Regardless of whether you think it's the next great tech invention or a potentially harmful distraction, Google Glass is coming. I may have some concerns about the true impact of this kind of eyewear, but I would be naive to suggest that there's anything we can do to stop it. It seems like all I can do now is sit here sulking, quietly blaming Google for the downfall of civilization as we know it.

But what if I could blame another company for Glass and go on using Google Image Search guilt-free? Believe it or not, that's exactly what GamePro magazine has allowed me to do. On the cover of their June 1990 issue, GamePro's artists have developed what appears to be an early version of Google Glass.

Found on both the umpire and batter, this futuristic heads-up display predates Google's invention by more than two decades. As you can tell by the images below, GamePro's design is slightly bulkier than the 21st century model. It's also attached to a helmet, no doubt because of the incredible amount of battery power needed to run such a device. These minor differences are a product of its time, as the early 1990s wasn't known for its sleek gadgetry.


Looking back at it now, this GamePro artwork points to one of the many problems associated with Google Glass. Here we see two of the three players using their prototype eyepieces, leaving only the catcher without. Suddenly he's at a disadvantage, as everybody around him is able to receive data and capture video every second of the day. This leaves him paranoid, always afraid that he's being recorded.

This catcher remembers a time when getting to know somebody involved asking questions, not scouring Facebook for information. A time when every private conversation wasn't being recorded. You can see it in his eyes, he vividly remembers a day when baseball players didn't wear protective armor and swing a lightsaber.

Incidentally, this early Google Glass prototype shares the cover with Dick Tracy, who is best known for his own forward-thinking contraptions. Thanks to the invention of Pebble Smartwatch and other similar devices, we're one step closer to fulfilling Chester Gould's vision of mobile communication. It's only a matter of time before the 21st century is as cool as the fictional 1930s.

This is not the first time GamePro's art department has been prophetic. Ten years ago, the magazine predicted the PSP's final design, only to perfectly illustrate the actual look of the then-unknown Nintendo DS. Who would have thought that GamePro would be the Nostradamus of video game magazines?