So now that 3-D is back and it is single-handedly saving the movie industry thanks to visionaries like James Cameron, it seems as good a time as any for another 1950s b-movie gimmick to make a major comeback. That’s right, get ready for the high-tech return of Smell-O-Vision, this time from the comfort of your own home! A company called Scent Sciences Corporation has apparently come up with an amazing new device called ScentScape, which plugs into the USB port on your game console or home entertainment system and delivers various smells to enhance your immersion. Could this be the next big thing? Well, if you believe that, I’ve got a few other things you might be interested in too.

According to their website, ScentScape can emit 20 basic scents and one cartridge can last up to 200 hours in heavy use. Of course, it doesn’t say how much one cartridge costs, but the device itself goes for $69.99. Without any movies or games actually compatible with it so far, it seems pretty useless, but apparently you can add scents to your own home movies… so there’s always that.

Back in 2001, a very similar product called iSmell was created as a way to add odor to websites and e-mail. It was named one of the 25 Worst Tech Products of All Time by PC World Magazine. Let’s face it, over the years, Smell-O-Vision has always been seen as a joke, and I seriously doubt that this technology is going to change that reputation. But hey, who knows… if some big name Hollywood director happens to embrace it, maybe it could catch on. After all, DVD sales are dwindling, and studios going to have to find some way to get us interested again. What do you think, will we all be smelling our movies a few years from now?