Mark the date ladies and gentleman. August 12, 2016 is the day when the gaming world officially stepped through the looking glass and transcended into an entirely new plane of existence.
Advancements like these are often caused by moments of technological innovations so amazing that they can’t help but propel an industry to never-before-seen heights. For transportation, this moment came when the Wright brothers achieved sustained flight at Kitty Hawk. For communication, this moment came when Alexander Graham Bell first uttered the words, “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you,” through a telephone. And for gaming, this moment has now arrived, for Ubisoft has created a device that allows you to smell farts as you play.
The Nosulus Rift, as the company is calling it, is an immersive gaming accessory with close ties to the upcoming title, South Park: The Fractured But Whole. That title alone should tell you that this game, and the company behind it, are ready to take more than a few swings when it comes to edgy marketing and promotions.
The Nosulus is designed to fit over your nose and bombard your nostrils with the smell of flatulence when characters in The Fractured But Whole unleash their devastating gastrointestinal attacks. Yes, those are indeed real words that you just read in an actual article on a real website.
The Nosulus is clearly a lampoon of the Oculus Rift and the emerging VR industry that it represents. Everything from the promotional images and website to the marketing video above should give VR enthusiasts a good chuckle. There are enough slow motion shots of silhouetted hardware, an ethereal piano-heavy soundtrack, and a solid carousel of overly passionate (and vaguely foreign) spokespeople, to prove that these satirists truly understand the market they are mocking.
However, just because this product is humorous doesn’t mean it’s not legitimate. The Nosulus Rift will be making its debut appearance at Gamescom in Germany this week and there is even a pre-order page for those interested in having a truly…unique…gaming experience.