The non-standard game interfaces discussion thread (move, voice, vitality, etc.)

[patsu]

How hard was the PS Move to design?
http://www.1up.com/news/playstation-move-designers-speak

The way he speaks in an interview published in Famitsu magazine this week, Yoshio Miyazaki -- one of the chief designers behind the PlayStation Move -- seems a bit amazed that he and the rest of the PS Move team made the motion controller work at all.
"I didn't think that using sensors like this would prove to be so difficult," he said. "It's a simple matter to get a reading from a sensor and send it to the PS3 host, but the sensor readings can change depending on temperature and other environmental conditions. The question became how to keep the sensor readings as consistent as possible in a wide variety of environments, and that was very tricky. The problem was solved partly through hardware, but we were also lucky enough to have the developers of the software driver tune up their code to the very limits."

...

 

[joker454]

How hard was the PS Move to design?
http://www.1up.com/news/playstation-move-designers-speak

Pretty darned hard. The first versions were magnetic but never quite worked right, and eventually they switched to the glowing ball that we see now. Took them a real long time to get it all working right.

 

[RobertR1]

Not all is staged and it doesnt necessarily mean they knew the prise.

So it's only staged when you want it to be?

 

[Nesh]

So it's only staged when you want it to be?

they

How hard was the PS Move to design?
http://www.1up.com/news/playstation-move-designers-speak

It is still not 100% free from environmental variables . I was playing The Shoot yesterday and the cursor would loose often its center and end up towards the right.

The fluorescent light was causing some issues and it was obvious during the calibration process since in the camera it showed dark moving lines caused by fluorescent light.

I switched off the lights and i worked like a charm even if I tried to make it loose its position by swinging it like crazy

 

[Shifty Geezer]

It is still not 100% free from environmental variables . I was playing The Shoot yesterday and the cursor would loose often its center and end up towards the right.

Yes, this has come up in the Move games thread. I didn't consider the ambient noise of MEMS as an issue but of course it will be, so you're going to need smart software. I've had The Shoot demo lose tracking so I was having to aim over the TV. I don't know how much can and will be improved in software, but it goes to show all these non-standard interfaces have some issues or other to get in the way of the 'ideal' input, and simple electronics like buttons remain by design the most robust solution for the moment.

 

[rabidrabbit]

they


It is still not 100% free from environmental variables . I was playing The Shoot yesterday and the cursor would loose often its center and end up towards the right.

The fluorescent light was causing some issues and it was obvious during the calibration process since in the camera it showed dark moving lines caused by fluorescent light.

I switched off the lights and i worked like a charm even if I tried to make it loose its position by swinging it like crazy

Have you tried the 50/60Hz flicker filter option in the XMB menu? It's in Setup - Accessories - Camera, or someplace like that.
That should help with fluorescent lights.

 

[patsu]

The software has to compensate for it. I have seen other impressions that says The Shoot "leans" towards the right. You should try MAG ^_^ but be ready to get pwned initially.

Fluorescent light may have nothing to do with it. My office use fluorescent light and I play with Move here also.

 

[Nesh]

Have you tried the 50/60Hz flicker filter option in the XMB menu? It's in Setup - Accessories - Camera, or someplace like that.
That should help with fluorescent lights.

I saw the feature but didnt know it helps with fluorescent lights. Should it be in 60Hz in that case?

 

[patsu]

There is another thing about the "lean".

It could happen in MAG (or any game) if I forget the distance between my eyes and my right hand. When asked to point at the calibration icons, PSEye, screen edges, etc., I used to align my eyes, the light ball and the target in a straight line. Now I align my _arm_ with the light ball and the target in a straight line (You have to estimate a little). I get perfect center (no lean at all) this way.

If I don't line up perfectly (i.e., there is a slight lean), I find that the game still plays well (since we will adjust to the reticule anyway).

It's just that if I could do a "perfect" alignment, why not ?

Not sure if this applies to my body form only though.

 

[rabidrabbit]

I saw the feature but didnt know it helps with fluorescent lights. Should it be in 60Hz in that case?

I guess you should just set it so that the flickering is minimal, not really sure if it helps with Move problems, that was just a quess, probably not.
I think the setting should be 50 or 60 Hz depending what's the mains frequency where you live i.e I think in most of Europe it is 50 Hz whereas in USA it's 60 Hz.

 

[AntShaw]

The software has to compensate for it. I have seen other impressions that says The Shoot "leans" towards the right. You should try MAG ^_^ but be ready to get pwned initially.

Fluorescent light may have nothing to do with it. My office use fluorescent light and I play with Move here also.

In MAG, do the Move players play against controller players? Is there a way you can tell the difference in game? I assume the controller would be the ideal way to play that game?

 

[patsu]

Can't tell whether others are using Move or DS3.

I think the controllers have their pros and cons. Some will be exceptionally good at Move; same for DS3.

 

[Prophecy2k]

In MAG, do the Move players play against controller players? Is there a way you can tell the difference in game? I assume the controller would be the ideal way to play that game?

