A new USB peripheral that emits smells is about to hit the PC market and the console version is ‘in the works’. Developed by Scent Sciences Corporation, the machine plugs in to your gaming device of choice and when triggered will emit one of up to twenty different fragrances including pine forest, ocean and smoke.
ScentScape will be released for the PC by the end of the year and will retail in the US for $69.99 with additional cartridges clocking in at $24 each. The product has only been demonstrated on the PC but Scent Sciences Corporation say it will be “compatible with all major formats”.
Each cartridge should last around 200 hours and will have a ‘volume control’ to allow personal preference of pong strength.
Whilst ‘pine forest’ may be an excellent choice for games such as World of Warcraft, I’m wondering if they may have to adjust the twenty inbuilt pongs for the console market. For example, Call of Duty would benefit from aromas of sweat, oil, gunpowder and napalm and Dante’s Inferno would require vomit, bile and decomposing corpses. Yum.
Source: MCV / Scentscape
aerobes
Sounds slightly bizarre but it could really work for another level of immersion.
The first game that sprung to mind was Oblivion. Imagine emerging from the cave for the first time and smelling the countryside and hearing the birds sing on surround sound. I’ve given myself a warm fuzzy feeling thinking about that.
I remember Gran Turismo 2 had ‘authentic pit lane smell’ or something if you rubbed the logo on the disc.
Tuffcub
I was thinking that Enslaved would work well as it’s full of flowers ‘n’ gubbins.
Flower would work really well – every time you hit a flower a quick floral burst.
threelions_66
one of the older Fifa games had a scratch and sniff disc, supposed to be grass.
jayjay119
I think I’ll just buy a glade plug in!
3shirts
What and quickly change the scent every time you move into new environment? Convenient.
jayjay119
Keep me fit though!
Bodachi
Nothing better then the smell of decomposing corpses in the morning.
TURRICAN-808
In God Of War games you spen time in the underworld and sewers, how do they smell?
halbpro
If this works solidly I’m all for this. Until we understand the brain enough to directly manipulate our senses this kind of thing is the route to true VR.
shrim
This could work really well, imagine if each game you bought came with its own scents. Alongside high def and surround sound its just another level of immersion into the gaming world.
DrNate86
Surprisingly (!) counter to a lot of opinions about this, I think this is a pretty stupid idea…
tantalus_blank
Putting a bad smell into a game for immersion is a similar thing to putting real pain in when you get hit. I love the idea of bringing games another step closer to reality, but I can’t see how we can ever use it for fun games that simulate situations you’d never want to actually be in.
Gamoc
Uh.
No thanks.
E8_BALL_
i reject your offer, im out.