The future of gaming has finally arrived. 3001 AD, a leading virtual reality game manufacturer and designer, today debuted its Trimersion Virtual Reality gaming system, a plug-and-play peripheral system that allows console and PC gamers to harness the power of virtual reality gaming in their own homes. Designed as a wireless visor and accompanied by a gun controller, the Trimersion system fits comfortably over the user’s head, allowing the gamer to insert himself directly into the game with an advanced head-tracking gyro that adjusts the gamer’s virtual view 360 degrees to match his head movements.
The Trimersion Head Mounted Display (HMD) is a wireless peripheral device that communicates with the player’s PC or gaming console through a USB connector and dongle. In order to completely engulf the user in his game, the headset features a unique head tracking technology that monitors the player’s head movements, enabling the system to update the gamer’s view to match his physical perspective. Using the Trimersion HMD, players can look anywhere around themselves to gain a full, 360 degree view of their virtual gaming world.
A perfect accessory for intense first-person shooter games, the Trimersion system includes a gun controller that further adds to the gamer’s sense of virtual reality. The controller acts as a keyboard replacement for PC gamers, and has all standard controller buttons of a game pad for video console players. In addition, the system’s helmet is equipped with stereo sound speakers that have been placed next to the player’s ears to provide a comfortable and realistic surround sound environment without the use of earbuds.
Finally, the Trimersion accepts either VGA video from a computer or standard NTSC video from a game console. Both video and audio are wireless transmitted to the headset—a first for virtual reality gaming devices—allowing users to move freely without encumbrance in their virtual worlds.
Powered by a standard 9-volt battery, the Trimersion HMD and gun provide hours of playtime. Video images are projected in two color LCD displays, pulling the users into the game’s environment, and the Trimersion HMD features a light mask that surrounds its screen to prevent ambient light from distracting the gamer.
“The Trimersion has been designed primarily as a gaming device, said Bob Ladrach, President of 3001 AD. “With that objective in mind, 3001 AD has loaded the system with features gamers will appreciate and have not attempted to make Trimersion into an all-purpose visor for working on spreadsheets. The Trimersion works with all first person shooter games, adding a new challenge for players—even with older games. Playing in the virtual world isn’t the same as moving a mouse or flicking a button; the system responds to your physical body movement, adding an additional layer to gaming experience. Trimersion affords gamers access to a virtual reality system that, in the past, would have carried a cost of upwards of $15,000.”
The Trimersion gaming system works with most popular gaming systems, including the Microsoft Xbox and Sony Playstation 2, as well as with PCs. The gaming peripheral is an easy-to-use, turnkey solution, allowing gamers to plug-and-play right out of the box.
The Trimersion gaming system will be on display during E3 2006 in Kentia Hall, Booth #6537. Additional information about the Trimersion gaming system or about 3001 AD is also available at www.trimersion.com. |
