Mario Static
Image: Nintendo Life

Update [Thu 11th Jan, 2024 09:20 GMT]:

Proto Inc. has contacted us with a statement to clarify that the Mario hologram seen at CES was an unfinished proof of concept that was not intended for commercial use.

"The AI hologram animation briefly seen today is an unfinished proof of concept tested for a client to demonstrate technological capabilities and innovation. It is not intended for commercial release. AARP and Nintendo were not involved in the inadvertent showing today. The fact that so many gamers of the world have taken notice shows that they are the best fans in the world and we salute them."

So there you go, it seems no one was supposed to see it! At least we know that if a Mario-themed hologram might show up for real in the future, it might be a bit better than this.


Original Article [Wed 10th Jan, 2024 09:45 GMT]:

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is in full swing over in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it's the perfect opportunity for major companies to showcase some of the products and concepts that could be making their way into your homes in the coming years (though there's already a bit too much of a focus on AI for our liking).

We've already seen some truly magnificent feats in technology, such as Samsung's new transparent microled screen and a bonkers gravity-defying robot window cleaner from Ecovacs. Something that's been making the rounds, however, is a rather bizarre depiction of Mario via ProtoHologram and Target. Utilising hologram technology, attendees are able to talk to Mario directly, but the results are, well, kinda baffling...

Sure, it looks like Mario, but it's completely lacking his whimsical characteristics. And what on earth is that voice?! Anyway, we're going to assume that Nintendo probably isn't involved in... whatever this is. It's a weird marketing technique, that's for sure, and it's not really prompting us to dash off to Target anytime soon.

Still, as horrifying as it is, it's also kind of funny. We're not going to lie, we'd probably spend a completely unreasonable amount of time with this thing and see what ridiculous stuff we can get it to say.

But what do you fine folks make of this weird and wonderful CES discover? Is there anything else from the show that you feel needs a shout out? Let us know with a comment.

[source twitter.com]