Update [Thu 11th Jan, 2024 09:20 GMT]:
Proto Inc. contacted us with a statement to clarify that the Mario hologram seen at CES was an unfinished proof of concept that was not intended for commercial use.
“The holographic AI animation we briefly saw today is an unfinished proof of concept tested for a client to demonstrate technological capabilities and innovation. It is not intended for commercial release. AARP and Nintendo were not involved in the inadvertent showing today. The fact that so many gamers around the world have noticed that they are the best fans in the world and we salute them.”
Well, it seems no one was supposed to see that! At least we know that if a Mario-themed hologram comes out in the future, it might be a little better than this.
Original article [Wed 10th Jan, 2024 09:45 GMT]:
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is in full swing in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it’s the perfect opportunity for big companies to showcase some of the products and concepts that could be coming to your homes in the coming years (although there’s already a little too much focus on AI for our taste).
We’ve already seen some truly magnificent feats of technology, such as Samsung’s new transparent microled screen and the gravity-defying madman robot window cleaner from Ecovacs. However, something that has been circulating is a rather bizarre depiction of Mario via ProtoHologram and Target. Using hologram technology, participants are able to speak directly to Mario, but the results are, well, a bit confusing…
Of course, that look like Mario, but he completely lacks his whimsical characteristics. And what on earth is that voice?! Anyway, we’re going to assume that Nintendo probably isn’t involved in…whatever this is. It’s a weird marketing technique, that’s for sure, and it’s not encouraging us to rush to Target anytime soon.
However, as horrible as it is, it’s also funny. We’re not gonna lie, we’d probably spend a completely unreasonable amount of time on this thing and see what funny things we could get it to say.
But what do you fine folks think of this weird and wonderful CES reveal? Is there anything else from the series that you think should be praised? Let us know with a comment.