Nintendo Looking Into A New VR Machine?
Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima addressed investors yesterday during their quarterly earnings announcement. Big N had no huge releases over the last six months besides Super Mario Maker, and their sales took the appropriate hit. But Kimishima is optimistic about the future, and that not only was the NX on schedule, but Nintendo was “exploring the possibilities of virtual reality.”
Nintendo, of course, is the company responsible for making VR technology a laughingstock for 20 years. While none of the VR machines that sprouted up in the mid-90’s were very good, the Virtual Boy was the most mainstream attempt at selling the tech. Computer chips hadn’t progressed far enough to make the experience anything but a headache, and the product probably shouldn’t have made it out of R&D. After the Virtual Boy, no one wanted to invest in VR goggles until the last few years. Now with Oculus Rift and Playstation VR on the horizon, virtual reality is set to rise from the ashes.
It says something if Nintendo now has enough renewed faith in 21st century VR that they’re willing to risk potentially creating a second Virtual Boy. They would likely be extremely cautious and only willing to sell VR if all the issues plaguing the Virtual Boy had been 100% resolved…..meaning they could potentially release something revolutionary, with no headaches or motion sickness possible. Heck, this might even be the company that finally thinks to accommodate people who wear glasses. (Nah, it’ll never happen…)