Wiimote head tracking meets First Person Shooter: die Marshies, die

Remember Johnny Chung Lee's self-made VR head-tracking system cobbled together from a Wiimote and IR-equipped safety glasses? Good, because it's now one step closer to its destiny as the ultimate controller for a first person, Wii shooter. The video experience in a 3D wireframed world does look admittedly rough, but the idea is sound: step forward to move forward, to the sides to turn, and jump to (you guessed it) jump. Fortunately, with Nintendo's WiiWare service now live in Japan, maybe, just maybe someone will see the potential and commercialize this. Watch the Insight VR people hunt down the evil Marshies after the break.

[Via Make and Hack A Day]

[Flashpoint @ Mar 26th 2008 8:00AM]

the best VR concept I ever saw was in "The Mantis" a tv show back in the 90's.

A guy had a VR helmet and he walked on a multidirectional treadmill which allowed for the 4 major axis.

The problem with VR is that the equipment costs way too much until technology gets better and for the most part requires space to move around in. Nintendo Wii won't be able to solve this and from the look of the picture: whatever they make is gonna be just as bad on the eyes as Virtual Boy.

[craig#2 @ Mar 26th 2008 8:11AM]

You're a buffoon!

[SuprSpy79 @ Mar 26th 2008 8:13AM]

Well I can find the article but they have a VR unit that is a big bubble you stand in and it is support by 4 rotating balls at that base so you can walk in any direction and the ball will rotate. Its pretty slick. I would imagine barring the electronics making and inflatable bubble like that could be brought down down a decent price, whether thats in the foreseeable future or not is a different story lol.

[ePants @ Mar 26th 2008 8:26AM]

@Flashpoint:
I agree with craig#2.

You're seriously going to "meh" this proof of concept based on /something you saw on TV/ in the _'90s_? O_o

"Nintendo Wii won't be able to solve this and from the look of the picture: whatever they make is gonna be just as bad on the eyes as Virtual Boy."

Seriously? You expect them to write a full-blown hi-def video game when they're still working out the kinks of the control scheme? They're right on track for exactly what they're trying to do.

Buffoon, indeed.

[Flashpoint @ Mar 26th 2008 8:28AM]

Well, I predicted Blu Ray would win the Format War and I also predicted the Mortgage based
economy would collapse way back in 2005.

You call me out? WELL YOU ARE A TOWEL !

[Spawn_Xe @ Mar 26th 2008 7:21PM]

You predicted blu-ray?.. wow.. how'd you beat those 2 to 1 odds???

And sir, your economy has been doomed for years.. everyone in europe knew it cept those americans who kept spending money they didnt have. Now china owns you... let us know how that goes! ;)

Head tracking + Mitsubishi Laser TV + RealD glasses = *head explodes*

[derek @ Mar 26th 2008 9:08AM]

Well, when you're right 48% of the time you're wrong 52% of the time :-)

[Obsidian desire @ Mar 26th 2008 8:02AM]

Now you can watch yourself blend! Trippy!

[Glazun @ Mar 26th 2008 8:57AM]

I doubt this could be released as a Wii-Ware title.. you'd need to get people to build their own hardware..

Seriously though, why isn't nintendo more interested in this. I've been waiting for a "NINTENDO HIRES JOHNNY CHUNG"

[Troy @ Mar 26th 2008 10:06AM]

I don't see why a game developer couldn't bundle their own hardware. After all, it would only be a stand for the wiimote and a head-band with two infrared lights.

[Andy @ Mar 26th 2008 10:07AM]

Because what Jonny's being doing, while quite cool, isn't anything revolutionary. In fact, I'd be amazed if Nintedo R&D haven't already played with stuff similar to what he's been doing.

Head tracking's cool (especially when done using a normal camera without the silly glasses, like MS & Sony have already demonstrated IIRC) but will suck for multiplayer until 3D/multiple view displays are commonplace (when it essentially becomes a necessity).

[Jonathan @ Mar 26th 2008 8:59AM]

You would thing he could have proofread his captions.

"The first think you need" (@ 0:12)

[a random John @ Mar 26th 2008 11:55AM]

I appreciate the correction. I hope the error wasn't too distracting.

[MJB @ Mar 26th 2008 1:25PM]

"You would thing he could have proofread his captions."

you can't make stuff up like this.

[MJB @ Mar 26th 2008 1:25PM]

"You would thing he could have proofread his captions."

you can't make stuff up like this.

[Adam @ Mar 26th 2008 9:30AM]

Looks pretty cool but things like this probably won't be adopted till the next Nintendo console release, if even then. But if people keep on showing interest with lots of videos and views on social video sites, Nintendo might give the people what they want.

[Alex @ Mar 26th 2008 11:44AM]

Yeah, to pull this off I think you'd need something like a all-directions treadmill style thing. Bearing in mind that nobody's house has the same dimensions as Resident Evil 4.

