us.