motioncontrols
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Macabre indie puzzler 'Year Walk' coming to Wii U this year
While the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One get most of the attention when it comes to indie games, Nintendo's Wii U has quietly built a solid stable of them as well. The latest? Creepy puzzler Year Walk from Swedish studio Simogo. Yeah, it's appeared on a number of other platforms before, but the company promises that the version coming to the Wii U is no lazy port -- it's been entirely rebuilt with the console's unique characteristics in mind by the folks at Dakko Dakko. For instance, the GamePad is used extensively throughout be it for note taking or accessing the game's encyclopedia and map. You can use motion controls in conjunction with analog sticks to look around, and Simogo says that while that might scare some folks off, it's actually pretty chill and the required input movements are subtle.
Kinect for Windows SDK gets accelerometer and infrared input, reaches China and Windows 8 desktops
Microsoft had hinted that there were big things in store for its update to the Kinect for Windows SDK on October 8th. It wasn't bluffing; developers can now tap a much wider range of input than the usual frantic arm-waving. Gadgets that move the Kinect itself can use the accelerometer to register every tilt and jolt, while low-light fans can access the raw infrared sensor stream. The Redmond crew will even even let coders go beyond the usual boundaries, giving them access to depth information beyond 13 feet, fine-tuning the camera settings and tracking skeletal data from multiple sensors inside of one app. Just where we use the SDK has been expanded as well -- in addition to promised Chinese support, Kinect input is an option for Windows 8 desktop apps. Programmers who find regular hand control just too limiting can hit the source for the download link and check Microsoft's blog for grittier detail.
Leap Motion gesture control technology hands-on
Leap Motion unveiled its new gesture control technology earlier this week, along with videos showing the system tracking ten fingers with ease and a single digit slicing and dicing a grocery store's worth of produce in Fruit Ninja. Still, doubts persisted as to the veracity of the claim that the Leap is 200 times more accurate than existing tech. So, we decided to head up to San Francisco to talk with the men behind Leap, David Holz and Michael Buckwald, and see it for ourselves. Join us after the break to learn a bit more about Leap, our impressions of the technology, and a video of the thing in action.%Gallery-156126%
Leap Motion reveals super-accurate motion control tech, $70 device to change the UI game
In many respects, Microsoft has led the charge towards a future of gesture-based controls with its Kinect, and other tech giants like Samsung and Apple are getting in on the action, too. The move to motion controls isn't limited to the big boys, however. Leap Motion has created a new device, called the Leap, it claims is 200 times more accurate than existing technology and will take gesture controls to the next level. It's about the size of a pack of gum, and once connected to your computer via USB, it creates a eight-cubic-foot virtual workspace. Within that area, it tracks all ten of your fingers simultaneously to within 1/100 of a millimeter -- that level of accuracy allows for rudimentary gestures like pinch-to-zoom and more complex actions like manipulating 3D-rendered objects. Naturally, the company isn't telling much about the black magic making it happen, but Leap Motion claims that its software can be embedded in almost anything with an onboard computer, from phones to refrigerators. Users can customize it to suit their needs with custom gestures and sensitivity settings, in addition to chaining multiple Leap devices together to create a larger workspace. Plus, Leap Motion has created an SDK for devs to create Leap-compatible applications and an app discovery platform to distribute them to others. That means the Leap can work in a variety of use cases, from simply navigating your desktop to gaming and computer-aided design. The best part? Leap brings you this next-gen UX for a mere $69.99, and a select few can pre-order them now, with the full roll-out coming this winter. Full details follow in the PR below, and you can see the Leap in action in the videos after the break.
Wii platformer LostWinds coming to iOS
I really enjoyed the Wii game LostWinds, released a few years ago as a downloadable title on Nintendo's popular home console. So I'm excited to hear that the developer, Frontier Developments, is planning to bring the original game over to the iPhone and the iPad, as well as the Android platform. The game features a little protagonist named Toku, who can either move around the beautiful cel-shaded world himself, or have the wind, managed with motion controls, help him get little boosts and support. On the iOS version, Toku will apparently be moved via an on-screen touchpad, and of course the motion controls will be replaced with swiping and gestures. Sounds fun. The game also had a sequel called "Winter of the Melodias," though it appears this initial release is just for the first title. The game is expected out on the App Store later on this year.
