Saturday, May 6, 2017

Gaming Ads: Aura Systems and Avalon Hill

This week there aren't too many ads. Up first is Aura Systems, a company that made the Interactor vest that works with the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Aura calls it "Virtual Reality Game Wear" which is a way of saying it makes players feel more like they are in the game. It's basically a device you wear that provides vibration feedback and having released in 1994 it does predate Nintendo's Rumble Pak and Microsoft's Force Feedback controllers. Similar technology was used in arcades but the Interactor is likely one of the earliest home devices to add vibration feedback to games.

Avalon Hill began as The Avalon Game Company in 1954 as a maker of strategical board games. It was acquired by Monarch in 1971 and started a computer games division in the early '80s. Throughout the '80s the company was well known for its computer war games. Toy maker Hasbro purchased Avalon Hill from Monarch in 1998 and it currently operates under Hasbro's subsidiary Wizards of the Coast.

Aura System albums: Facebook - Google Photos
Avalon Hill albums: Facebook - Google Photos




No comments:

Post a Comment