This is worth a post. I just saw mention of a Nintendo “Revolution Mock-Up” concept video being hosted over on the IGN website (Link). Check it out.

Took me a few minutes to figure out, but I believe what they’re presenting is a concept for a wirelessly-networked VR headset with docking station. The headset is nice and has some funky “surround sound” geometry near the ears. But the docking station “brain” isn’t so nice and looks like either the top of someone’s skull, a helmet of some kind or some odd little toaster appliance. Makes me wonder if the same person designed both.

The Toaster Brain can, from what I gathered watching the video a few times, communicate with other game consoles but also communicate wirelessly with the headset so that the game player might be able to use his/her room as a kind of holodeck. So for example, it appears as if you could connect a Game Cube to the Toaster Brain. The Toaster Brain would relay game data to the headset. The headset would then communicate back to the Game Cube via the Toaster Brain that little Johnny has just fallen out the second floor window while attempting to rocket jump off his bed.

And btw, the Toaster Brain can also play games locally and “make games” as well (whatever that’s supposed to mean).

While it’s neat to see ideas like this, even if they never go beyond vaporware, what I really now find myself wondering is if the problem with vr-sickness has been resolved (I vaguely recall that being the reason – directly or indirectly – for the quick death of the Virtual Boy some years back). Something to research.

{Update – My bust. It appears as if this “concept” was shown last May and is actually the work of a Nintendo fan. If only the ign page had a more obvious link to their story (Link) – maybe they have an opening for a UI/web designer. This almost feels like a Jamie Kennedy stunt. Guess I’ll have to think twice before posting after midnight. Now excuse me while I shower the egg off.}

{Image source: ign.com}