PS4 production to begin later this year?
We're still waiting on that globe-like PS9 (aren't you?), but seeing as how wireless head-to-console gaming isn't yet available or ethical, we'll make do with PS4 rumors. Based on nothing more than a game of component-maker telephone, sources out of Taiwan are telling Digitimes to expect a brand new PlayStation 4 for launch sometime in early 2012. Reportedly on board for this latest iteration are baked-in motion controls à la Kinect and a holographic David Lynch virtual pet. We kid, but we do hope he helms those new ads. According to these anonymous insiders, Sony has a planned production run of 20 million consoles for launch -- all headed straight to eBay, we imagine. It should go without saying that news of this kind should be taken with a mouthful of salt, but with the PS3 turning five this November, it's a safe bet that there's a successor to the "It Only Does Everything" throne on the way. [Image credit via CNET Asia]
Deadmund does it right: PlayStation Move and 1:1 swordplay, hands-on (video)
Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest may be built on the mini-game mechanics of last year's Sports Champions, but its whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We hit up Sony at E3 2011 to see if Deadmund could out-fence the Jedi in a duel of 1:1 swordplay and on-rails battle. What we found was surprisingly responsive. Deadmund himself runs on a pre-set path, plodding his way through a skeleton-filled barracks automatically. Deadmund's on-screen sword matched our wand-equipped wrist's every move, accurately slicing skeletor wannabes any way we saw fit. Reaching behind our back with the Move controller let us pull a virtual arrow from a quiver, or we could choose to dispatch baddies by flinging throwing stars. If the on-screen slashfest lagged behind our physical slicing in any significant way, we didn't notice -- we were too busy loving the Move's speedy response time. Faster swings produced "stronger" in-game sword attacks, or farther flying shurikens. Last year at E3, we accused the PlayStation Move of just skirting outside of gimmick-land, but it's hard to argue with 1:1 motion control this responsive. Will Deadmund move Sony's motion lollypop to the front of the gesture control race? Probably not on his own, but it's still great to see this tech at its best. Check out our hands-on playthrough video after the break to see the action for yourself.
Evoluce announces 46-inch display with built-in 3D sensors
We've already seen Evoluce toy around with Kinect hacks and multitouch displays, and it's now inevitably managed to combine the two. The company has just announced its new I-Voluce display, which fuses a standard 46-inch LCD with some integrated "3D depth sensing technology" that's apparently not simply a repurposed Kinect -- exact details on it are light, but it will apparently work from a distance of up to 13 feet, and it relies on Windows 7 for an OS. That's obviously not designed for home use, but Evoluce does see plenty of potential for the displays in public spaces like museums, as well as in office and education environments. For those that prefer a more hands-on approach, Evoluce also has an updated version of its Surface-style multitouch table, the Evoluce Two, which also packs 3D depth sensing technology and can accommodate up to six users simultaneously. Of course, neither exactly come cheap -- look for prices to start at €3,995, or about $5,600.
Kinect combos Street Fighter IV, fires single-fisted boomsticks at the FPS crowd (video)
Oh sure, we've seen the Kinect assist a hadouken or two, but that wasn't the same: here, the YouTube user who brought us Call of Duty via Wiimote, Nunchuk and Kinect is throwing fireballs and taking names in the real game. Demize2010 manipulated the FAAST emulator to recognize a variety of virtual martial arts gestures, including the infamous dragon uppercut and whirlwind kick -- giving him everything he needs for a flowchart victory with only his bare hands. Meanwhile, one Bill Maxwell has taken the Kinect and made it recognize his fist, the better to control first-person shooter games with requiring an Wiimote intermediary. He's developed a "high-speed kinematic tracker" called MaxFPS that monitors his hand's position in real time, allowing him to move, turn, jump, and reload with quick swipes of his paw. How do you shoot? Why, by punching those baddies' lights out, of course. See it on video after the break.
