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First Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise 'Vision Card' up for download
The festivities on Piñata Island won't get into full swing until Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise hits shelves on September 2, but that's not stopping Rare from handing out an early party favor. As we reported back in May, the game will use the Xbox Live Vision camera to "scan" physical cards – similar to Sony's Eye of Judgment – that unlock items, change the in-game weather, etc. The first of these cards is now up on MundoRare, featuring a curious critter created by VP2 designer Ray Stevenson. Clicking on the card image above will take you to a full-sized version that can be printed out and tucked safely away until the game streets. The rest of the dev team is also crafting cards that will surely pop up online closer to launch. Speaking of making cards, you'll be able to do the same simply by snapping photos of items and piñatas in your garden via an in-game camera. They can then be emailed to friends, who can print them out and hold them up to their Vision cameras, thus completing the circle of life.
You're in the Movies bundled with Vision Cam for $60
If you're curious just how much it costs to make a B-movie nowadays you could always risk a fat lip and call up Uwe Boll ... or just talk to the folks from Codemasters and Microsoft, who are releasing You're in the Movies this fall. According to a Microsoft representative, the game is being bundled with the Xbox Live Vision Cam for the not unreasonable price of $60 (remember, the camera is $40 alone). We've asked for information on the standalone SKU and we'll let you know when we hear back.
You're in the Movies to make B-movies via Xbox Live Vision
You're in the Movies was announced by Shane Kim and Don Mattrick at the Microsoft press conference today. The game will come with an Xbox Live Vision camera, and will place animations and backgrounds around actual video recorded from the camera.Sounds silly to us, but you never know -- maybe some aspiring filmmaker out there will find their medium with a game that can make it look like you're fleeing Godzilla.
Camera support for next Burnout? Why? How?
Computer and Video Games has an extremely short story (more like a haiku, really) in which Criterion's Alex Ward hints at digital camera support for both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Burnout 5. Our first thought upon reading this was, "Why does this game need camera support?" Is there going to be some sort of wave-your-hands-to-move- the-on-screen-steering-wheel mode? Is the game going to display our twisted, mangled faces as we react to the twisted, mangled cars on screen? Are they going to let us take pictures of our own car and then blow up an in-game model of it? Because that last one would be kind of cool.Our second thought was, "Hey whatever happened to the HD EyeToy promised for the PS3?" The thing was shown off way back at E3 2006 working with SingStar and gimmicky card battle game Eye of Judgement. Since then, the Sony camp has been dead silent on the peripheral. The best information we were able to find is a cryptic October interview with EyeToy designer Richard Marks that calls the device "a concept rather than a product line." Since the PS3 supports data from practically any USB webcam for video chats (even the Xbox Live Vision cam), has the idea of a specific, Sony-branded EyeToy fallen by the wayside?
Save $10 on Vision and wireless controller
We've destroyed our Sunday paper looking for good 360 deals and thankfully came upon Circuit City's ad. This week at Circuit City or online you can get the Xbox Live Vision camera for $29.99 and the wireless controller for $39.99. That's a savings of $10 on each item! $30 is a great "try me" price for the Vision camera to see if you enjoy it. And it even comes with UNO in the package and TotemBall to download. Did you find any great Xbox 360 deals in this week's paper or online?
Command & Conquer 3 to support 360 webcam victory dances
Support for the Xbox Live Vision webcam has been slow to develop. When you look at how EA is implementing the product into Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars it's easy to see why. Would you want to watch some pimply-faced kid shake his stuff after obliterating you and whoever else on the battlefield? Here's to hoping the 'Spotlight' feature -- giving match winners an uncontested 10 seconds of air time -- can be easily disabled.
Texas Hold 'em to get Vision upgrade?
Sharp-eyed 360 Fanboy reader, Gregg Smith, noticed something after this morning's fall update. If you list your Xbox Live Arcade games by category, there is a section for Vision Camera enabled games. In that category, Texas Hold 'em -- or as I call it, Texas Hold Them -- is listed as Vision enabled. Granted, I don't play Hold 'em very much, so I fired it up just to be sure. Lo and behold, there is no Vision support. Does this mean that Hold 'em will have an upgrade in the near future, or did someone at 360 HQ make a mistake?
