Magazine Archive

Heavy Equipment

Welcome to the Future

From the moment you strap on the headset, you know that your gaming life will never be the same again.  The world you see through the twin eye-pieces of the virtual reality (VR) headset responds as if it were another world, one you can explore by moving around without leaving your chair.  Turn your head to the left, and the scene changes accordingly, bringing a new part of the virtual world into view.  The armored robot that you could only hear a moment ago is now directly in front of you, guns blazing.

You hit the fire button on the controller and your guns come to life, rockets weaving a deadly trajectory toward their mark.  Wham!  The robot is history.  But there's no time to gloat.  Dozens of others are waiting to take its place.

You are playing Nuclear Rush, the game that will be bundled with Sega VR, Sega's new virtual reality headset.  With its stereo optics, full stereo sound and sophisticated head-tracking technology, Sega VR is sure to take you to The Next Level in gaming.  In addition to Nuclear Rush, Sega is planning to release three more VR games to work with Sega VR.

Sega VR works by combining three technologies into one awesome experience.  Let's take a closer look.

Stereophonic Sound

We have two ears for a reason, and it isn't because one ear in the middle of your face would look funny.  With two ears, you can tell which direction a sound is coming from and so localize it in space.  Suppose the sound of an explosion comes form your right.  The sound wave traveling toward you will reach your right ear first, then continue on its journey to your left ear.  Not only will your right ear hear the sound a split second earlier, but the sound will be slightly louder.  Sega VR's built-in stereo headphones make use of the psychology of perception to recreate the three-dimensional world of sound.  When you're wearing the Sega VR headset, you will be able to hear sounds from all directions, even those coming from above or below.

Stereo Vision 

Your two eyes also help you localize an object in space.  When your eyes focus on an object, each eye receives a slightly different image, a phenomenon scientists call  binocular parallax.  Binocular parallax is the basis of the technology behind 3-D movies, where polarizing lenses cause each eye to receive a slightly different image.

Likewise, Sega VR will create the impression that you are exploring an alternate reality.  As your eyes shift focus from one object to the next, the binocular parallax constantly changes to give you the impression of a three-dimensional world.

Head Tracking 

3-D glasses are convincing only if you keep your head still.  If you have ever tried ducking to avoid a 3-D "object," you know that the illusion fails as soon as you move your head.  This is because the 3-D effect is the same wherever you happen to be in the theater, so that moving your head left or right (or up or down) has little effect on the image.  The boxing glove of the jet of water will still be coming straight toward you.

To make the virtual reality experience more true to life, Sega VR uses head-tracking technology to modify the image as you move your head.  Turn your head to the left, and the scene changes accordingly, bringing another part of the virtual world into view.  Tilt your head up, and you can see the mother ship gliding by overhead.

Sega's revolutionary technology works by monitoring head movement through special sensors embedded in the headset.  To make sure the system responds rapidly, the sensors monitor head movement more than 100 times each second.  Move your head, and the screen responds almost immediately.

The combination of stereo sound, stereo vision and head tracking can create the impression of a virtual world.  And you won't be limited to just one virtual world -- with four different games under development, Sega VR will be your passport to alternate realities.

Welcome to the NEXT WORLD

Nuclear Rush

Welcome to the year 2032.  Get ready for a cataclysmic trek into a post-nuclear gold rush, where low-level nuclear waste is bartered as an energy source.  You are posing as a nuclear pirate, piloting a hovercraft through radioactive wastelands guarded by heavily armed robots and drones.

Iron Hammer

Pilot an armed skimmer gunship on a high-speed search-and-destroy mission in this game of interplanetary warfare.  Skim over water, ice, grassy planes and rocky terrain through 30 levels of dusk-to-dawn alien combat zones.

Matrix Runner

Play an elite superhacker in this unique cyberspace voyage.  You have to explore the dark, winding databanks of the Matrix to solve the mysterious disappearance of your colleagues, knowing that you might be the next victim.  In your travels, you will collide with strange semi-humans and vulture-like beings.

Outlaw Racing

Take on 20 other cars in this crush of dirt-track combat.  Crash and smash into walls and flip end-over-end in a mud-filled fight to the finish line.  The stereo sound will engulf you in the roar of engines and the screeching of tearing metal as you speed for the flag.

Sega's New 6-Button Controllers

Arcade-style game play will be yours with Sega's new 6-button controllers.  Whether you choose the 6-Button Arcade Stick or the 6-Button Pad, you'll be able to roll out three- and four-move combinations ever so smoothly.

