HMZ-T2 Rumors

This morning, two European tech news sites, Eurogamer.net and Computerandvideogames.com, published stories detailing a virtual 3D headset that Sony is planning to release alongside their hotly anticipated Playstation 4.  The CVG article states that the plan was to reveal this device at Gamescom, but plans fell through at the last minute.  The Eurogamer article draws comparisons between the rumored device and a device that Sony has already put out, the HMZ-T2, as well as drawing comparisons to the Oculus Rift.

I didn't believe this story when I initially read it.  In the months and years before the Playstation 4 and Xbox One were revealed, there were many different rumors going around about what those consoles were going to be, what accessories they were going to have, and what grand and spectacular things those devices were going to be able to do.  Most of those rumors turned out to be false.  Some of those rumors turned out to be laughably false.  Since the articles referenced above referenced a virtual 3D headset, I thought this would turn out to be one of those rumors that would be laughably false.  However, as I dug around, the story started to become more real to me.

Most of the rumors about the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One that turned out to be laughably false sites as sources posts on Reddit, Neogaff, or other sites where rumors spread like wildfire.  People now believe that the laughably false rumors were either plants made by Microsoft or Sony to see where leaks were coming from, or an elaborate joke by some internet prankster.  The stories posted this morning reference none of these sources.  The CVG article sites several sources who wish to remain anonymous, as well as an interview they did with Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida.  The Eurogamer article sites multiple sources, as well as detailing a demonstration involving Evolution Studios' upcoming title DriveClub, a studio which they note has been involved in 3D development before.

There's also the question of the headset.  The Eurogamer article references a device called the HMZ-T2, the name of which brings up memories of the action-blockbuster Terminator 2.  The thing is, the HMZ-T2 is real.  Not only that, Engadget is reporting about a third iteration of this product, set to be unveiled at a Sony event to be held tomorrow.  Leaks the day before a product unveiling are not uncommon, as it is significantly harder to keep news from coming out about a product that it was in the 80's and 90's.

So this may turn out to be real.  Sony may be putting out a virtual 3D headset alongside their hotly anticipated Playstation 4... or they may be coming out with a new product that will not be successful.  Remember, the HMZ-T2 has not been much of a success, and the new iteration of this product may not be so much a Playstation 4 accessory, but an accessory that can hook into most modern video playing devices, including the Playstation 4.  If the rumors are true, we may see tomorrow what this product actually is.  Is it the wave of the future that some think that it is, or is it the thing that will slowly collect dust on the shelf of that rich guy you know who blows all his money on the latest tech?  Well will soon see.