Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft's Future of the Living Room Starring SuperTuxKart
New submitter Antoine.Stroll writes "Microsoft's concept of the living room's future doesn't include Master Chief apparently. In fact, it's starring several FOSS games including Red Eclipse and SuperTuxKart (video). Does FOSS just allow more possibilities for research and experimentation? SuperTuxKart had their 0.8 release last month. Go check out the website and download the game that Redmond's researchers couldn't resist. STK gets its Microsoft closeup at 48 seconds into the demonstration."
This is the full room projection tech detailed in an earlier story about the patents Microsoft filed relating to it.
At 55 seconds that looks like the halo shard gun or whatever it's called?
Everyone that disagrees with me is a paid shill
So, years after SCO, FAT patents... any MS insider knows if they think about FOSS as their bitch?
Well, it's probably a good game and I'd be more than chuffed to write even a portion of it myself, but the video makes it feel like the kart is disconnected from the ground.
They should turn of skidmarks if they can't get them to emerge from the tyres for a start.
It's just a bit floaty, isn't it. One of the things about Mario Kart is that the kart feels connected to the ground, like there is some invisible force that is pushing the kart downwards onto it that adds an aspect of realism to an otherwise fantasy karting world.
The R&D team prefer to use their money on say...R&D?
Master Chief makes his appearance at 55 seconds into the video. If only for a second. And I'm pretty sure the "immersive" parts of it are just visual effects created for the following clip that carry over.
In their defense, it's really cool and I'm sure it's hard for even the Microsoft Research people to get access to the source code for Xbox games >.
The last thing I want is Microsoft scanning my living room.
...at "Microsoft"
they needed the source code to mess around with it.. to do the outside of the screen stuff.
BUT.. if you had a projector, why the fuck use the tv.
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
Considering the low FOV of most console games, I imagine the device won't be the only thing projecting all over the room if this makes it to market.
Honestly, that extra projection stuff just seems like it would be horribly distracting
... and in the DRM, bind them.
It starts with a logo on a racecar, and before you know it Microsoft owns the race-circuit banning Gnu and Tux from racing because of false substance-abuse allegations.
Mark my words!
Funny how Microsoft finds (1) a need for and (2) the utility of "free as in libre software" and the honest-to-god-truly Open Source Software. Considering they proclaim themselves to me masters of the software production game, you think they could generate a team to code up a useful game to showcase in their prototype like this. Somehow, they couldn't work together with the Halo guys and show Master Chief strutting his stuff?
;>)
.
This is dripping with irony. However, they must have used an irony-proof filter when they created the video, as the delicious irony is not as apparent on the surface.
STK is a fun game even if it doesn't meet the realism of commercially developed titles.
They switched to a new graphics engine a while back, so adding realistic skidding might be on the roadmap.
./supertuxkart: /lib64/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.15' not found (required by ./supertuxkart)
Seriously, WTF?
What is is about GLIBC_2.15 that makes it magic for opengl games? The STEAM Linux client has this requirement as well.
"I believe in Karma. That means I can do bad things to people all day long and I assume they deserve it." : Dogbert
They should turn of skidmarks if they can't get them to emerge from the tyres for a start.
In the 3DS version of Gameloft's Asphalt, the skidmarks visibly hover above ground when 3D is on (and for some reason car shadows aren't even drawn in first person views). I've always loved the driving games in which if you do donuts in one spot, your oldest skidmarks eventually begin disappearing. I believe Asphalt3D may have this also...
...FOSS doesn't require licensing to use images from it (fair use notwithstanding).
There's no irony here. Microsoft Research does all sorts of things with open source software, including giving it away themselves. There is no reason to write completely new games for a one minute demonstration. That is just ridiculous.
Also, Master Chief was in the demo; the original poster (and perhaps you) was just too blinded by seeing something open source on the screen to notice it.
MSR is one of the few branches of Microsoft that doesn't feel like traditional Microsoft. But by all means, continue hating every little thing that has to do with Microsoft.
it's a society where a quiet week means no
mass school slaughters pas coupl'-a-days.
Could this signal the beginning of MicroSoft's surrender of the OS market to Linux?
There's no irony here. Microsoft Research does all sorts of things with open source software, including giving it away themselves..
Any examples? I'm not doubting you, I'm just curious since you probably do recall Ballmer a few years ago saying that GPL code is like a virus since if it's once included in a program it never goes away and spreads to all later versions blah, blah, blah...
re: There's no irony here. :>p :>) :>)
.
