PS4 SDK 2.0 brings big improvements to Camera functions & more.

[onQ]

I see no difference. Just because the people are moving more in the forwards/backwards axis (if they are - looks to me just like a wider angle lens in effect), doesn't mean the tech is any more capable. You only need one example of Kinect tracking a person moving forwards to prove it can, and that exists in the posted videos.

Show me a Softkinect clip for PS4 of someone pale wearing a light top against a light background punching forwards with a decent measure of z-velocity...

And also, it doesn't matter. The skeleton tracking algorithm is separate from the depth acquisition method. Softkinect using Kinect 2 would have exactly the same abilities.

I said that it's probably just the different way that Softkinectic is doing it's skeletal tracking. But it makes the Kinect skeletal tracking seem tied down in comparison.

The free movement is probably not such a good idea for playing games in your living room anyway might have people running into the TV & stuff.

 

[mosen]

I said that it's probably just the different way that Softkinectic is doing it's skeletal tracking. But it makes the Kinect skeletal tracking seem tied down in comparison.

The free movement is probably not such a good idea for playing games in your living room anyway might have people running into the TV & stuff.

This video shows the technology behind Kinect v2 and it shows the free skeleton movement that was existed from day one on Kinect 1 (2010)/Kinect 2 (2013).

 

[onQ]

This video shows the technology behind Kinect v2 and it shows the free skeleton movement that was existed from day one on Kinect 1 (2010)/Kinect 2 (2013).

If you're talking about around 26 minutes in it actually show it to be a problem.

Edit: he is walking side ways I don't think he had much room to move back & forth.

 

[mosen]

If you're talking about around 26 minutes in it actually show it to be a problem.

What's the problem? You asked a movie to illustrate the freedom in movement and it's here. You'r point that Kinect tracks in 2.5D (and your LBP example) is entirely wrong. However, the block/muscle skeleton won't move (they are different than typical skeleton and are here to do different things).

But this specific game uses 2.5D/2D gameplay mechanism, onQ:

 

[Scott_Arm]

Even in the original Kinect Sports, you could move forwards and backwards in table tennis. You could crowd the table or move further away. I'm not sure what you mean by 2.5D tracking.

 

[onQ]

What's the problem? You asked a movie to illustrate the freedom in movement and it's here. You'r point that Kinect tracks in 2.5D (and your LBP example) is entirely wrong. However, the block/muscle skeleton won't move (they are different than typical skeleton and are here to do different things).

But this specific game uses 2.5D/2D gameplay mechanism, onQ:

This video actually show good 3D movement like I was talking about. and the video of me isn't 2.5D tracking it's just 2D.

Even in the original Kinect Sports, you could move forwards and backwards in table tennis. You could crowd the table or move further away. I'm not sure what you mean by 2.5D tracking.

Even Kinect adventures let you move in 3D space like the game when you step on the holes to stop the water or whatever. I'm not saying that you can't move back and forwards I'm talking about how it doesn't seem to move as freely when moving back & forwards.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Even Kinect adventures let you move in 3D space like the game when you step on the holes to stop the water or whatever. I'm not saying that you can't move back and forwards I'm talking about how it doesn't seem to move as freely when moving back & forwards.

I don't understand the distinction you're making.

 

[onQ]

I don't understand the distinction you're making.

Looking at this video will probably show what I'm talking about better.
Look at how freely the avatar moves around at around the 40 second mark. it's different from what has been shown with Kinect. I think it's just the way that Softkinetic is doing their skeleton tracking.

By the way this thread should get back on subject or have a spin off thread about the functionality / performance of the cameras.

 

[chris1515]

Shame this thread quickly went the way the it did. There's actually some interesting info in that link and the original Watch Impress article it was sourced from. They've apparently integrated some of what we saw in the AR Dynamic Lighting they previously demonstrated into one of the new libraries they've added. They also discuss some of the physics simulation libraries that have been added/updated (CPU and GPU).

The performance gain is big for rigide body physics with GPGPU... Interesting article but topic derailed in another console war...

 

[Shifty Geezer]

The issue with the physics API is it's (presumably) platform specific and plenty of physics middleware already exists. Unless a dev is targeting PS4 exclusively, I'm not sure Sony's own GPGPU physics lib is going to be of much value.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

The issue with the physics API is it's (presumably) platform specific and plenty of physics middleware already exists. Unless a dev is targeting PS4 exclusively, I'm not sure Sony's own GPGPU physics lib is going to be of much value.

Free is always compelling If it's free, has great resources and tools and is well optimised that'll be enough for some.

