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Input Devices Microsoft XBox (Games) Entertainment Games

Microsoft Buys Motion-Detection Technology 65

Posted by Soulskill from the fewer-broken-televisions-this-way dept.
DaMan1970 writes with news that Microsoft has purchased 3DV Systems, a company that specializes in motion detection technology. When early reports of this deal appeared last week, it led to speculation that this could be part of Microsoft's plans for future gaming technology. 3DV itself has been focused on the gaming market. "Now that graphics have become so advanced, it explains, the key to making a real difference lies in how you can control the game. The ZCam lets players control the game using body gestures alone, rather as PlayStation's EyeToy does, or Microsoft's Vision or Nintendo's Wii. 3DV Systems argues that its system is better than these, adding that you don't have to wear anything."
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Microsoft Buys Motion-Detection Technology More

Microsoft Buys Motion-Detection Technology

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  • Who cares? (Score:4, Funny)

    by rnaiguy ( 1304181 ) on Monday February 23, 2009 @12:56AM (#26954471)
    I don't wear anything when I play with my Wii as it is.

    • Right. That was my first thought. Now, presumably this device is more advanced than the Wii, so we'll see what Microsoft is able to make of it. I feel pretty confident that most games in 5-10 years will have a Wii-like interface, given the direction of the industry.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Hojima ( 1228978 )

        the key to making a real difference lies in how you can control the game

        No the key difference is to make easy to handle the control. The Wii was successful because it reached out to a new market (i.e. people who don't play video games because it's too difficult/expensive). You can still make use of buttons alone and accomplish that (for example: guitar hero). I personally think that they should go the route of integration with the PC. It could be multipurpose to speed up PC games as well, and I'd much rather play halo 4 or halo wars with a mouse rather than wave some wand at th

        • You can still make use of buttons alone and accomplish that (for example: guitar hero).

          Actually Guitar Hero is a great example of a custom controller making the game work. Ever tried playing it with just a standard controller? Nope, me neither.

  • Multi-purpose (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward

    It will also be useful for detecting incoming projectiles, i.e. chairs thrown by Steve Ballmer.

  • from where? (Score:1, Funny)

    by LingNoi ( 1066278 )

    Did they get the money to buy this from the laid off workers?

  • Huh.. (Score:2, Funny)

    by michael021689 ( 791941 )
    That explains why they need to have their laid off workers pay their severance back!

    • Microsoft buys technology rather than develops it. (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Do you notice that Microsoft buys new technology rather than developing it?

      • Re: (Score:1, Interesting)

        by Anonymous Coward

        Well... kind of.

        Microsoft do develop a lot of technology on their own, through their research division. However, none of that ever ends up in a shipping product, because it was developed in complete isolation with no regard as to whether or not the technology might actually be useful.

        The only technology in a shipping product that Microsoft develop themselves tends to be re-implementations of existing technology - stuff like the Windows NT kernel (they bought the team that developed VMS, and had them re-impl

  • Oh great: (Score:1, Redundant)

    by Fluffeh ( 1273756 )

    adding that you don't have to wear anything

    As if LAN parties weren't bad enough, now I have to frag pimply boys who haven't even got the decency to cover up their jingly bits? On top of that, rather than hearing clicks of mice and taps of keyboards, now you will get to hear fat out of breath kids as they wave and flail about (with their jingly bits flapping in the wind).

    That's just put a dampner on your next night of playing Left 4 Dead eh?

    • That's just put a dampner on your next night of playing Left 4 Dead eh?

      Not really. Fat out of breath kids waving and flailing about, jingly bits flapping in the wind, especially with an appropriate lack of hygiene...

      Sounds like about the most immersive Left 4 Dead ever -- playing with people who look and smell just like real live zombies!

  • Windows 7 Activation (Score:4, Funny)

    by BrunoBigfoot ( 996441 ) on Monday February 23, 2009 @01:45AM (#26954691)
    will now involve successful completion of the Hokey-Pokey, the Macarena, and the Lambada.

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by TENTH SHOW JAM ( 599239 )

      My keyboard is now covered in coffee.

      That would never have happened if I had this tech in place. I would have spat all over the floor/screen/ZCam.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by wisty ( 1335733 )

      Don't tell EA!

    • Activation.

