Seen in the Nineties, developers once again attempt to master the blend of motion experience, reliability and safety needed for amusement application. The Motion Seat seems to be the concept of choice with over six designs in production and more to follow. The Stinger attempts to chart the leading lights.

Production
New development has seen advances in marketed hardware that has graced the trade show floor and been placed in operation.

One of the front-runners of the motion seat revolution was the ‘TsuMo’ (PC Hardware) by Tsunami Visual Technology. Taking a revolution 6-DoF (Degrees of Freedom) motion packaged scaled to move a seat, the initial ball dome enclosure (fashioned for the first game for the platform based on Pinball) has been superseded by a successful placement by a more conventional package.

Personified by the 'Beach-Head' (PC Hardware) game experience, its durability and capability, configured with different game experiences, proven. Tsunami has dabbled with new technology that has resulted in a reduced price and capability package first for their own driver 'Re-Volt' and later licensed by Betson / Raw Thrills. Where Tsunami has reduced the sales price of their technology others hope that fidelity of ride will warrant attention.

The ‘Sim Seat’ (PC Hardware) from Motorsports Image offers a NASCAR style driving experience in a compact licensee package for corporate entertainment. The system recently presented at IAAPA'05 has embraced a sponsorship and corporate entertainment route to market penetration taking the system to other audiences in a transportable package.

The ability to move just the player has found favour with the elite home player prepared to pay higher prices for full fidelity (this category of buyer is known as the “professional level consumer” or ProConsumer). Building off of the high-fidelity experience junkies of the PC simulator scene, the ‘301’ (PC Hardware) has appeared as the best self-contained motion seat package from Force Dynamics. Where the gamer needs a compelling experience unlike no other - trying to bring the 'Unachievable @ Home' to their den, Force Dynamics has expanded to take the full personal driving experience to Out-of-Home.

Displayed for the first time at IAAPA'05, and an associate of TSR founders KWP, the 301 system offered a stability of motion development linked to system exclusive consumer game licenses to the 301 platform. Seen as a distracting factor is the number of home-grown motion seats that play consumer content that totally infringes copyright. A dangerous president was set by a number of amusement devices that ran home content unlicensed. Force Dynamics the going the extra mile to secure license and negate procession, the danger of some systems in the market using consumer content on their motion systems - breaking all the restrictions of public use and possible dangerous implementation - the need to have software licenses a growing factor in new development.

The UK has seen a number of developments towards personal motion, but most recently the ‘CyberSeat’ by Cyberseat has attempted to lift he bar. Based on technology previously under the PenRAM name, this exotic technology hybrid uses advance motion hardware in a 3-DoF package. Seen recently at TiLE'05 the system offers a wide envelope of motion characteristics but is waiting to have the original design enhanced for feedback from amusement suppliers.

Staying with predominantely amusement application, SEGA have invested in the SimuLine range of products which offer pods rather than individual motion seats, saying that sources are reporting that the new AfterBurner sequel will see a revolutionary new motion confirmation from the company and that this will drop SEGA inter competition in this attraction genre.

Where Are They Now?
A strong showing in Asia and Europe can still prove problematic. The ‘Chameleon RX-1’ was shown by Digital Suni, offered a unique concept and homage to the BeachHead concept in a futuristic package. But as with many ideas, after being shown disappear off the radar.

The Korean investment into personalized motion systems gave birth to the Cycraft and Extreme systems - in the motion seat scene a number of concepts were presented. Launched at ATE'04 the ‘XG250’ by Vision Technology Systems offered promise but vanished beyond the international scene.

New concepts in moving the individual player have been lavish in recent years. Namco’s licensing to distribute the ‘Turret Tower’ (PC Hardware) concept from Dell Electronics offered a rotational motion seat, with a BeachHead-esque game experience. The 2002 release proved a conversation piece, but the ability to field a system of this nature in the harsh amusement market proved as much as a trial as the high sticker price.

One of the ground breaking amusement developers of the early Nineties was Cyber Mind Interactive who after acquiring much of the virtual reality hardware from various developers attempted to package individual amusement immersion systems. In the motion field the company launched their ‘NRG’ (PC Hardware) platform with its compact design and vigorous motion base. Even borrowing game content from the consumer scene such as the Gremlin Graphics ‘MotorHead’ racer title experienced an uphill struggle.

Prototypes
One such new comer is the ‘IMON - Cruiser’ (PC Hardware) system, taking the latest PC architecture to the masses in a motion seat configuration. Developed by Internet Motion Navigator Corporation the 6-DoF motion package hopes to bridge the gap between affordably and reliability. The company exhibited at last year’s IAAPA.

Where most manufacturers hope to develop 3 or 6 DoF motion hardware, some developers strive for unusual immersion. The ‘I/O Sphere’ by INVENTIONAIRES LLC walks into new waters. The inverted motion system market is a complicated one; this particular system comes from a linage that was based on the once popular 'M4' passive system that was purchased from Earthbound Partners LLC by OTB in 2000 - the new Inventionaires company built from the assets of the former.

The next couple of months will see a battle between those that think the player needs to be moved physically to be immersed, and those that think the player needs to have his visual perception overwhelmed by the latest display top be moved. As more money is ploughed into mobile and compact simulation for the military and law enforcement scene the market for single seat motion will still have a ready market.