We got the chance to check out the 3rd Space Gaming Best and HTX Helmet at the 2008 CES event in Las Vegas. Originally developed as a medical examination technology the company turned to gaming applications as the system is still under review by several medical bodies. During my brief encounter with the vest, at the show, I was surprised at how startling the hit effect could be (as demonstrated in the afore-linked video). However I could not, at that point, see it as a practical, effective home system. Now that we actually have a 3rd Space Gaming Vest here to play with, I am happily changing my tune…
The gaming vest comes nicely packed in an environmentally-conscious box. There is no unnecessary space and it all fits just right. In the box you will find the air compressor, ac adapter, gaming vest, USB cable, Gaming Vest driver disk, and a special version of Call of Duty 2 modified to use the 3rd Space Gaming Vest.
Installing the software is a breeze. Simply put the driver disk in and use the setup feature. The process will install the driver utility, a C++ runtime library, and TN Games’ proprietary FPS, Incursion. After installing everything, I began setting up the actual vest itself. We got the ‘S/M’ sized vest, which is what TN Games recommends for most people. Accommodating people who would normally wear up to an extra-large t-shirt, it has plenty of room for expansion. Donning the vest just makes you feel cool. It was modeled after a generic modular tactical vest used by various special operators around the country and comes in black, camo, and pink. There are two horizontal straps and two vertical shoulder straps which should all be snugly fastened before play. The more snug the fit, the better the hit effects will be felt.
The air compressor unit simply plugs into AC power using the adapter and switches on with a slider. Unfortunately, the biggest issue we see with this unit is the noise. There is no logic between the compressor and the vest telling it when to turn on and off. The compressor always stays on blowing air into the vest. A better system would be a slightly more expensive compressor that could sense when air capacity was reached, and then turned on when appropriate to refill a temporary air reservoir, but I digress. While the compressor is not the loudest one I have ever heard it is definitely noticeable and makes the system ill-advised for quiet gaming sessions. For normal play however, noise be damned, lets turn this thing on and see how it works.
The vest works by sending blasts of compressed air into one (or more) of the eight ‘impact cells’ which are housed within. There are four of these impact cells in the front of the unit and four on the back of the vest. By sending blasts of air in a coordinated manner, the vest is capable of producing tactile feedback which mirror’s what is happening to your character in a given game. Getting shot feels different in both intensity and duration as, say, being stabbed. Grenades can activate the entire front of the vest as opposed to single impact cells going off by way of small arms.
I first tried the vest using TN Games’ Incursion. This is not a review for Incursion. Suffice it to say the app is definitely a great place to test out the vest before moving on to more mainstream games. The test runs we made in Incursion were amazing. The hit effects create a much-heightened sense of tension than usual. At one point, I ended up being pelted by a barrage of enemy fire. The vest acted accordingly, sending a shot of adrenaline through my body as I tried running away…and failing.
We are so used to hearing the direction of our enemies using 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound systems, bringing actual tactile cues into play jacks up the immersion to a whole new level. After playing around in Incursion I fired up Combat Arms, a free to play FPS title from Nexon. Unfortunately, no matter what I tried I could not get the vest working in the game. Even though the newly-updated drivers claim it works with the title there was no vest response at all.
Unfortunately, the version of Call of Duty 2 provided with the vest, which was specifically altered to natively use it, was not compatible with Windows Vista. So, after Combat Arms we started up Call of Duty: World at War to check out how the vest would help us dispose of Nazis, of course the most important function there is! With this title however, the vest performed as promised and was a blast. ‘Feeling’ where your enemy is shooting at you from is actually more efficient than hearing it first or seeing come sort of visual cue signaling your impending doom. The initial shock of the impact is enough to startle you and that quick reaction could mean the difference between avoiding the next flurry of shots and getting mowed down.
The biggest problem TN Games has had to face (and still does to a degree) is title support. Currently, there are three options to use the 3rd Space Gaming Vest inside a game. The first is to have the game be developed and coded to use the peripheral. The second is to add the game’s ‘signature’ and all the rest of the tech stuff to the vest driver utility which will then listen in on the game process for hit detection. The third option is for game communities or developers to release after-launch mod’s which enable support. Unfortunately, there are only 30 titles supported by the vest at the time of this writing. In this economy, a $139 dollar feedback vest is a tough sell but, once experienced, you will understand how useful and effective it is. It will, without a doubt, increase your gaming skills. If not by the increased hit effects, then by the frosty state of mind that ‘suiting up’ in the tactical vest gives you. Thankfully, TN Games has been working its tail off garnering more mainstream support, and we hope they get it. This technology is way too cool to lose like we did with Force Feedback.
Aside from the noisy compressor and small stable of twenty supported titles (at the moment), I would highly recommend TN Games’ 3rd Space Gaming Vest to anyone looking for the next step in immersion. It engages one of your senses that usually does not get involved in gaming much and, in doing so, is sure to make you a more efficient killer in no time. The 3rd Space Gaming Best is sold in $139 dollar bundles at TN Games’ official site. Also, their HTX helmet is due out sometime before the end of this year.
