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E3 ‘09 Sony Reveals EyeToy-based Motion Controller

Well it looks like we’re two-for-two this year, as Sony enveils it”s own version of motion-controlled gaming to compete with Microsoft’s technology. Their version, which went unnamed, uses a handle with a glowing ball on the end of it which their  EyeToy-like camera can see in real time. Every motion of the controller is seen down to the millimeter and executed with speed and precision on the screen. On top of that, your screen can show different items in your hand to make it appear as though you are holding a sword, a gun, a whip, anything you can imagine! We immediately saw the comparisons with  D’FUSION’s Augmented Reality.

We’ll follow up shortly with a comparison of the two technologies from both Microsoft and Sony. Which is better, and why? We’ll explore those answers along with some visions of what this technology could mean to your gaming experience in the near future, stay tuned.

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E3 ‘09 Xbox 360 Motion Controls Are In, Controllers Are Out!

As previously reported, the Xbox 360 is getting motions controls that blow the Wii out of the water, no controller needed! It’s The best controller ever made…you!

While it looks something like a glorified sensor bar, it’s actually a camera that sees you as the controller, with depth perception brought on by a 3D depth map for full body motion capture, and some sophisticated software to put it all together. Add in some voice recognition for good measure, and you’ve got Minority Report in the making. It could be likened to an advanced 3D EyeToy. You can read more on the technical details over at IGN.

Peter Molyneux also showed off a demonstration called Milo of a little boy that completely interacted with the player, can you say Seaman?

While there’s no release date set (except to say that it definitely won’t be in 2009), development kits are headed to developers right away. Get excited!

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E3 ’09 to Bring Motion Controls to the Xbox 360 and PS3 At Last? No, really!

E3 is here again! The excitement as usual is unbearable, what-oh-what will be revealed this year. We find it interesting that so little is known about any big announcements expected this year from anyone. Does this mean that there will be surprises of a major scale from all parties? A new Mario from Nintendo perhaps?

Let’s revisit a rumor that we have been following closely for quite some time now that just doesn’t go away…motion controlled gameplay on true next-gen consoles! The month of May has been blowing up with new information that leads us to believe (yet again) that it will finally be revealed this year. Follow along to see what the buzz is all about.

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IGN’s Land of the Lost X-Arcade Machine Sweepstakes

The new Will Farrell movie Land of the Lost is on it’s way to theaters on June 5th, just one week from today. Based on the classic 1970′s television series, Will Ferrell stars as the has-been scientist Dr. Rick Marshall, sucked back through time witth no weapons, few skills and questionable smarts to survive in an alternate universe full of marauding dinosaurs and fantastic creatures from beyond our world – a place of spectacular sights and super-scaled comedy known as the Land of the Lost.

And to celebrate the launch, IGN is giving away an X-Arcade Machine cabinet to one lucky winner. Need I say more? What are you waiting for, go sign up before the link gets lost!

Enter to Win an X-Arcade Machine

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Xbox 360 Motion Controller Detailed, and DS Gets Motion Too

You may recall the news that In2Games was making their own Wii-like motion controller for [true] next-gen consoles. Now In2Games has become ‘Performance Design Products’, and more details are starting to flow in about their GameTrek Freedom device including how it works, when it will be released, and on which system. Note the lack of an ‘s’ there, that’s because they will launch the Gametrak Freedom™ exclusively for the Xbox 360 in fall 2009. That’s right, it seems PS3 support has gone out the window.

Gametrak Freedom connects to your Xbox 360 via a base unit hooked into the USB input port and is described as a “proprietary and patent-pending ultrasonic 3D motion sensing technology“. They take a jab at Nintendo when they go on to say that “Unlike other motion sensing gaming systems, Gametrak Freedom™ does not rely on the gamer pointing a controller at the screen nor does it restrict the gamer to limited movements. The system accurately tracks the true 3D position and precise movements of up to four players anywhere within a given environment.” And the slap at the Wii is warranted, we were the first to explain that the Wii motion controller did not work as Nintendo had first bragged, hence the need for their still upcoming MotionPlus add-on.

The bigger question still remains; is Microsoft working on their own 360 motion controller, or will they be endorsing this one as the solution? The only hint is the fact that Microsoft is allowing PDP to make a game controller for the 360 at all, since Microsoft® is legally blocking most companies from producing, manufacturing or distributing peripherals for the Xbox 360™. If they were making their own, they likely would have blocked the GameTrek.

PDP also announced a new stylus for the Nintendo DS with motion controls built in. Check out more details on both at TechRadar.

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Quake Live Goes Live

Id Software’s Quake Live has been in development in closed beta for nearly 7 months, but has finally entered Open Beta stage for everyone to play now! QUAKE LIVE is a new and innovative multiplayer game experience from id Software – the creators of DOOM and QUAKE – that offers game players of all skill levels a totally free and easily accessible multiplayer game and community through a single website. Every element of the QUAKE LIVE experience, from finding and playing games to post match stats review and social networking are delivered through a single state-of-the-art website. “This is a very exciting time for the project and we hope that all of you, who have contributed your time and feedback, share in that excitement.”

Play Quake Live Free Now

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Xbox 360 Motion Controller Rumors Resurface, Is Microsoft Buying Motion Tech Firm?

Anonymous sources close to Microsoft have confirmed that the company is buying 3DV Systems, a motion-detection interface company.

3DV has been designing its camera technologies for some time; its ZCams are said to be a far more accurate version of Sony’s EyeToy, due to the fact that the devices can interpret how far away a subject is from its lens. The technology had reportedly been used in “advanced defense systems”, and has already been described as superior – in terms of accuracy – to the Wii Remote.

We at Arcade Junkies have been reporting on the overwhelming evidence that Microsoft is working on some form of motion technology for quite some time. While there has been much speculation as to which technology they would use, the fact that they are working on something Wii-like is the worst kept secret in the gaming industry.

Source: EDGE

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