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Nintendo Virtual BoyReleased August 1995
The Virtual Boy is a video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was the first video game console capable of displaying "true 3D graphics" out of the box. Whereas most video games use monocular cues to achieve the illusion of three dimensions on a two-dimensional screen, the Virtual Boy creates an illusion of depth through the effect known as parallax. In a manner similar to using a head-mounted display, the user looks into an eyepiece made of neoprene on the front of the machine, and then an eyeglass-style projector allows viewing of the monochromatic (in this case, red) image.
It was released on July 21, 1995 in Japan and August 14, 1995 in North America at a price of around US$180. Hype surrounding the device included public musings by Nintendo that the device might resemble a gun, projecting a 3D image in the air. The actual device was considered a disappointment. The commercial demise of the Virtual Boy was considered to be the catalyst that led to the designer, Yokoi being driven from Nintendo, yet it was maintained that Yokoi kept a close relationship with Nintendo despite Yokoi having later created a rival handheld system for Bandai. According to Game Over, the company laid the blame for the machine's faults directly on the creator. The Virtual Boy was discontinued in late 1995 in Japan and in early 1996 in North America. In 2007, the system was listed as number five in PC World's "The Ugliest Products in Tech History" list. TIME Magazine's website listed the Virtual Boy as one of the worst inventions of all time. |
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