If the APIs are similar to others - and there's only so many ways to pass parameters to a routine to calculate inertia, stress, statics, dynamics, ballistics and so on then that may lead done multi platform games to opt for Sony's library on PS4 and licensed middleware on other platforms. They already have to cope with vastly different graphics, sound and I/O APIs.

And I presume they are all using the standard physics algorithms (all freely published) as a basis so the results ought to be identical.

A lot of ifs though. I doubt Havok are quaking in their shoes and it's interesting because I thought Havok was part of the standard SDK for PS3. Perhaps I was mistaken.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Havok was. It's also available on PS4, running on the GPU:

I guess we all forgot Cerny using this as an example of GPGPU!

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Havok was. It's also available on PS4, running on the GPU:

I guess we all forgot Cerny using this as an example of GPGPU!

Let me clarify, I understood that a 'basic' Havok physics library was a standard part of PS3's SDK. I.e. It was free to use. But this wasn't the full Havok suit which required a licence.

But I can't remember where I read it heard this.

 

[onQ]

1 thing I take from this is that the camera is important to the PS4 if SDK 2.0 is mostly filled with updates for it. The fact that there isn't really anything out for the PS4 camera & there are updating the SDK for it make me think 2015/16 will have games like EyePet & EyeToy Play for the PS4. I can see them backing a Eyetoy like game in with the camera sometime next year, The causal market is kinda up for grabs right now & having the right image at Christmas time could make a really big difference.

 

[joker454]

1 thing I take from this is that the camera is important to the PS4 if SDK 2.0 is mostly filled with updates for it. The fact that there isn't really anything out for the PS4 camera & there are updating the SDK for it make me think 2015/16 will have games like EyePet & EyeToy Play for the PS4. I can see them backing a Eyetoy like game in with the camera sometime next year, The causal market is kinda up for grabs right now & having the right image at Christmas time could make a really big difference.

I hope you are right because so far it's been a total bust for those sorts of games Makes me wonder if many were waiting on sdk improvements before even attempting to use the camera in their products, as it looks like the low light improvements with sdk 2.0 were quite dramatic.

 

[onQ]

I hope you are right because so far it's been a total bust for those sorts of games Makes me wonder if many were waiting on sdk improvements before even attempting to use the camera in their products, as it looks like the low light improvements with sdk 2.0 were quite dramatic.

It's either that or it's all for controller free VR games.

Seems they are going beyond just simple dance games / slapping robots & stuff around because of the pointer controls & the hand recognition library.

 

[temesgen]

1 thing I take from this is that the camera is important to the PS4 if SDK 2.0 is mostly filled with updates for it. The fact that there isn't really anything out for the PS4 camera & there are updating the SDK for it make me think 2015/16 will have games like EyePet & EyeToy Play for the PS4. I can see them backing a Eyetoy like game in with the camera sometime next year, The causal market is kinda up for grabs right now & having the right image at Christmas time could make a really big difference.

I really hope they do this and hopefully it doesn't take that long to get stuff out.

 

[onQ]

I really hope they do this and hopefully it doesn't take that long to get stuff out.

Not sure when it's coming but it seems to be in the plans.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-11-18-sony-wii-a-shadow-of-its-former-self

PlayStation UK's Fergal Gara on aiming for the casual market

PlayStation UK's managing director has outlined PlayStation's plans to attract a more mainstream audience, filling the gap left by Nintendo's console.

"What we want to see in the next year or two is a bigger mass market play, shall we say. So in order to broaden and perhaps fill the void that's being left latent by, say, the Wii - which is a shadow of its former self," Fergal Gara told Red Bull.

"We need to have the kind of product that will engage that more casual consumer. I think that's a big opportunity for us, and that's not yet clear on the horizon, but something we should and I'm sure will be focused on as we look forward into year two, three and four."

It does seem that the casual market is up for grabs on the Console side right now with no clear path of what console to buy for casual games because Wii U made the Wiimote secondary & Xbox One removed Kinect from the standard package. Seems that either one of the big 3 could go after that market as the prices come down on the consoles Xbox One is losing ground as more Xbox One consoles are being sold without Kinect & the price to get it standalone is $149 so it will be a harder sell than something like a Wiimote/PS4 Camera pack-in game for $50 or $60. PS4 could even be repackaged to include the camera at $399 next year just to establish the PS4 as a casual console.

 

[joker454]

Yeah it's totally up for grabs right now. I suppose it makes sense, focus on the core in year one and go after casual in year two. Hopefully some cool casual games will pan out for holiday 2015.

 

[temesgen]

Yeah it's totally up for grabs right now. I suppose it makes sense, focus on the core in year one and go after casual in year two. Hopefully some cool casual games will pan out for holiday 2015.

Hopefully they can do both core and casual.