All i know is that when i played MAG with the duel shock i was getting gang-raped by every tom dick and harry in the game. Switched to MOVE controls and i could react much quicker and aim much more proficiently than i ever could with DS3 on that game.

I think MAG has the best FPS MOVE implementation thus far. The game does also let you play against other DS3 players too which is rad. Athough i suspect other online shooters won't be able to get away with this. MAG can because it throws you and a mass of other players into a stage and let you all fight it out. It's much more of a teamplay focussed game, and whether you play with MOVE or DS3 if you try to play as a lone wolf you'll find yourself writhing on the floor with a bullet in your head more than you will be doing anything else. So for a game so focussed on team rather than individual play, individual player skill matters much less. So MOVE is a perfec fit for the game.

I'm eager to see how KZ3 and Socom 4 handle it though.

 

[patsu]

You are lucky. I am still a Move trainee

What is your PSN id ? And which faction ?

 

[Prophecy2k]

You are lucky. I am still a Move trainee

What is your PSN id ? And which faction ?

PSN ID same as my name here... I play Raven ;-)

Edit: MOVE controls do have quite a learning curve too though... mainly because if you're like me you've gone nearly 10 years playing games with a controller with very similar button placement. Starting to play with a split motion/pointer based controller feels really really weird at first, but once you get used to it you can't really go back ;-).... nope... not ever...

 

[patsu]

http://gamasutra.com/view/news/31159/Nintendo_653M_Wii_Remotes_Sold_In_US.php

The company on Monday cited research firm NPD Group, which found Nintendo has sold 65.3 million Wii Remote controllers in the U.S. since the Wii's launch in November 2006. That total amount includes:

* 30.41 million included with the Wii hardware
* 12.92 million sold with Wii Play
* 18.56 million white versions sold separately
* 2.44 million black versions sold separately
* 467,500 pink versions sold separately
* 465,200 blue versions sold separately

Nintendo said that it sells an average of 46,000 Wii Remotes per day to U.S. consumers, has also sold 52.9 million Nunchuk controller attachments through the end of September.

 

[patsu]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/business/24kinect.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1

The mass-market introduction of Kinect — with its almost magical gesture and voice-recognition technology — stands as Microsoft’s most ambitious, risky and innovative move in years. Company executives hope that Kinect will carry the Xbox beyond gamers to entire families. But on a grander note, the technology could erase a string of Microsoft’s embarrassing failures with mobile phones, music players, tablets and even Windows from consumers’ minds and provide a redemptive beat for the company.

“For me it is a big, big deal,” says Steven A. Ballmer, Microsoft’s chief executive. “There’s nothing like it on the market.”

Where Apple popularized touch-screen technology, Microsoft intends to bombard the consumer market with its gesture and voice offerings. Kinect technology is intended to start in the living room, then creep over time throughout the home, office and garage into devices made by Microsoft and others. People will be able to wave at their computer and tell it to start a videoconference with Grandma or ask for a specific song on the home stereo.

For voice commands, the device relies on four microphones in an asymmetrical configuration that helps home in on the person giving commands and separate out the chatter of other people on the sofa. Kinect also knows when sound comes from the TV or from a game and can block the extra noise from interfering with the voice commands.

“If we are serious about shifting the entire computing industry to this world where the devices understand you, then the technology needs to be robust,” Mr. Kipman says. “Otherwise, it’s just a gimmick.”

For Mr. Ballmer, Kinect is far more than a business opportunity or a pleasant diversion for consumers. It offers a moment to prove to investors and company directors that Microsoft is capable of an Applesque, game-changing moment under his leadership.

“I’m excited to be way out in front,” he says, “and want to push the pedal on that.”

 

[Silent_Buddha]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/business/24kinect.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1

Kinect technology is intended to start in the living room, then creep over time throughout the home, office and garage into devices made by Microsoft and others. People will be able to wave at their computer and tell it to start a videoconference with Grandma or ask for a specific song on the home stereo.

That's the future I'm waiting for. I can only imagine how much nicer and potentially safer car media navigation would be if it supported gesture as well as voice controls. With the ability to focus in on the driver it would also be able to avoid taking commands from passengers in a vehicle.

With the close proximity hand and finger controls would even be possible. Thus you could have gestures for everything from next track to changing volume, etc. All without having to look at the controls (for the majority of us that don't have the locations memorized ). Climate controls, etc.

And they need to hurry up and get it working in Windows. My HTPC is desperately wanting some hands free control loving.

Regards,
SB

 

[zed]

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/...nner_In_New_US_Holiday_Motion_Control_War.php

Forty-four percent of those polled ticked the most positive survey answer for Kinect's believability -- or consumers' belief that the product would actually work. PlayStation Move scored 29 percent

Well at least we know the marketting is working well

Actually both figures are low! less than half of ppl polled believe they actually work

 

[Arwin]

More marketing success - Oprah's airing apparently raised pre-order sales by 47%