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Pneumatic force feedback jacket responds to in-game damage. Won’t break ribs, may break competitors’ will.

E for All was all about offering the public a taste of the gaming convention action previously reserved for industry professionals (and peeps with the temerity to sneak in). While Nintendo was able to draw a crowd without really trying thanks to playable demos of Smash Bros and Galaxy, not to mention its short skirted hosts, those who ventured away from the big N’s space could also get their hands on some hot new hardware.

Most interesting among the various demonstrations was the premier of TN Games’ 3rd Space Gaming Vest. The device, which bears a degree of resemblance to the flack jackets that contractors wear in Iraq, is buckled relatively tightly to the wearer and connected to the PC via USB. Another cord leads to an external controller box and air compressor.

We’ve seen various attempts at body-force feedback before but all were based on sound, generally big bass drivers to punch players with omni-directional oomph. The 3rd Space Vest, on the other hand, uses an air compressor to intelligently inflate eight air bags inlaid into the vest. When triggered, the air bags inflate rapidly enough to feel like rather noticeable taps.

The purpose of the whole operation at this point is to give FPS gamers the advantage of being able to feel where their character is being damaged. Taps across the back rather pointedly alert the wearer that he is being shot, bit, or mauled from behind. As opposed to the screen suddenly flashing red when damage is taken, you actually feel incoming fire and react more hastily to avoid it. We can speak from experience when we say it’s a pretty good effect.

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This entry was posted on Monday, October 22nd, 2007 at 4:43 pm and is filed under GENERAL. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.