I have an Idea, don't know where to start.

[Kmputer Guy]

I have had an idea concerning video games for a way to "feel" the impact as an alternative to the controllers that buzz when you hit a wall.

I think that this idea may be patentable, either as a utility within the game that does this, or as a controller that connects to the system and activates it instead of buzzing. Or perhaps both.

I have little knowledge of patent law, no lawyer, and I am 17 years old. How would I go about researching prior art, and what would be the best way to get this invention reconized.

 

[racer72]

Your idea is many years old. Back in the early 70's, some theatres installed what they called total sensory sound. Beside hearing the sound, large woofers were attached to each seat bottom and you would actually vibrate the seat giving the sensation of actually being in the movie. Some theatres even went a step farther and installed hydraulic lifts on the seats that would lift and turn the seat. Went to a theatre in Seattle that had all the goodies installed and watched a 45 minute video of roller coasters and airplanes. Lot of people became physically ill so the idea never really caught on.
And from your post you say that you want to feel more that a buzzing controller when you hit the wall. You must be a fan of NASCAR sims (as I am, hence my user name). I drove race cars for many years and not to say I was a bad driver, I occasionally had run in with the walls of race tracks and other cars. There is no way a computer sim can give a reasonable fascimile of hitting something in a race car. Even what appears to be a simple tap of another car or scraping a wall gives a driver a pretty good jolt. There were many a morn I awoke after a night at the track and was stiff and sore. If you want realism with your sim, have someone stand behind you with a 2x4 and every time you hit the wall or another car, have then whack you with the board.

 

[T-DESIGNER]

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