Next-Gen Eye Toy

[Shifty Geezer]

Lots of movie cameras too, and 3D information would be very useful in CG composite work. Course EyeToy2 isn't going to be be a 12 megapixel cinematic movie camera and I doubt it benefits in any way from Sony's optics/media divisions.

 

[satriales]

SONY makes many types of cameras...

I know, I'm just saying that it seems very possible that Eyetoy2 could also implement this technology.

From an interview with Richard Marks the creator of the Eyetoy it is clear that he is looking to use something similar:

http://www.prandial.com/archives/2005_01.html#009045

"Some of them played around with gloves, but I've never liked tech like gloves, " says Marks. "When you put it on after someone else has used it, it feels all sweaty and it takes away from the enjoyment."


"The Clam a single U-shaped squeezable piece of fabric you put in your hand and when you squeeze it, it changes in aspect ratio very fast. So you can use it as a mouse cursor. You squeeze to click and drag, and then let go to release. Because you can monitor the direction of the aspect ratio, you can also use it to rotate objects."


Camera-based tech is moving on fast - among the goodies currently in the hidden volcano Marks lab are Z-buffer cameras that record depth using an infra-red beam, allowing objects to appear behind you as well as flat on the screen in front. But cameras aren't the only way forward. Haptics - or touch-based interfaces - are another way of using what we already know - our own instinctive movements and sensations - to control gameplay. Touch is one of Sony's four Interface Research Areas (the others being Inertial, Video and Audio - the EyeToy has an in-built microphone, by the way). Tilt-based gaming, through handheld games such as Wario Ware, are also becoming successful. And there's potentially much more within our grasp.

 

[PC-Engine]

They're talking about all kinds of interfaces. I'm sorry but to pin the Eyetoy down to what you see in that demo you linked to is just wishful thinking. It ain't gonna happen at any reasonable price. The best you're gonna see is a cut and paste job ie cut an image of the gamer and paste it into a game world. It will look extremely tacky!! Did I mention it would be damn gimmicky too?

 

[London Geezer]

Confrontations aside, what would be VERY cool is a camera at high framerate (at least 60fps), the precision would be very nice to control games smoothly without lag. Not sure if the difference would be noticed by everyone but i guess it's the same difference you'd get from a controller that updates at 30Hz and one that updates at 60Hz+...

 

[Shifty Geezer]

gamer and paste it into a game world. It will look extremely tacky!! Did I mention it would be damn gimmicky too?

They've got better than that already. In a couple of PS2 games you can map your face onto players. One fo the minor football games comes to mind. It's certainly a good idea, especially for online gaming where you can customise your character to be you, rather than one of a handheld of premade arts.

I think there's a system whereby profiles are taken and your head is modelled, not just your face mapped onto an existing model. Unsure though.

 

[phat]

I have been reading these forums for a while now, but I felt I had to register so that I could post about the potential of the Eyetoy 2.
http://www.demo.com/demo/demonstrators/2004/page773-697045.html
This video uses the same technology rumoured to be in Eyetoy 2. If true this would have a HUGE impact on how games are played.

I don't think this is a camera-only technology. The speaker is holding a 3D digitizer in his hand, and I suspect the camera itself has a 3D digitizer too. We won't be seeing this in EyeToy 2.

 

[Spidermate]

I have been reading these forums for a while now, but I felt I had to register so that I could post about the potential of the Eyetoy 2.
http://www.demo.com/demo/demonstrators/2004/page773-697045.html
This video uses the same technology rumoured to be in Eyetoy 2. If true this would have a HUGE impact on how games are played.

And where did this rumor orginate? The demo looks cool and everything but I don't think you understand how it works and what is needed to get it or work not to mention a game application even after you get it to work.

There was a topic in the PSINext forums. Apparently when the makers of that demo talked about possible applications for the software they specifically mentioned using it in a Sony camera.

You're right, I don't have a clue how it works, but as far as I could tell all they are using is a special camera and their software. Assuming they could get the cost of the camera down I don't see any reason why the Eyetoy2 couldn't have simmiliar capabilities.

I was just about to point this out. I guess I was little late. The topic you are talking about is about five to six months old, I believe. I can more than easily provide the source it which that topic was discussed. If Sony is working very close to someone with this technology and the artical stating some incredibly similiar features, there's a very good possibility that the next Eye Toy will support this technology.

 

[Spidermate]

They're talking about all kinds of interfaces. I'm sorry but to pin the Eyetoy down to what you see in that demo you linked to is just wishful thinking. It ain't gonna happen at any reasonable price. The best you're gonna see is a cut and paste job ie cut an image of the gamer and paste it into a game world. It will look extremely tacky!! Did I mention it would be damn gimmicky too?

Have you ever considered the fact the the Eye Toy is not apart of the actual system's price? If something like the HDD could be sold at well over $75, what makes you think the Eye Toy couldn't? :? As before, what you may think a product is worth may not always reflect on the cost.

Oh, and by the way, PC...

