Introducing the 3rd Space FPS Vest
Developed originally for medical use by Mark Ombrellaro, a pulmonary surgeon from Washington, the 3rd Space FPS Vest is a means by which gamers can accomplish a whole new brand of realism while playing games. The 3rd Space FPS Vests closely resemble their ballistic counterparts used extensively by the military. The vest employs the use of customizable pneumatic cells and delivers eight points of contact. A USB connection dictates which contact points are engaged and when, while a very small air compressor delivers up to 28 pounds of force through a small inlet hose. Each pneumatic cell can be controlled individually by the game engine, ensuring a realistic experience and enveloping the user in the game, literally.

When wearing the vest, the user can experience anything from complete pressure, in the instance of a nearby grenade detonation, or a light “tap on the shoulder”. (Ed’s note: This thing is really freaky. I often found myself looking over my shoulder to see who kept poking me. In a horror/suspense game like Resident Evil 4 or Left 4 Dead, the vest would be downright murderous). The device itself is very lightweight, comparable to the dead weight of a sweater. The air compressor is also very small - imagine a pigmy Xbox 360 – and is powered through a standard wall socket. The entire contraption, cables included, weighs just over five pounds.


Of course there is a slight catch, as there is with all brand new products, and that is that in order to use the FPS Vest in a game, that game needs to have a special patch available that enables this kind of output. TN GAMES offers there API for free to game developers so they can implement the code and issue a patch. Patrick Ombrellaro, VP of Operations for TN GAMES, informed me that the company works closely with game developers when issuing patches, and is already on board with Activision, who produces several major competitive gaming titles. The retail FPS Vest package will be sold for $189.99 USD and will be available from www.tngames.com starting November 21st, 2007. If purchased as a bundle from the company’s website, several major gaming titles will be thrown in with the Vest including Call of Duty 2 and Incursion. The package also ships with patches that enable the FPS Vest to work in Quake 3, Quake 4, and Doom 3, all of which are produced by id Software.

Being a division of GotFrag, we thought it would be a good idea to find out whether or not these patches could be applied to the games while keeping them legal for league play. It is possible that the patches could alter a cvar or something which is restricted through the cal.cfg (or other .cfg files). This is very important considering TN GAMES is working to develop patches for Counter-Strike, among other widely-played competitive games.

How does the 3rd Space FPS Vest actually effect your gaming? Well, we don't see it becoming widely adopted in the competitive scene, but for casual gamers, the extra feedback the device offers could prove very useful, and very fun. One possible advantage that could be gained from using this device is a heightened sense of alertness, as being poked out of nowhere tends to get you on your toes.

We have learned that the company spent five years in development with this product to ensure its proper operation. The United States military has also expressed interest in the technology, though the units they desire will be considerably more powerful.

The full press release for the 3rd Space FPS Vest by TN GAMES can be found on the next page.