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Microsoft Buys Motion-Detection Technology
DaMan1970 writes with news that Microsoft has purchased 3DV Systems, a company that specializes in motion detection technology. When early reports of this deal appeared last week, it led to speculation that this could be part of Microsoft's plans for future gaming technology. 3DV itself has been focused on the gaming market. "Now that graphics have become so advanced, it explains, the key to making a real difference lies in how you can control the game. The ZCam lets players control the game using body gestures alone, rather as PlayStation's EyeToy does, or Microsoft's Vision or Nintendo's Wii. 3DV Systems argues that its system is better than these, adding that you don't have to wear anything."
I don't wear anything when I play with my Wii as it is.
The mental image is horrifying...
Bite me
It will also be useful for detecting incoming projectiles, i.e. chairs thrown by Steve Ballmer.
Did they get the money to buy this from the laid off workers?
That explains why they need to have their laid off workers pay their severance back!
adding that you don't have to wear anything
As if LAN parties weren't bad enough, now I have to frag pimply boys who haven't even got the decency to cover up their jingly bits? On top of that, rather than hearing clicks of mice and taps of keyboards, now you will get to hear fat out of breath kids as they wave and flail about (with their jingly bits flapping in the wind).
That's just put a dampner on your next night of playing Left 4 Dead eh?
Moved to http://soylentnews.org/. You are invited to join us too!
FIRST PO$t. target acquired, breaking law #1 of robot law.
Parent is a Troll posting a link to a shock site. Just FYI.
Do you notice that Microsoft buys new technology rather than developing it?
Why yes, I certainly DOS!
will now involve successful completion of the Hokey-Pokey, the Macarena, and the Lambada.
Oh, no.
Thousands of gamers playing away, wearing nothing...
I did NOT want to hear this.
[Memory purge]
[memory purge]
What was I saying?
But making gamers move would make them way healthier and more physically fit than the average person. So where does that leave us? With an army up superhumans that also know strategy, have good reflexes, and can handle a gun. Oh well, we'll need them when China demands their 10 trillion back.
Google's Super Secret Search Algorithm: SELECT @search_results FROM internet WHERE @search_results = 'good'
Well... kind of.
Microsoft do develop a lot of technology on their own, through their research division. However, none of that ever ends up in a shipping product, because it was developed in complete isolation with no regard as to whether or not the technology might actually be useful.
The only technology in a shipping product that Microsoft develop themselves tends to be re-implementations of existing technology - stuff like the Windows NT kernel (they bought the team that developed VMS, and had them re-implement it), or the .NET framework (basically a re-implementation of Java tied heavily to the Windows platform).
So now Clippy can pop up when it detects fapping.
Here I am, all excited about the Wii with the prospect of having a game console with only 3 main buttons to push! Shaped just like a TV remote and requiring the same amount of effort. And what does Nintendo do? They make it so you have to wave the bloody thing around which requires even more effort then using the Atari Jaguar and its over 15 buttons controller!!!!
I think I'm going to take an asprin and lay down for a while. Call me when mind-controlled games are available on a console.
That's just not fair. Most of the time they just steal it.
"It's great we have Microsoft be innovative in ways that small and unknown companies can't be, isn't it?", said Steve Ballmer at a press conference.
When someone pointed out the obvious, Ballmer threw their chair at them.
You don't wear anything for that either. A camera just tracks your movement.
http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
I wonder what happens if someone walks between the player and the TV/console... or even if you scratch a random body part without thinking. And unlike the Wiimote, it'd probably only be useful for some games (dance games come to mind). The Wii actually has the tactile feature, so if you're playing golf, you're actually holding onto a stick. What about this 3DV thing? You hold onto nothing? You hold onto anything that's vaguely stick shaped? And what about action/adventure games? How are they going to incorporate the whole run&gun thing? Questions, questions...
...there's a lot of stuff in my mom's basement.
CAn'T CompreHend SARcaSm?
What do you think the next xbox will be called? xbox 720? xii 360(stolen from ninty)? xbox3(from sony)? xcube(nintendo again)?dreamgrasp (sega)? Any better ones?
"3DV Systems argues that its system is better than these, adding that you don't have to wear anything"
Anything? really???
.NET is more like Python, in some ways.
the only thing I Know MS R&D has come up with is Songsmith...
It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for being subtle.
You mean it can't figure out tabs and spaces so you end up having to copy and paste tabs?
It's rather a pity Slashdot's jokes and memes do not come with an expiration date.
It would make for clearer thinking:
Oh, the humanity: Windows 7's draconian DRM?
You know you've reached rock bottom when every Microsoft-bashing story from kdawson is met with gales of laughter across the Internet.
Vista is close to taking 25% of the client OS market: Top Operating System Share Trend
Linux has yet to scratch its way into the single digit.
OEM Vista is the 64 Bit OS that runs on the dual or quad core PC with four to eight gigabytes of RAM that you can buy at any WalMart.
The same WalMart which unloaded its Linux inventory in favor of XP on the netbook.
Activation.
Ballmer throwing chairs.
Clippy.
Vista sales.
Have I missed anything?
coming soon: the wii-360, because microsoft can't stand nintendo havign a market share!
Was that thy were looking for signs of life in their 'programming with security in mind' department.
I want a list of atrocities done in your name - Recoil
Correcting you there: you can run Python on it, but .NET is not "like" Python and neither is .NET "like" Java..
http://www.codeplex.com/Wiki/View.aspx?ProjectName=IronPython
Is this the best you can do?
Ah, finally I can do the 3 finger salute without the use of a keyboard! Mind you, it would be hard to display 3 middle fingers at once, unless I use someone else's hand for a moment.