Wow. I didn't think this new camera accessory was half bad, but your post just really tore it to shreads. :P I hadn't thought of any of that, but I completely agree.
I think c0rd is just pointing how regardless how well the Z-Cam actually works, it still probably limited to a specialty device. Dance Mats, Light Guns, and Guitar Controllers are all awesome, but only when used with dancing, shooting, and music games.
Let’s take stickball’s suggestion of an Oblivion like adventure game.
How you move? Run in place? Might get tiresome. How do you turn? Turn your head? Might have trouble seeing the screen. How do you use things like inventory or pause the game? Memorize different hand commands? Might be a lot to remember. How do you fight, converse, jump, etc.
Buttons are useful for a lot of things. Even popular balance board games like Shaun White have to use the Remote and Nunchuck as well.
It does look interesting. Still, I can't see removing traditional controllers entirely being a good thing, there's only so many different kinds of input you can do with body gestures.
Besides, it's a lilttle foolish to compare this to Wii Sports' Boxing of all things. Yeah, maybe it is better than Boxing (the sport many feel is the weakest of the bunch). How about Tennis, Baseball and Bowling? You need to hold onto something, else it wouldn't feel natural, correct? How would you play Mario Kart Wii with this thing? Or, if that's not possible, then what would be the next Mario Kart Wii?
Basically, I don't think the camera alone is enough, you still need a physical remote for most games. If it doesn't cost so much I can see it being a worthy addition to next-gen consoles though.
edit: I also wonder how convinient this camera is, can it view a wide enough area to get the whole living room? Can it correctly determine which person is which in local multiplayer games? I imagine there has to be some technical difficulties.
Wow. I didn't think this new camera accessory was half bad, but your post just really tore it to shreads. :P I hadn't thought of any of that, but I completely agree.
Just and idea on racing games: Racing games can come with a plastic wheel (with no electronics in it) so that the camera can detect it. Gear change, acceleration and brakes can be done by "touching" or "nudging" parts of the screen.
But to be honest, I prefer to have a steering wheel and foot pedals instead.
It would work for some types of games - MS could do a convincing WiiSports title for instance.
But with no buttons, and no easy/accurate way of selecting or controlling things on-screen - its only half a solution.
Having to pick up a 360 controller to do 'everything else' wouldn't be that great (otherwise, its basically just EyeToy...)
Matt C. demoed this thing at was pretty impressed with it, claiming it out Wiied the Wii. (Wish I had found this video first.)
This happened at the 2008 CES, before Wii Motion Plus was introduced.
Still it looks like really cool, and the people behind seem to have some level of practical solutions behind a lack of traditional interface options. But your point stands Shams about the Wii Remote’s ability to encompass numerous input options in one small device.
People who don’t understand the Wii Remote simply assume motion controls is the only reason why it’s a success. The Wii remote versatility is what makes it truly shine. I aim at the screen I’ve got a pointer. I turn it on its side I’ve got a NES controller. I plug a nunchuck into it and I’ve got a traditional controller set-up. I can stick it in a plastic shell to make it resemble a gun, or steering wheel. Oh, and it has motion controls. And you can combine these different elements in dozens of ways. All in something that looks a remote control.
I like off-beat controllers, and if this Z-cam comes out with something to play at a decent price I’ll probably get one to along with my PS Eye and XBOX Vision Cam. But I doubt I’d find as many uses for it as my Wii Remote.
I have no doubt it beats the Wii - with Motion+ - for many types of games.
But - the brilliance behind the Wii is the "all-in-one" solution.
- want a normal controller? turn it 90degrees, and done.
- want to select things on the screen ala mouse? Just point at the screen, and done.
- want 'broad' gesture recognition? Just swing it around - done.
The Wiimote has a speaker, has force feedback, shows which player you are (and the battery level), etc.
...
If this tech is accurate enough to detect 'button presses' (i.e. tiny twitches in the fingers) reliably - then it may well be game on. MS can release several 'shells' (plastic) to make it more intuitive to use - and the tech could take care of the rest.
Personally, I don't care *that* much about gestures for the Wii. The screen pointing interface is much more important.
Gesta Non Verba
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famousringo said: This is the one using ultrasonic tech, right?
Looks a little more comparable to eyetoy than Wiimote. I wonder if it can detect orientation effectively...
From Wikipedia:
ZCam is a brand of time-of-flight camera products for video applications by Israeli developer 3DV Systems. The ZCam supplements full-color video camera imaging with real-time range imaging information, providing enhanced functionality over regular video. The original ZCam, released in 2000, was a professional video camera add-on used for digital compositing. 3DV is planning to release a ranging video webcam (previously called the Z-Sense), also under the name ZCam. The ZCam webcam is one of several competing real-time range imaging camera products in development that target game controller applications.
The ZCam coordinates the timing of infrared light pulse emissions and a fast image shutter according to a specified range, so that the reflected pulses are gated before capture by the image sensor. The amount of pulse signal gathered at each pixel can be used to calculate the time-of-flight to a corresponding point on the captured subject.
I have no idea what any of that means. But...yeah.
@shams
I said I agreed with your point about the Wii Remote's versatility, in fact I listed the same examples you did in the same post you quoted. =P
So now I have to imagine that I am holding something? Seems that everything coming out these days seem better than the Wii and that lol. Well of course it is better, it has had a longer development time :P
I like this though shows how mighty the little Wii is.
@Forum It's not about gestures, if MS thinks that then it's not going to be against Wii/Nintendo whatever.
@OP Huh? It looks interesting, but Eye Toy does the same thing and has a speaker and so on that works well.
Anyway, not this again, I want Nintendo to announce some great stuff this E3 not something super competative within the interface region, I'd love it if the hype died for this and eliminate whatever be it superficial even chance of Nintendo going defensive again this E3. C_C
you still need some physical device in combination with the camera. The only possible way I can see this working at all, consequently, is using it with the wii remote and nunchuck, since it's in two parts. If MS were to release something like this, it would either be a gimmick game like with the eyetoy, or would come with a remote / nunchuk like set up.
famousringo said: This is the one using ultrasonic tech, right?
Looks a little more comparable to eyetoy than Wiimote. I wonder if it can detect orientation effectively...
From Wikipedia:
ZCam is a brand of time-of-flight camera products for video applications by Israeli developer 3DV Systems. The ZCam supplements full-color video camera imaging with real-time range imaging information, providing enhanced functionality over regular video. The original ZCam, released in 2000, was a professional video camera add-on used for digital compositing. 3DV is planning to release a ranging video webcam (previously called the Z-Sense), also under the name ZCam. The ZCam webcam is one of several competing real-time range imaging camera products in development that target game controller applications.
The ZCam coordinates the timing of infrared light pulse emissions and a fast image shutter according to a specified range, so that the reflected pulses are gated before capture by the image sensor. The amount of pulse signal gathered at each pixel can be used to calculate the time-of-flight to a corresponding point on the captured subject.
I have no idea what any of that means. But...yeah.
@shams
I said I agreed with your point about the Wii Remote's versatility, in fact I listed the same examples you did in the same post you quoted. =P
Hm. So it's basically an imaging lidar integrated with a video camera. The video camera wouldn't really provide any useful input other than perhaps putting an image of the player in the game. The whole arrangement sounds kinda pricey and processor-intensive to me (not that the HD consoles don't have plenty of cycles to spare). It'll be interesting to see what the price and performance of a retail product will be.
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Am I the only guy that acually likes having a controller in his hands to play games? I think if next gen consoles came out with this technology that would be the end of my gamings days...Looks super Lame