"We're trying to take some learnings from what our competition has done with cameras that let players control games", said Allard at the Games Developers Conference in San Francisco. "We've got a couple of those answers. We're going to turn that into a couple of solutions."

I guess there's a lot of tacky, gimmicky crap coming our way, huh?

 

[satriales]

I have been reading these forums for a while now, but I felt I had to register so that I could post about the potential of the Eyetoy 2.
http://www.demo.com/demo/demonstrators/2004/page773-697045.html
This video uses the same technology rumoured to be in Eyetoy 2. If true this would have a HUGE impact on how games are played.

I don't think this is a camera-only technology. The speaker is holding a 3D digitizer in his hand, and I suspect the camera itself has a 3D digitizer too. We won't be seeing this in EyeToy 2.

Your right I forgot to mention that, but as I quoted earlier Richard Marks has come up with 'The Clam'. It sounds simmilar to the 3d Digitiser shown in the video.

I know that I'm being very optimistic with my predictions, but if Eyetoy 2 is even half as good as those demos, the games potential is huge.

 

[PC-Engine]

The taking of a picture and using it as a texture for faces etc. isn't even on the same complexity level as what you linked to in that video.

They're talking about all kinds of interfaces. I'm sorry but to pin the Eyetoy down to what you see in that demo you linked to is just wishful thinking. It ain't gonna happen at any reasonable price. The best you're gonna see is a cut and paste job ie cut an image of the gamer and paste it into a game world. It will look extremely tacky!! Did I mention it would be damn gimmicky too?

Have you ever considered the fact the the Eye Toy is not apart of the actual system's price? If something like the HDD could be sold at well over $75, what makes you think the Eye Toy couldn't? :? As before, what you may think a product is worth may not always reflect on the cost.

Oh, and by the way, PC...

"We're trying to take some learnings from what our competition has done with cameras that let players control games", said Allard at the Games Developers Conference in San Francisco. "We've got a couple of those answers. We're going to turn that into a couple of solutions."

I guess there's a lot of tacky, gimmicky crap coming our way, huh?

Yes it will be a gimmick whether it's coming from MS or SONY.

If Xenon includes the camera with the console, at least you don't have to buy it and find poor excuses for it's uses on iffy games like you would for PS3.

 

[rabidrabbit]

If Xenon includes the camera with the console, at least you don't have to buy it and find poor excuses for it's uses on iffy games like you would for PS3.

Or it could be that the PS3 comes with the camera, and for xenon you'd have to buy it separately

 

[PC-Engine]

If Xenon includes the camera with the console, at least you don't have to buy it and find poor excuses for it's uses on iffy games like you would for PS3.

Or it could be that the PS3 comes with the camera, and for xenon you'd have to buy it separately

Still doesn't change the fact it will be a gimmick.

 

[rabidrabbit]

You say it will be a gimmick.
What kind of camera will there be on PS3 then? What tech does it use? Is it just EyeToy but with higher resolution, still able to only detect movement on one plane, not depth, form ...
?

 

[Spidermate]

The taking of a picture and using it as a texture for faces etc. isn't even on the same complexity level as what you linked to in that video.

They're talking about all kinds of interfaces. I'm sorry but to pin the Eyetoy down to what you see in that demo you linked to is just wishful thinking. It ain't gonna happen at any reasonable price. The best you're gonna see is a cut and paste job ie cut an image of the gamer and paste it into a game world. It will look extremely tacky!! Did I mention it would be damn gimmicky too?

Have you ever considered the fact the the Eye Toy is not apart of the actual system's price? If something like the HDD could be sold at well over $75, what makes you think the Eye Toy couldn't? :? As before, what you may think a product is worth may not always reflect on the cost.

Oh, and by the way, PC...

"We're trying to take some learnings from what our competition has done with cameras that let players control games", said Allard at the Games Developers Conference in San Francisco. "We've got a couple of those answers. We're going to turn that into a couple of solutions."

I guess there's a lot of tacky, gimmicky crap coming our way, huh?

Yes it will be a gimmick whether it's coming from MS or SONY.

If Xenon includes the camera with the console, at least you don't have to buy it and find poor excuses for it's uses on iffy games like you would for PS3.

Don't forget tacky.

 

[London Geezer]

Well call me lazy but i don't wanna play games waving my hands around... i'd much rather prefer MS or Sony spending their R&D money on how to plug games consoles directly into our brain. No movement needed.

 

[rabidrabbit]

...and with HDD big enough to store all your games, movies and music so that you would not need to get up to change discs.

 

[London Geezer]

Who needs HDD when you can plug you PS6 in your brain and store everything in there?!

 

[sytaylor]

The ifrst gen eye toy was a fun distraction from real gaming but nothing more. A good quality camera that would allow Minority Report like control would be awesome. Imagine a 3d interface like that

 

[Spidermate]

The ifrst gen eye toy was a fun distraction from real gaming but nothing more. A good quality camera that would allow Minority Report like control would be awesome. Imagine a 3d interface like that

Be careful what you wish for.