      Ballmer throwing chairs.

      Clippy.

      Vista sales.

      Have I missed anything?

  • But making gamers move would make them way healthier and more physically fit than the average person. So where does that leave us? With an army up superhumans that also know strategy, have good reflexes, and can handle a gun. Oh well, we'll need them when China demands their 10 trillion back.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Gabrill ( 556503 )

      They still won't have suntans, good nutrition, social skills, or usable vision. We don't have anything to worry about.

      • You don't need social skills to fire a gun -- in fact, lack of social skills may help there. The less interaction with fellow human beings, the less empathy.

        Good nutrition, maybe not -- but it's not like that's hard. They do make protein bars which taste every bit as good as the kind of crap snacks you'd be eating. Coffee instead of coke means less sugar, and cheaper.

        Suntans, oh well, give em sunscreen, and makeup (blackface even) if they need it for camo purposes. But if they're healthier, more physically

  • Great (Score:4, Funny)

    by SalsaDot ( 772010 ) on Monday February 23, 2009 @02:16AM (#26954795) Homepage
    So now Clippy can pop up when it detects fapping.

  • Too much effort (Score:4, Funny)

    by alienunknown ( 1279178 ) on Monday February 23, 2009 @02:46AM (#26954919)
    The Atari VCS had it right. Only one button requiring minimal effort. Then came the NES with its 2 button "joy pad". That wasn't so bad until the SNES with its 4 button controller came out and the Sega with its 6 button Mega Drive/Genesis II controller. I think my head will explode if I start talking about the amount of buttons included on the Atari Jaguar controller!

    Here I am, all excited about the Wii with the prospect of having a game console with only 3 main buttons to push! Shaped just like a TV remote and requiring the same amount of effort. And what does Nintendo do? They make it so you have to wave the bloody thing around which requires even more effort then using the Atari Jaguar and its over 15 buttons controller!!!!

    I think I'm going to take an asprin and lay down for a while. Call me when mind-controlled games are available on a console.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Tokerat ( 150341 )

      ...the SNES with its 4 button controller...

      SNES has 6 buttons and a D-Pad. First system with index finder buttons, L & R.

    • You obviously never played a Colecovison, or an Intellevison before.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by HTH NE1 ( 675604 )

      The Atari VCS had it right. Only one button requiring minimal effort. Then came the NES with its 2 button "joy pad". That wasn't so bad until the SNES with its 4 button controller came out and the Sega with its 6 button Mega Drive/Genesis II controller. I think my head will explode if I start talking about the amount of buttons included on the Atari Jaguar controller!

      Defender [wikipedia.org], arcade version. And if that's not complex enough, Stargate [wikipedia.org], arcade version.

  • "It's great we have Microsoft be innovative in ways that small and unknown companies can't be, isn't it?", said Steve Ballmer at a press conference.

    When someone pointed out the obvious, Ballmer threw their chair at them.

  • You don't wear anything for that either. A camera just tracks your movement.

  • I wonder what happens if someone walks between the player and the TV/console... or even if you scratch a random body part without thinking. And unlike the Wiimote, it'd probably only be useful for some games (dance games come to mind). The Wii actually has the tactile feature, so if you're playing golf, you're actually holding onto a stick. What about this 3DV thing? You hold onto nothing? You hold onto anything that's vaguely stick shaped? And what about action/adventure games? How are they going to inco

    • How are they going to incorporate the whole run&gun thing?

      Maybe running on the spot and sudden jerks of the hands to indicate "recoil"? Either that or hook in an audio system and get the user being even more stupid by yelling "bang" for each shot.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by HTH NE1 ( 675604 )

        Maybe running on the spot and sudden jerks of the hands to indicate "recoil"? Either that or hook in an audio system and get the user being even more stupid by yelling "bang" for each shot.

        Real Men [imdb.com] the videogame?

  • ...there's a lot of stuff in my mom's basement.
  • What do you think the next xbox will be called? xbox 720? xii 360(stolen from ninty)? xbox3(from sony)? xcube(nintendo again)?dreamgrasp (sega)? Any better ones?
  • coming soon: the wii-360, because microsoft can't stand nintendo havign a market share!
  • Was that thy were looking for signs of life in their 'programming with security in mind' department.

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