Gametrak Controller Wins Award

Philipp Lenssen writes "According to German Spiegel Online, the Gametrak controller by In2Games just won the "Best of GC" award at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany. Cyber-glove Gametrak is announced to launch across Europe next month for the Playstation 2. Once the right software is released (fighting game DarkWind comes first) you should be able to punch opponents, use golf clubs, dance around, and bounce virtual basketballs. A demo video is available."

Comments

Hand Motions

[Satertek]

It would be great if some of the dancing games like DDR could add in hand motions to the dance steps.

Re:Hand Motions

[DoktorGonzo]

There are a couple of games kind of like that already: Para Para Paradise and Dance ManiaX. You don't really have to move your feet for them, though. I suppose in combining those with DDR, you'd start having issues with where to put the sensors if you were playing doubles (covering both pads at the same time).

When I get it, I will say...

[Reconfigures]

"I love the Power Glove. It's so bad."

Re:When I get it, I will say...

[PhotoBoy]

I said that when I got the Power Glove, unfortunately I changed my mind after trying to play Rad Racer like that kid in The Wizard and failed miserably. Plus it made my weakling arms tired...

In other news....

[keiferb]

The porn industry was buzzing today over the next generation sex toy.

How I presume it works

[FrenZon]

For those who can't get the video, it looks like the tracking system is pretty simple (and likely pretty robust) - each cord connecting a velcro glove to the base station is on a pulley (hence the wheel-like things on either side of the station), This gives the system distance data. To get angle data, the cords come out of the base station through joystick-like nozzles.

It mentions it can get 1mm accuracy within a 3m cube - I wonder what the latency is like, or how much 'pull' there is on the gloves (I wonder if future versions could change the amount of pull in order to simulate weight).

Good luck to these guys - it looks like it could actually work well unlike some other alternative-input devices (*cough* P5 glove *cough), and if it works with a PS2 > PC converter, I'll be getting one to muck around with as soon as I can.

Re:How I presume it works

[strider_starslayer]

yes, it would be less limiting, give you more freedom of movment, and be more comfortable; however, it would also be a great deal more expensive, more prone to breakdown, and require that there be power in the gloves themselves (batteries).

Also, this is meant to be played in front of a TV- why do you need the full 6 degrees of freedom, will it so radically alter your gaming experiance to be able to spin around in circles with your arms out? Or will you be served just fine by looking at the TV and being tethered to the consol?

Somtimes technology like this is best served by the simple, easily mannaged, solution- I'm sure there were dozens of options for the orriginal DDR pads (including things that would look like the 'oh so cool' virtual police setup), but simple buttons on the pad worked best, because this way the pad was affoardable!

This type of setup should allow me to play virtual police (or simmilar game)at home, on my PS2, including all the ducking and weaving (though I could 'fake out' the controller by lowering my arms and moving them to the side without my body), while this is dissapointing, I'd rather that then having to pay ten times the ammount for a much more prone to breakage setup!

usb connect - pc emulator?

[gotmemory]

looks really cool to me. It uses USB to connect, so perhaps a pc emulator could be made.... Imagine surfing the web by punching links.

Re:usb connect - pc emulator?

[karnal]

So then we could really use it to punch that darn monkey to win money?

Don't be alarmed

[Kadmium]

Don't be alarmed, folks, the pinging sound you hear is that of silicon, slowly cooling from its melting point 1410 degrees C. Presumably this is where the term from which "ping" sprang.

minority report GUI?

[prestwich]

So, how about that 'Minority Report' GUI driven by one of these babies?

Funny you mention it.

[nobodyman]

The next version of DDR will sport integration with eyetoy, and will have modes that incorporate hand motion in concert with the foot steps. check it out

Nintendo Powerglove

[Abreu]

The site is slashdotted, so can someone tell me how is this different from the infamous Nintendo glove (it looked cool, but thats all it did)

I almost feel sorry for them...

[Akki]

The videos still download at over 1.5MB/s. That's going to be a hefty bandwidth bill.

The 80's called..

[iantri]

.. and they want their gimmicky game controllers back.

(Burn, Angelfire, Burn!)

Re:links are dead.....

[raphman]

At atari.de you can find some pictures and a video

Fencing

[silvergoose]

Now we can have games where you can actually fight with a sword, rather than just press a button to attack, another button to parry, etc...

Re:Fencing

[blackicye]

This has also been released in public arcades, In the form of Blade of Honor (Tsurugi) Linkage below: http://www.coinopexpress.com/products/machines/ded icated_machines/Blade_of_Honor_(Tsurugi)_606.html

Re:Fencing

[drinkypoo]

Obviously you haven't noticed this product.

Demo Video

[N8F8]

Download

Girl at the end of clip

[sewagemaster]

The porn industry was buzzing today over the next generation sex toy.

The girl at the end of the clip totally made me perk when she said, "come in and play"... with the accent and everything...

Then a series of words flashing on the screen:
"Punch"
"Swing"
"Block"
"Bounce"
"Swi tch"

I'm sure that one particular verb we're all thinking of "inserts well" into the above sequence ;)

Re:already exists

[tepples]

Are you talking about Para, DMX, or EZ2Dancer?

Mommy!

[Klowner]

I punched our 72" plasma display and now it's not woooorking.. GET ME A NEW ONE NOW

Re:Future FPS controllers

[Doctor O]

Actually I don't understand why the hell they don't bring back those light guns from the 80's which were used on those pong-consoles to shoot. It would be pretty easy and cheap to include distance metering to keep people from putting the thing near the screen and cheat. Imagine Counter-Strike with "gun look". I would dig it, and it would give much to the meaning of "aim", which right now means "the gift of those who can spend several hours a day on a game".

Powerglove rules

[gwoodrow]

I loved my old powerglove. Now we just need someone to do an updated "ROB" and I'll be happy!