Totem Ball gesticulates onto Xbox Live Arcade
In case you missed it, yesterday's Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday title was the gesture-controlled Totem Ball, released for the low, low price of 0 Microsoft Points (that's $0 USD). The catch: you need Microsoft's Xbox Live Vision camera to play the game.Totem Ball was announced as a free download for all camera purchases but, considering the device hit retail a little early and the game's release is a little late, the retail box came with no Totem Ball registration key. No worries, that's why they stuck it up on Live as a free download (you need the camera either way). The first gesture-based XBLA game proves that the Vision camera is capable of being using as an input device, but is it more than a simple proof of concept?
Major Nelson demos Vision camera
Rather than just a standard pod blogcast this week, Major Nelson has instead posted a video podcast. Big deal, you say. But wait, there's more! This video podcast is all about the new Vision camera, which comes out tomorrow (assuming you couldn't snag one early from Toys R Us). The video -- weighing in at over twenty minutes long -- outlines all the super nifty great features of the peripheral. And, did we hear that Rainbow Six: Vegas will feature face mapping? We're pretty sure we did.Those of you interested in the camera (vibration functions and all) should definitely check it out.
Xbox Live Vision camera reviewed, nudity imminent
Our pals over at Joystiq managed to get their hand on the Xbox Live Vision camera over the weekend, and what with the official launch of the Vision being two weeks away, they weren't expected to see any other gamers video-chatting during their testing. As it turns out, Joystiq's innocent reviewer met another camera user within minutes of booting up Uno, an encounter made doubly-memorable by the bare-assed greeting that the other Vision owner decided to send down the pipe. As well as functioning as a broadcasting platform for rookie streakers, the Vision is capable of mapping player's faces onto in-game characters and EyeToy-like gestural control: titles taking advantage of these features will hit the XBL Marketplace on September 19. Other tidbits that Joystiq noted include: an anthropomorphic design enhanced by the fowards-backwards / left-right custom tilt of the camera, and the complete listing of what's included in the two different camera bundles. Budget buyers will be looking to pick up the $40 package which includes the Vision, a one month XBL Gold membership, the Xbox 360 headset, and free downloads of Uno and a 3D platform game called TotemBall. The $80 bundle gets you a twelve month XBL Gold membership, 200 Microsoft Points, and a free download of Robotron: 2084 on top of everything included in the $40 package. Something tells us that September 19 is going to be a disturbing day for Uno players on Xbox Live.
Joystiq hands-on: Xbox Live Vision camera (or: IT BEGINS!)
A small, plain box arrived unexpectedly from Redmond over the weekend containing nothing more than the diminutive Xbox Live Vision camera floating in a sea of amniotic packing paper. No retail box here, just the tiny little camera and its accompanying PR fact sheet ("Microsoft Corp.'s line of Xbox 360™ Authentic Products continues to grow while ..."). The sheet does detail the two bundles that will be released on September 19th, clipped after the break.We hurriedly grabbed some snaps before hooking up the Vision to the ol' 360 and taking it for a spin around the UNO block ... where IT happened. We've grown (abnormally) accustomed to the sort of blue language one finds while playing outside of the confines of your Xbox Live friends list -- this is of course, entirely different than the blue language you enjoy while playing with your friends, but we digress -- but it wasn't ten minutes before we had our first PG-13 exposure. Read on for the entire, sordid tale (with NSFW pictures!).
Toys 'R' Us jumps the gun on Xbox 360 camera
It seems one forgetful Toys 'R' Us out there has begun stocking Microsoft's Xbox Live Vision camera out on store shelves a wee bit early -- by a whole month actually. With visual proof posted on Flickr, one lucky guy has walked away with a peripheral that many 360 owners are very much looking forward to.In case you're wondering what was inside the package, here's what it offered: A headset, the camera, codes for one month of Live Gold and a registration key for Uno. We guess TotemBall isn't really coming with the camera as previously reported, unless it is available in a totally different bundle option.[Via Engadget]
Xbox Live Vision sneaks onto store shelf
It's a whole month early -- Microsoft's Xbox Live Vision camera is still due for actual release on 9/19 -- but during a recent Toys 'R' Us run lucky tipster Leo managed to walk away with his very own Live Vision camera, courtesy of an evident stocking snafu. The shiny package includes a headset, the camera, codes for 1 month of Live Gold and a registration key for fan-fave Uno. Of course, we don't suppose he'll be able to get much use out of it until Microsoft launches the device officially, but it makes for a good Flickr set, and some decent bragging rights.