[a random John @ Mar 26th 2008 11:55AM]

Alex,

You don't need a treadmill. There is a neutral position that is where you stand to stay still. If you take one step forward you move forward in the game world until you step back to the neutral position. If you step to the side you turn until you step back. Taking two steps forward makes you run.

So it isn't as immersive as a treadmill or a room with projectors on all sides, but it does a pretty good job for cheap.

Plus it has a real laser gun. How many games can you play with an actual laser?

[tom @ Mar 26th 2008 2:16PM]

I think you could handle movement by just leaning in the direction you want to go -- kinda like Wii Fit meets Segway.

[Zeus.:God @ Mar 26th 2008 9:59AM]

Everybody! Everybody! Everybody! Everybody!

www.homestarrunner.com/intro.html

[Darroll @ Mar 26th 2008 10:09AM]

If Nintendo doesn't Sony or Microsoft will.

[kanedas @ Apr 7th 2008 7:34AM]

EA does, Boom Blox will have head tracking as an easter egg inclusion. No first person shooter but a first step.

I don't think head tracking should be used for moving in first person games. Just looking from behind cover or a side step to avoid attacks would be way more intuitive.

[a random John @ Apr 19th 2008 12:57AM]

kanedas,

You say that because you haven't tried it.

[Jason Rhyne @ Mar 26th 2008 10:15AM]

Waiting for PS3 hack of the same concept. Hopefully better graphics. I can't sit still thinking about Call of Duty 4 or R6V2 virtual games. I love being a geek. Everyday is new for me. Thanks Engadget.

[Teetdogs @ Mar 26th 2008 11:06AM]

Ok as cool as this is, I dont see it taking over Video Games entirely, for me personally games are a way to sit back and relax after a long day or to waste away my weekend I really dont want to have to really jump or stand for long periods of time just so I can play a game I like to sit back in my recliner and relax not jump around and have to be active, this is main reason why I am not a big fan of the Wii, While I think its neat technology and the Wii sports is alot of fun for the first couple of days I just dont see it taking of gaming as a whole.

Just my .02

[Boarderwoot @ Mar 26th 2008 11:47AM]

Wow teet just continue to promote the sterotype of overweight lazy Americans. Combat Childhood Obeisity! Buy your kid a WII!

This concept is so sweet total immersion in a videogame for the cost of a pair of safety glasses.

Kids demand Fluffypuffs!

[Boarderwoot @ Mar 26th 2008 11:55AM]

*stereotype

[Alex @ Mar 26th 2008 11:57AM]

Teet?
You dirty old man...

[Teetdogs @ Mar 26th 2008 7:27PM]

@ Alex
Actually I work hard and like to relax after a long day not jump up and down just play video games. I dont think I need a workout to play a game that what the gym is for.

@Borderwoot
I'm not sterotyping anybody or anything, I have a Wii(Since my daughter is 2 i dont think she is much into gaming right now), how is wanting to sit back and relax after a long day of WORK contributing to kids getting fat? In reality if you want full imersion go outside to the real world, go for a hike or something no matter what kind of video game they create it is no substitution for getting outside and doing something.

PS Dont be such a dick

[senyl @ Mar 26th 2008 12:30PM]

Marshie is so evil. I'm glad SOMEONE is out to put a laser beam through his soft, squishy head. I wish I could...

"I'm an abomination! And I'm coming to your house after school!"

[kyle allen @ Mar 27th 2008 1:11AM]

"ya! still!"
p.s. nice pic yall biscut-head

[Demo @ Mar 26th 2008 12:50PM]

Wiimote hacking keeps getting better.

[Andy @ Mar 26th 2008 1:02PM]

Except it's done with an iSight.

[Andy @ Mar 26th 2008 2:07PM]

The bit we haven't seen before, that is.

[a random John @ Mar 26th 2008 1:26PM]

Andy,

It is done with BOTH a WiiMote and an iSight. The WiiMote does headtracking and the iSight tracks the laser.

[Andy @ Mar 26th 2008 2:10PM]

Apologies to the random John for forgetting to activate my previous comment.

[peptidefarmer @ Mar 26th 2008 12:57PM]

I hate that fwickin' marshmallow.

[Christian Muise @ Mar 26th 2008 2:39PM]

We've been putting this technology (and related stuff) into an API for developers...as proof of concept we hooked it up to a molecular visualization program:

http://molviz.cs.toronto.edu/molviz/

Hoping to get some SoC students this year, so stable api's will be released.

[a random John @ Mar 28th 2008 12:00PM]

I've just realized that this article seems to attribute the project to Johnny Lee. While I obviously got some ideas from Johnny and also from Graffiti Research Labs, all the code here is my own. In fact, I can't run Johnny's code (and have never looked at it) because I'm using a Mac and he writes in C#.