Lenovo's Chinese eBox console suffers delay, here's how its camera-based games might play (video)
We had nearly forgotten Lenovo's Eedoo spinoff and its China-bound video game console, seeing as how it failed to meet a planned November 2010 unveiling, but IDG News reports that the motion-sensing eBox hasn't slipped Lenovo's mind -- it's just been pushed further into 2011. How far? If we were to guess, we'd say Q2 2011, and the video above spells out why. Seemingly by coincidence, we were just sent this footage of a game called Flyimal, built on the Unity Engine as a collaboration between 3D asset company Mixamo and 3D gesture recognition company Omek Interactive, and -- get this -- running on "the first [console] to be made by the Chinese for the Chinese market and due for launch by Q2 of this year." We can't think of many game systems that fit that description, to be honest. There's not a lot to look at here, but we imagine PrimeSense and competitors will be perusing the video soon, noting that the machine captures precisely 15 points on a user's body for its gesture recognition algorithms... and wondering if there's a third dimension to any of that movement. Read Unity, Mixamo and Omek's statement after the break.
Intel waves around Razer's Sixense motion-sensing sticks, plays Portal 2 on the big screen (video)
For any new peripheral to succeed in the market, it needs a killer app. Seems like Razer found one -- at Intel's press conference at CES 2011, it got to demo Portal 2 with its Sixense motion controller. We were on hand to see it in action, and it looks like the game's tailor-made to take advantage of your precision arm-waving; moving the right stick controls a tractor beam that emanates from the Portal Gun, such that your protagonist can reach though those game-twisting wormholes without sticking her neck out. But don't take our word for it -- see for yourself after the break!
LG ST600 Smart TV Upgrader, new Magic Remote eyes-on at CES
We took a closer look at the new LG ST600 Smart TV Upgrader after LG's CES 2011 press event, and while we weren't allowed to handle it for as long as we would've liked, we did manage to snag a few brief impressions. The box is designed to provide consumers with older TVs access to LG's latest SmartTV functions using just an HDMI link. Size-wise, the set-top box seems close to the Apple TV, although it's clearly chunkier. In terms of connections, we spotted an HDMI and Ethernet port in the rear, with at least one USB port on the side. As the image shows, LG's upgraded Magic Remote was also present -- though it's not compatible with this box due to a lack of integrated motion controls. The new wand will ship with LG's latest Smart TVs, and has a more rounded form factor than its predecessor. The enter button was also swapped out for a more prominent Home button. LG is really touting the device as a simpler way to navigate through an ever-growing list of TV extras, but we can't help thinking it's just a streamlined Wiimote. %Gallery-112715%
Razer building motion-sensing exercise peripheral using Sixense tech, handheld sticks slated for 2011 (video)
We're honestly not certain what it has to do with Intel, but here's some welcome news for the gaming and home exercise fronts -- Razer told the IDF 2010 crowd that the Sixense motion-sensing sticks it showed off at CES will finally arrive sometime "early next year." What's more, the company's been hard at work miniaturizing the one-to-one motion control tech into an exercise band, and while we've no word on when that's due or how much a "personal doctor" might cost, you can find a close-up (of a render, natch) after the break to see what it might look like (and video of the handheld sticks, if you're game).
PlayStation Move review
The PlayStation Move. It's funny to think just 15 months have passed since Sony first unveiled its motion controller, and now we're mere weeks away from hitting the retail market. To be sure, it's not like the company didn't have waggle on the mind already -- patents dating as far back as 2005 reveal as much, and of course the incredible success of Nintendo's Wii proved there's a market for more physically exerting gameplay. And it's not just PlayStation; Microsoft's got its controller-free Kinect motion camera system coming this November. So, in the year where all major game consoles now ask you to get off the couch and earn arm muscle, how does Move fare? Read on for more!
Students program Human Tetris into 8-bit microcontroller, give away schematics for free (video)
Sure, Project Natal is the hotness and a little bird tells us PlayStation Move is pretty bodacious, but you don't have to buy a fancy game console to sooth your motion-tracking blues. When students at Cornell University wanted to play Human Tetris (and ace a final project to boot), they taught a 20Mhz, 8-bit microcontroller how to follow their moves. Combined with an NTSC camera, the resulting system can display a 39 x 60 pixel space at 24 frames per second, apparently enough to slot your body into some grooves -- and as you'll see in videos after the break, it plays a mean game of Breakout, too. Full codebase and plans to build your own at the source link. Eat your heart out, geeks.
