We'll be completely honest -- we had every idea that D-BOX would just fade away into the sunset just a few short months after we initially heard about it. Au Contraire! In just the past week, we've seen the outfit -- which is responsible for a rumbling Motion Code technology that enables you to "feel" the motions of the movie you're watching -- venture into the wide world of gaming and now into Universal's heart. Starting with the December 23-bound Death Race, D-BOX Motion Code will be available on select Universal Studios Home Entertainment Blu-ray Discs, and if we were still placing bets, we'd now say this is probably just the first of many big studio licensing agreements to come.

First it was home theaters, and then came the rumors of actual theaters. Now, D-BOX is officially getting into bed with video games, though we can't say for certain how well it'll be received. For those in the dark, D-BOX's Motion Code system enables specialized chairs to rumble and bumble along with the on-screen action, and thanks to a new deal with Electronic Arts, synchronized buzzing will be a part of Need for Speed Undercover on the PC. There's no word on what other titles are lined up for Motion Code treatment, but we've all ideas this one here will be a litmus test of sorts to see how things pan out. Call us crazy, but we'll take an actual Sunday drive over a simulation.

[Via TheHDRoom]

Chalk this one up as a rumor for now, but CTV has it that those pricey D-BOX chairs you've been ignoring (due to cost, obviously) could wind up underneath your tush, regardless. According to the report, unspecified theater chain owners are contemplating the addition of the motion-simulation chairs as yet another way to bring in legions of customers willing to fork out cash to see new films on the big screen. It's also bruited that the firm will be introducing a new version of its chair at ShowEast 2008 which will be aimed squarely at "commercial theaters." $10 says the butt-kicking experience won't be gratis, even if it does make it into a cinema or two.

Considering the prohibitively high costs associated with D-BOX's admittedly intriguing Motion Code system, it's no real shock that we haven't heard much about the product since 2006. Fast forward a year and change, and The Man Room's Dan Bradley was able to sit down with the firm's Marketing Director and find out a good bit more about the technology. Essentially, the firm encodes films (over 750 are currently in its database) frame by frame with Motion Effects (MFX) that enable at-home movie viewers to actually feel as if they're a part of the action. Interestingly, the shakes aren't created from sound, but rather by a sophisticated actuator system which comes built-in to its own line of seats or can be retrofitted into furniture you already own. Currently, D-BOX has partnerships with Disney, Fox and Sony, and it's hoping to ink deals with a few other studios in the not-too-distant future. In the end, the tech is still too pricey / niche for most, but if you're curious, the full interview awaits you in the read link.