Both the 6-Button Arcade Stick and the 6-Button Arcade Pad are compatible with virtually all the Genesis and Sega CD games (not to mention those hot new titles that make sure of the 6-button enhanced game play).  Watch for super-charged games designed especially fro the 6-button controllers such as NFL Football '94 Staring Joe Montana, Boxing's Greatest Heavyweights, Ranger-X, Eternal Champions and Disney's Aladdin.  Whichever 6-button controller you prefer, it's intense arcade play all the way -- all that's missing are the game tokens! (Available Fall '93)

6-Button Arcade Stick

The 6-Button Arcade Stick gives you six rapid-fire switches for each individual button -- no more combination button pressing.  You can even select the mega-fire speed to find the optimum rate of fire to match your game play style.  If you're accustomed to playing games in the arcade, you'll be especially comfortable with the design of the joystick.  It adds arcade-like play to driving and flying games.  The 6-Button Arcade Stick has a sturdy base and non-skid pads on the underside keep it from moving, giving it a stable arcade feel.  It's comfortable for small- or big-handed players and can be used both laptop or tabletop.

6-Button Arcade Pad

If you enjoy playing with the classic 3-button controller, you'll appreciate the design style of the 6-Button Arcade Pad.  The hand-held design has two rows of buttons within easy reach of your thumb.  The ABC and XYZ buttons make awesome attack combinations simple.  The Directional Button is somewhat smaller than that of the 3-button controller for tighter response.  You'll find easy transitions between kicking and punching in fighting games like Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat -- no more having to change the button configuration.  You can execute your favorite moves in any mix of punches and kicks, in any power level, with ease.

Mega Mouse 

EEK!  A better mouse is coming -- the non-furry kind, that is -- a Mega Mouse that is a must-have for serious gamers.  Use it as a table top mouse or flip it over and use it as a hand-held trackball.  Whether you use it as a trackball for action/adventure games or as a tabletop mouse for art and paint titles (like My Paint), the decision is literally in your hands.  You'll have the advantage of more precise movements, point-and-click control, heightened accuracy and accelerated play.  You'll find the trackball adds precision control on such games as Populous II and Fun n' Games.  Mega Mouse features two big A and B buttons and comes with a customized Mega Mouse pad.  We think you'll say Mega Mouse is the cat's meow (well, maybe...).  (Available Christmas '93)

Tyco's Power Plug

Have you ever wished that you could modify your control pad to work a little differently?  Like give it rapid turbo fire, or reconfigure the buttons to best suit your style of play?  Well, your wait will soon be over.  The new Power Plug from Tyco can help you do all those things, and more.

The concept is simple.  You just plug the Power Plug into the Genesis controller port, then plug the controller into it.  The Power Plug supports the three-button controller as well as the new six-button controllers.  And once it's plugged in, your controller will never be the same again.

Special Street Fighter II Moves 

Let's say you're fighting as Ryu in Street Fighter II, and you want to use his special move, the Fireball.  Normally you would need to press a total of four buttons to make this move, but with the Power Plug's Trash feature, you can make just one button do the trick.  The same goes for other moves, such as Ryu's Dragon Punch and Hurricane Kick, as well as the special moves of the other fighers.  A total of eight Trash settings are dedicated to special Street Fighter II moves, making complex button combinations a thing of the past.

Learning Mode 

You can also use the Power Plug's Learn mode to reconfigure the buttons on your controller, even if the game itself does not allow you that option.  For example, suppose the game uses Button A to punch and Button B to kick.  If you want to change the button configuration so that Button B punches, you press the Learn button, press Button B (the button to be changed), then Button A (the punch button), and finally press Learn again to tell the Power Plug you're done.

Better still, you can teach your controller to make one button do the work of many (referred to as a "macro" in the computer world).  For example, suppose you want your character to punch and kick then jump, all in rapid succession, and you want to configure Button A for this combination move.  After pressing the Learn button and Button A, you can then press the buttons that would normally make these moves individually, and then press Learn again.  Now when you press Button A, your character will make all the moves that you programmed for that button, in the order you programmed them.  And if the game allows it, you can program the button so that moves occur simultaneously -- just hit the buttons at the same time when you are in Learn mode.

Other special combinations you can program include "Turn Around and Fire," which makes your character turn in the opposite direction, fire, and then turn back.  You can even set the speed of this maneuver using the Turbo Bar.

Other Features

The Power Plug has other features that can breathe new life into tired old controllers.  Like Power Steering, which can give you incredibly smooth directional control, making it ideal for flying and driving games.  Or the Turbo Bar, which lets you turn any button into a turbo firing button, and even lets you adjust the firing rate of individual buttons.

Tyco's Power Plug would make a valuable addition to any serious gamer's arsenal.  With its flexible learning mode and its wide selection of preset options, the Power Plug will take you to The Next Level in gaming proficiency.

Sega Forever, ©MCMXCVIII - MMIV
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