CES 2008: FPS Gaming Vest and the new HXT helmet at TN Games

TN Games has one purpose inlife: the company wants you to feel it when you get shot in videogames. I hit the company's boot at CES, and after a lengthy wait(everyone wants to put on tactical vests) I was able to demo both theFPS Gaming Vest and the new HXT helmet (thus leading to the sexymilitary man pose you see in the picture).
If nothing else, this equipment makes you look hardcore.Well, except for the blue cap so you don't infect/get infected by otherpeople's scalp problems. I don't think Jack Bauer ever had one ofthose.
The system uses an an air compressor; whenever you are shot in thegame, an air bladder inflates rapidly so you feel the impact of thebullet as it hits you. TN Games showed off its in-house game, Incursion,that is built around these effects. When I take a shotgun round to thechest, I can feel a series of pops on the vest. Someone hits me with asniper rifle, and I get the sensation of someone whacking me on thehead. It doesn't hurt, but it does let you know in a very real way whenyou've been hit. The device also helps with situation awareness: getshot in the back, and you know someone is following you.
I'm not sure how long I would want to game with this much stuff on inmy own home, especially when hooked up to a small air compressor. If Idid use one, though, the first thing I would do to the vest would be tojack up the power. Can you imagine how careful gamers would be ifgetting shot actually hurt? Still, the effect is nice and oddlydisturbing; I'm just not sure it's worth $169.99 for the vest and anundisclosed amount for the helmet.