Student moves quadriplegics with Wiimote wheelchair control (video)
There were certainly a couple whiz kids at Intel's International Science and Engineering Fair this year, but high school senior John Hinckel's a regular MacGyver: he built a wheelchair remote control out of a couple sheets of transparent plastic, four sliding furniture rails and some string. A Nintendo Wiimote goes in your hat and tells the whole system what to do -- simply tilt your head in any direction, and accelerometer readings are sent over Bluetooth. The receiving laptop activates microcontrollers, directing servo motors to pull the strings, and acrylic gates push the joystick accordingly to steer your vehicle. We tried on the headset for ourselves and came away fairly impressed -- it's no mind control, but for $534 in parts, it just might do. Apparently, we weren't the only ones who thought so, as patents are pending, and a manufacturer of wheelchair control systems has already expressed interest in commercializing the idea. See the young inventor show it off after the break.
Cellbots get Nexus One upgrade, ad-hoc motion control (video)
Sprint and Verizon may have shunned the Nexus One, but that doesn't mean the handsets can't be put to good use: these Android-controlled, Arduino-powered Cellbots now feature the one true Googlephone as the CPU. At Intel's 2010 International Science and Engineering Fair in San Jose, we got our hot little hands on the DIY truckbots for the first time, and found to our surprise they'd been imbued with accelerometer-based motion control. Grabbing a Nexus One off a nearby table, we simply tilted the handset forward, back, left and right to make the Cellbot wheel about accordingly, bumping playfully into neighbors and streaming live video the whole time. We were told the first handset wirelessly relayed instructions to the second using Google Chat, after which point a Python script determined the bot's compass facing and activated Arduino-rigged motors via Bluetooth, but the real takeaway here is that robots never fail to amuse. Watch our phone-skewing, bot-driving antics in a video after the break, and see what we mean.
PlayStation Move requires only 2MB of RAM, developers breathe sigh of relief
While it's a crying shame that Sony's PlayStation Move won't have full four-player support, at least the technology is efficient; our buddies at Joystiq are reporting that the camera-and-wand based motion control game system will only minimally impact game performance. Quizzing Sony's David Coombes, they found out that the advanced image processing required to make sense of your wild, flailing movements will take only 1-2 MB of RAM. Of course, when you consider that the PS3 has only 256MB of fast XDR memory to begin with, that 2MB isn't as "insignificant" as Sony would have you believe, but coupled with the company's claim that the whole shebang takes "under a frame" of the Cell CPU's processing time, we're inclined to think it won't be much of an issue for the end user. Assuming they fix that nasty lag, of course. Check out our full PlayStation Move guide for more details.
Square Enix President predicts Wii HD for 2011, doesn't see big impact for PS3 and Xbox motion controls
Image courtesy of GAME Watch Sure, they sound like the words of a man who hasn't begun development of any motion-controlled titles for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, but we're still intrigued by President of Square Enix Yoichi Wada's statement (he's the guy on the left) that the motion control additions to the PS3 and Xbox 360 aren't that big of deal. He cites the other "pillars" of console use (like video playback) that somehow make motion controls a minor player -- though we'd say the Wii's sales numbers would beg to differ. Speaking of the Wii, Yoichi thinks all three major consoles will start to look rather the same by 2011, when believes the Wii followup will hit the market -- in line with other rumors we've heard for the "Wii HD." Three "HD" consoles with similar input options and similar graphics output certainly sounds like a boon for developers, we just hope there are enough similarities in the control systems and enough "impact" in PS3 and Xbox motion control sales to make mega triple-platform motion-controlled blockbusters feasible. [Via Joystiq]
Sony placing PS3 slim manufacturing orders for delivery in July?
We haven't heard much about the PS3 slim since E3, but that doesn't mean it's been entirely quiet out there -- the hot rumor today is that Sony's signed manufacturing agreements with both Foxconn and Pegatron to build the revised model in time for July delivery. That much we believe, since it's been backed up by a couple different credible reports, but here's where it gets totally insane: there's a suggestion that the slim will be the last PS3 model of this generation, and that a next-gen console based on Sony's motion controller is due in spring 2010. We don't buy that at all, since the PS3 is just entering its prime and Sony was clear that the motion controller was for the existing console, so we think this rumor is getting garbled down the wire -- it's far more likely that the slim is being prepped for an August launch to coincide with those rumored price cuts, and that new PS3 bundles that include the motion controller are set to drop next year. That's just our take on the matter, though -- we'll see how things shake out.
