Immersion is perhaps the most difficult part to achieve in a video game, for the simple reason that we are trying to live an experience that is not ours. When we play on a portable console, we must use the buttons to perform simple actions such as moving the character or attacking enemies; and when we take a hit, the only indicator that the character has taken damage is usually the life bar and other visual indicators.
What if we could feel in our flesh what our character is going through? It sounds like something more typical of a dystopian future, but in reality, it’s already possible. The Malaga company OWO has been offering haptic systems for years, able to transfer the actions of video games to touch, and they have achieved great success, surprising even the greatest of technology.
Haptic technology is based in the sense of touch. It can be, for example, noticing the shape of a button that does not exist in virtual reality, or receiving the impact of a kick that has been delivered to the character we are controlling. OWO opted for this technology with its haptic jacket, which received a sponsorship of 35,000 dollars from the City Council of Malaga.
Note the game on the skin
The latter will be possible with the next Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, the new episode of the popular saga of assassins who, on this occasion, returns to a familiar setting for those who played the first part of the saga, since it returns to the Middle East; more specifically, to the Muslim territory of Baghdad in the 9th century. The protagonist will be Basim, a thief who ends up joining the order thanks to his skills.
Thanks to an alliance between OWO and Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed: Mirage It will not only be compatible with the technology of the Spanish company, it will also be available a special edition of the gamewhich will be sold with an OWO haptic shirt with an exclusive design inspired by the art of the game.
The new haptic jacket from Malaga company OWO
It will be available for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One and PC platforms. At the moment the price of this special edition is not known, although what is clear is that it may be worth it for those who are bored with the usual games.
And it is that the compatibility with OWO technology will allow us to feel tactile effects depending on what is happening in the game; Specifically, OWO states that we may “feel your precise movements as you take down your targets”but warns that we don’t let enemies get too close to us or we’ll suffer “the consequences”, hinting that there will be a system that allows us to feel enemy attacks.
OWO lets you vary the intensity with the mobile app
Of course, not everyone will receive this feature with the same appreciation. For this reason, OWO has its own application for Android, iOS and PC, which will allow us to measure feelings who will give the shirt, depending on the different actions; we can define the areas of the body that will be affected and modify the intensity, even if the game is in progress. These settings will be saved and used each time we play.
These types of projects could be the future of video games, especially when used in conjunction with virtual or augmented reality.
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