Researchers have developed Scentronic technology capable of identifying and remotely reproducing five types of scents. This advancement has also renewed interest in Hideo Kojima's scent concept for "The Snatcher," proposed nearly four decades ago but ultimately left unrealized.
In the 1980s, while developing this cyberpunk adventure game at Konami, Hideo Kojima hoped to use a special material on floppy disks that would emit a bloody scent when heated, giving players an olfactory experience akin to a crime scene. However, Konami management ultimately rejected the idea because the scheme risked damaging hardware, could release chemicals into enclosed spaces when heated, and would only work once.
Scentronic uses an "electronic nose" to identify scents, then transmits the information to another device, where the receiving end releases corresponding aromatic molecules to recreate similar scents remotely. A PhD student from Ohio State University involved in the research stated that the goal is to enable scents to be shared remotely, just like images and sounds.
Currently, the system can only identify five scents. Its intended primary uses include allowing online shoppers to experience the aromas of perfumes, soaps, and candles beforehand, as well as sharing food scents with distant friends and family. Sony had previously registered technologies related to scent release for games and virtual reality, but there is no evidence that Scentronic has been applied to gaming yet.