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Sony takes SOEmote live for EverQuest II, lets gamers show their true CG selves (video)
We had a fun time trying Sony's SOEmote expression capture tech at E3; now everyone can try it. As of today, most EverQuest II players with a webcam can map their facial behavior to their virtual personas while they play, whether it's to catch the nuances of conversation or drive home an exaggerated game face. Voice masking also lets RPG fans stay as much in (or out of) character as they'd like. About the only question left for those willing to brave the uncanny valley is when other games will get the SOEmote treatment. Catch our video look after the break if you need a refresher.
SOEmote tracks our face, transplants our expressions onto an Everquest II persona (faces-on)
Sony's PlayStation division may have been the main focus this week at E3, but Sony Online Entertainment has something unique of its own to show off for MMORG players. Specifically, folks who are into the PC title Everquest II will soon be able to access a facial recognition feature called SOEmote (S-O Emote). It's no secret that these types of games require massive amounts of communication between players, and SOEmote is an attempt to make in-game conversations more personal than ever. Utilizing any webcam, the software is able map and track your noggin at 64 points, allowing your onscreen character to replicate any facial movements you make. We got a chance to mess around with a beta version of the software, and the results are impressive to say the least -- pretty much all of our facial expressions were accurately recreated. Join us past the break for more details and a hands-on faces-on video demo of it in action. %Gallery-157578%
Previously on MV TV: The week of May 19th
Missing livestreams is so 2011! There's no excuse now, what with the livestream schedule page going up every week, the constant reminders across Twitter, and the super-cool regulars we have who hang out in the chat room with us. But, alas, some of you do occasionally miss a stream or two and need someone to point out what you might have missed. That someone would be me, and this column is the place to go. Last week we had all sorts of cool stuff. Some of the highlights? First we had Richie with some Diablo III Hell-smashing action, MJ deciding to run some dungeons in EverQuest II and Aion, finishing up her Choose My Adventure run in City of Heroes and checking up housing decorations in Vanguard. I'm known to run a stream or two as well, and this week I showed off the new fully voice-acted quest Song from the Depths in RuneScape. Click past the cut and enjoy!
MMO Family: How helpful are those ESRB ratings?
Quick, what's the ESRB rating symbol of your favorite MMO of choice? And if you know that, what are the content descriptors that account for your game's rating? If you got them right, bravo! According to the ESRB's official poll, 85% of parents with children who play video games are aware of the ratings system. For those not familiar, here's the deal: The Entertainment Software Rating Board began in 1994 with the goal of providing a standard set of ratings and descriptors to help adults choose appropriate games for children. But the real question is, are ESRB ratings accurate when it comes to MMOs? The poll also claims that 65% of parents regularly check a game's rating before making a purchase, but are those ratings as helpful when choosing an MMO for your children? Read on for a look at why the E, T, and AO symbols might actually deserve an F.
The Tattered Notebook: Discovery arrives!
The Age of Discovery has arrived, along with the Freeport Reborn game update and the free-to-play transition. On top of that, Frostfell is also upon us, with even more new rewards, tradeskill books, and quests. That's a pretty hefty amount of change to EverQuest II, and it's brought back many former players (as well as new ones). In this week's Tattered Notebook, let's take a look at the first week of launch. I rolled up a Beastlord along with the rest of Norrath, so I'd like to give some first impressions on the new class, take a look at the dungeon maker, and share some overall thoughts on the past week.
EverQuest II upcoming expansion details: Set sail for the Rise of Kunark
Since we've now heard that pre-orders are becoming available for the fourth expansion to EverQuest II, expected to be released November 13th, let's take a look at what players will have to look forward to. Rise of Kunark will focus on the continent of Kunark, including its dragon-lizard inhabitants, the Sarnak. Veterans of the first EverQuest game may remember these annoying fellows, introduced during its first expansion, and be keen to relive old memories by relentlessly hunting them down all over again. But this time around, you can expect them to have a little help.The Sarnak will be greatly bolstering their numbers, as for the first time they become a playable race. Sarnaks will have their own new starting city located in the islands of the Timorous Deep, and the surrounding areas will support advancement to around level 20. The Kunark mainland is designed for the upper echelon of levels, and the expansion itself includes an increase of the existing level cap from 70 to 80. Along with the raising of the level cap and new race, other highlights of Rise of Kunark include an increase in the current achievement point limit of 100 to 140, and a new player mount, the Kunarkian Rhinoceros (which for some reason instantly brings to mind Donkey Kong Country and the rampaging Rambi) to traverse the lands upon. There will of course be new dungeons and raid encounters for the high level folks to sink their teeth into, with Veeshan's Peak (making its return from the original EverQuest) for the top raiders. You can read about the expansion or pre-order the game from Sony's Station Store. Those that pre-order will receive a new pet for their house, a Burynai Seeker. If you wanted to give the game a go before the expansion hits, EQ2's main page includes a download link to a 14-day free trial.
EQII gives nice big pat on own back
The sequel that was supposed to be the greatest thing on this planet, EverQuest II, has recently put up on their Web site a complete list of all the 1337 content they've squeezed onto their game since its launch. In a totally selfless act of promotion, the kind folks at EQII let us all see just exactly what we've been missing in this boring exciting MMORPG experience. Here's just a sample of what we're sure you're kicking yourself for missing: More than 1100 new quests More than 1200 new items Almost 400 new spells 8 new areas to the world If only they had added the most critical item: Fun.[Via MMORPG.com]
Curt Schilling loses the mitt for the ole' mouse & keyboard
Curt Schilling is out of the closet. The one-time World Series MVP recently came clean about his long-time EverQuest addiction. Today, Schilling needs to play multiple EverQuest II characters simultaneously to keep up with his body's craving (see his 4-monitor setup, pictured right). "EverQuest II provides me an opportunity to remain in touch with my family... My son Gehrig and I play together when I'm not working and he's not in school." C'mon Schill, do you really expect us to buy that excuse?The pitching great recently took this other passion to the next level, signing an endorsement deal with SOE. Look for Schilling to lead his guild on daring quests and calculated raids in the recently released Kingdom of Sky expansion.[Thanks, mordecai]
