Stereoscopic Masks for Video Games - Text 3
From the moment Virtual Boy was unveiled consumers were far from smitten with the console,[5] and the game never achieved the following hoped for it. Virtual Boy was quickly described as an unequivocal failure; the console was withdrawn from the market after only six months, with fewer than 800,000 units sold.[6] Several factors contributed to Virtual Boy’s lukewarm reception. Matt Zachara and José P. Zagal have described six such reasons, which are also acknowledged by other experts and journalists.
The first reason is the uncertain identity of this console, located part-way between a portable device like Game Boy and a regular console like Super Nintendo. It is hard to imagine Virtual Boy being portable, because a tripod was necessary to use it.[7]
The visual qualities of the console did not impress its users either. Because the processor had to calculate an image for each eye, games’ appearance did not compare with Super Nintendo, which had been on the market since 1991, or with the new Sony Play Station. Despite its stereoscopic technology, its monochrome red image was not the most attractive.[8] A colour version had been considered, but according to Yokoi the cost would have been much higher. Also, the choice of a red LED light was justified by the fact it consumed less energy, in addition to being easier to distinguish on screen.[9]
