Before getting into what this new technology will mean to videogames, it's important to note that Immersion is a company that has its hand in many different industries, the two most impressive being the medical and automotive fields. In 1998 the company (known as Immersion Medical) launched the CathSim vascular access medical training simulator, a device that teaches I.V., phlebotomy and peripherally inserted catheter procedures without the need for a live test subject. It also went on to launch the Endoscopy AccuTouch System in 1999, equipment that "simulates both upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures, as well as bronchoscopy." Immersion was also granted two research contracts in 2003 by the U.S. Army and the National Institutes of Health to create new training systems, and in 2004, released (along with Medtronic Inc.), an endovascular simulator that lets doctors prep before doing angioplasties. With that being said, it's a great possibility that you or a loved one's life may have been indirectly saved by Immersion and you don't even know it. Certainly, it was the doctor that performed the operation, but as the saying goes, practice makes perfect.

Being involved in the medical field may provide with Immersion with a humanitarian edge, but the auto industry gives it some much needed class. But that's easy to achieve when your partners are BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, and Rolls Royce. The Mercedes-Benz S class sedan, for example, includes a "multifunction, programmable rotary controller", and a recently signed deal with car manufacturer Volkswagen and touch-screen supplier SMK should yield some rather intriguing devices, the most notable of which is going to have a serious impact on the way we interact with computers.

Immersion's next generation rumble technology is fantastic and I'll get to that in a moment, but I'm the most taken with TouchSense. Unveiled in 2005, TouchSense provides tactile feedback to touch screens that simulates real time button pressing sensations, so when you press the screen, the screen presses back. It's fantastic, especially if you're used to going through self check-ins at airports, as (from my experience) the kiosks aren't very responsive. TouchSense won't make them better per se, but it will give us the satisfaction of knowing that we're not the blame for the machine not working. Often times, I'm tricked into thinking that I'm not pressing hard enough when in fact it's the device that's flawed, but TouchSense will give you and I the physical confirmation that we've made a correct press. It's just a nice touch that'll further enhance touch screen control, and while no airline has officially partnered with Immersion to use this technology, 3M has entered into an agreement with the company to create a line of gambling machines (touch screen slots) that will hopefully be in use sometime this year.

Regarding next generation rumble, Immersion has made some interesting tweaks to its trademark design, in particular the use of a single motor. Today's current controllers are powered by two motors (one larger than the other to simulate different effects) that can only spin in one direction. The effect is satisfying, yet it doesn't come close to capturing actual gunfire or explosions, partly because it takes time for these motors to build up speed. But this single, next-generation motor is not only capable of spinning in multiple directions, but it can stop on a dime and is generally much stronger than its predecessors. The result is a richer, more intense experience that will further immerse us in these upcoming games.

To demo this, Immersion had me play a couple of PlayStation 2 games using the standard DualShock, those being EA's Medal of Honor: Frontline and Sony's Gran Turismo 4. Employees encouraged me to fire my character's guns and rev my car's engines, and things happened and felt as they should. But then we moved onto LucasArts' Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast for the PC. The game had been specially rigged to work with this next-gen vibration, and the moment the tester pulled out his character's light saber I was blown away. Unlike in previous Star Wars games, where a controller will output the same level of rumble no matter what's going on, there's varying degrees of it, from when the light saber's powered on, to when its cutting things up and to when it's not being used at all, whereupon which the controller provides a very satisfying "hum". And the vibrations don't stop until the weapon's put away. Furthermore, gunfire is just a lot more intense. Not only does each weapon (blaster pistol, cross bow, disrupter rifle) feel different, but the kick back is superb. The difference between this technology and previous controllers is akin to making the jump from the original Resident Evil on PSOne to Resident Evil 4. It's just in stark contrast to what I've been used to.

I'm also impressed that VibeTonz, which is Immersion's rumble technology adapted to cell phones. Basically, instead of developers relying on a phone's single level of vibration to provide us with sound effects, now they can actually program different types of guns and other effects. Pistols, shotguns, machine guns, explosions, and reloading weapons all have distinct vibrations, and the same goes for audio. Now, the music that you downloaded will come with a specific beat, and you'll be able to program your phone so that callers have different associated vibrations. Just think about that. Instead of having to answer or even look at your cell phone you'll be able to know whose calling based on what you feel.

What I really love about this is how it almost eliminates the need for audio. Most times, while in crowded areas or in a car with my parents, I have to mute the sound on my phone, but with VibeTonz I can get an immersive experience without annoying anyone. However, all of this is truly bitter sweet. Previously-released games cannot be coded to support VibeTonz, so something like Gameloft's Lumines Mobile, a puzzle game that features an excellent soundtrack, cannot be further enhanced by this technology. Furthermore, it's not available in many phones, at least not yet. Samsung is the first licensee and the only models that support this technology are the VI-A820, SCH-n330, SCH-G100, SPH-G1000, SGH-E770, SGH-E778, and the SCH-a930, though it's available for most of the major carriers, including Verizon, Spring, Alltel, and MetroPCS (U.S. only), Orange and T-Mobile in Europe), and finally, SK Telecom and KTF in Korea.

Moving forward, it's difficult to make any guesses as to how successful Immersion's going to be. Currently, it's attempting to appeal to Microsoft in the hope that it will create new Xbox 360 controllers that include this new rumble technology, and as I previously mentioned, it hasn't ruled out Sony as a company that it would be willing to work with. That in itself is an interesting bit of information, particularly because I don't feel that Sony's been upfront with the world on its decision to eliminate force feedback in its PS3 controller. However, it's Nintendo that's truly the bigger point of interest. When asked about the N64's Rumble Pak (which was introduced to the public in the 90s), Viegas told me that because Nintendo elected to eliminate force feedback in its Wavebird that Immersion decided to leave it be, but that doesn't make much sense, particularly because standard GameCube controllers still include this technology, though whether or not Nintendo has infringed on Immersion's patents remains to be seen. Furthermore, Viegas assured me that Immersion has every intention of thoroughly examining the Wii controller once it's finalized. It may not share the same spotlight as Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, but never underestimate Immersion. If anything, you may owe them your life.