Free game coming with 360 camera
Gamasutra has received confirmation that the Xbox Live Vision camera for the 360 will come with a free game: TotemBall.TotemBall is controlled almost entirely through gestures; that is, the game tracks a player's arm movements to control a rickety, wheeled totem pole tower around each level, collecting items and trying to reach the exit within a time limit. Microsoft's Jeff Stone also tells the site that "more gestural games are in early development." Coming out on Sept. 19, GameStop has unofficially listed the camera's price at $39.99. With that price point and the integration of the camera into a myriad of games currently out and on the horizon -- such as World Series of Poker -- this seems like Microsoft's must-have peripheral for the 360.
Current XBLA to be updated for use with camera
Speaking to Godfree at Gamertag Radio, Xbox Live Arcade Manager Aaron Greenberg confirms that some of their current XBLA offerings will be updated to make them compatible with the Vision Camera, including Spades, Bankshot Billiards 2, and "other classic titles." The aforementioned games will be joined by UNO, which is already compatible with the camera.The games will be Vision-compatible via updates when the Vision Camera launches on September 19.
$40 XBL Vision camera & UNO bundle detailed by MS source along with prices & dates for other 360 accessories
Our friendly anonymous source at Microsoft has provided us with a few more details concerning the 360 accessories announced back at E3.Perhaps the most important involves the bundling of the Xbox Live Vision camera with a wired headset, the popular Live Arcade title UNO, and a month of Live Gold service for $39.99 when it releases in the States on September 19, 2006.Granted, this is still an unofficial report (based on a leak of "official" info), so understand that you're probably not gonna get much confirmation from MS until they're good and ready to give it. If you'd like information on what other peripherals are coming out "Holiday 2006" (so sometime in the 4th quarter) and at what price, read on for more.
XBL Vision camera delayed to October 2nd in Europe and Asia outside of Japan; U.S. Sept. 19th release still on track
Major Nelson has corrected an earlier report made during a recent Blogcast concerning the release date for the Xbox Live Vision camera: it will be out in Europe and Asia (outside of Japan) on October 2nd rather than the earlier September 19th date, which still applies for 360 owners in the U.S.We suppose the short wait is better than the lack of any confirmed release dates for Japan, New Zealand, Australia, or any of the other countries in which the system has already been officially launched. At least Japanese gamers can still converse on their original Xboxes with the Xbox Video Chat camera that was released only in that fair land. They might not get to play UNO on the current generation of hardware, but it's better than nothing.[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]See also: Xbox Live Vision camera coming mid September Report from a much earlier E3 concerning Xbox Video Chat in Japan
Xbox Live cam tester caught on camera
Even though the Xbox 360 camera ain't dropping until September, recent Xbox Live Arcade title Uno features Vision camera support. Cheap Ass Gamer daphatty ran into a camera beta tester while playing a game recently, only to fumble when trying to record it for posterity proof. So what did he do? He laid in wait, finally capturing (on camera) his prey. Camera tester Maestro1 had the camera turned on but -- in what was surely an attempt to psych-out his opponent -- had the camera directed not at himself but at his dog. Is Maestro1 invisible? Is the dog playing? Did he travel into the future to get the camera? Draw four? Aww shucks!(Blurry cam) video embedded after the break.[Thanks, SickNic]
Xbox Live Vision camera coming mid September
Major Nelson has revealed that the Xbox Live Vision camera is all set for a simultaneous European and North American launch on the 19th of September. The forthcoming Xbox Live update will be adding support for the camera, so once this little gadget is released you should be able to plug it straight in and talk face-to-face with your gamer buddies or bet your life away in a virtual game of Texas Hold 'Em. There's still no official pricing but earlier rumors suggest that the cam will be priced from around $20-40 depending on whether or not you opt for a bundle that includes a headset, a month of Xbox Live and an XBLA game.[Via Engadget]
Xbox 360 camera plus poker equals immersion
After the Microsoft keynote we managed to spend some time with one of the games supporting the 360's camera peripheral, World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions. In this game, the camera is used to take a frontal and sideways shot of the player's head, which is then turned into a 3D representation of the player.The process takes about three minutes, and is a little rough around the edges, but the immersiveness from seeing your opponents' faces both in 3D and in a superimposed webcam display is undeniable. The PMS Clan ladies demonstrating the game were impressed, describing it as a way to increase the addictiveness and realism of online poker, and wondering when they'd see their own faces in their favourite FPS. However, we find the concept of seeing our own dead bodies disturbing enough without adding our faces to it.