Dude, you need to learn the definitions of two words: "irony" and "hate". That's because your reply to me makes it obvious that you don't know the meaning of either word, flimflammer.
.
You accuse me of "hating", yet all I did was point out an ironic point of fact. Feel free to research that on your own while you look up the meanings of those two words. I had no hate on my side, tongue, spleen, or little toe.
.
As for irony: this meets the definition of irony beautifully. Maybe you shouldn't take your understanding of the definition of ironic from Alanis Morissette, who also does not appear to understand the meaning of the word "ironic". !!!
.
I wish for you... no rain... on your wedding day. Peace... out...
Try using the repositories instead of installing stuff the "windows way".
Also, Master Chief was in the demo; the original poster (and perhaps you) was just too blinded by seeing something open source on the screen to notice it.
MSR is one of the few branches of Microsoft that doesn't feel like traditional Microsoft. But by all means, continue hating every little thing that has to do with Microsoft.
Yeah, you're right. I noticed the shard gun after posting. Microsoft research does amazing things, but it's still surprising to see a game named after, and starring, the Linux Mascot on Microsoft's official videos.
Was that too hard?
GENERATION 24: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social exper
Don't ask me why I remember the name.....why can't I remember useful information, like my girlfriend's phone number?
coding is life
The only two reasons MS doesn't use more FOSS is because it's a company policy to use internal products when possible (dogfood). Note the "when possible" part. The second is the legal department doesn't really like to go to there, so they need to approve all the things, and they sometimes do for stuff like this.
Halo's right in the demo, and it makes perfect sense as to why open source games are primarily being used. They need to render parts of the view that wouldnt be rendered normally, which is kinda hard to do without mucking about in the source code. I bet you the reason halo's such a short clip is because they didnt change it at all, it was postprocessing so they could feature their most infamous game in the demo.
Was the quarterly loss that bad?
WTF, anyone know what the submitter is blabbering about here?
This space for rent.
I know these definitions well enough. I contend there is no real irony in the fact that Microsoft Research uses open source software as this is not at all uncommon for them. Microsoft and Microsoft Research might as well be two totally different entities as far as anyone is concerned, because the former and the latter have two totally different demeanors regarding the usage and support of open source. Speaking of demeanor, yours is quite easily where I got the opinion of hate from you. Not from your message, but from the way in which you chose to convey it.
Honestly, you are kind of ridiculous. Perhaps ridiculous isn't the word. I want to say obnoxious but I'm not sure of that either.
re: Microsoft and Microsoft Research might as well be two totally different entities as far as anyone is concerned, because the former and the latter have two totally different demeanors regarding the usage and support of open source :>) ], and it certainly wasnot meant to be obnoxious. But I tend to explain myself and tend to correct others when they misinterpret or misunderstand me.
.
Yet they are both under the same umbrella. I am sorry that you believe that I am being obnoxious; it's your right to feel that way. I am expressing my opinion, and not in an obnoxious way [in my humble opinion
.
And while you say "they might as well be two totally different entitites", they in fact are actually not. One is a division of the other. It's the same as seeing two different sides in a person, or saying that they are "of two minds", or the old definition of schizophrenic as in "split personality". In any case, I stand by my words.
.
I didn't intend any hostile demeanor; I'm sorry that you've interpreted it that way. I'd be pleased if you point out which of my words you inferred as "hateful" or "hating" so that I can better express myself. I'm not even sure how you can discern or infer demeanor from these typed words alone.
Who plays SuperTuxKart with a GUI? Clearly Microsoft's n00b engineers haven't discovered that CLIs are always better and more efficient.
...it only lacks the graphics to practice shooting up a school.
An Asian girl playing a few seconds of Tux and using an astronomy program.
The state of the games industry is pretty appalling. It desensitizes players to the idea of mayhem.
Violence-as-entertainment really needs to be re-examined broadly.
It's striking to me that Microsoft ended up producing some so lame as the demo for any new supposed killer technology. It seems incredible that they managed to presenting an interesting new technology as just another way to deliver violent games to children. Or the mentally ill.
and for some reason car shadows aren't even drawn in first person views
In general, games that do explicitly support 3D often do things like disable shadows and other lighting related things. Those lighting effects are acheived through interesting 'tricks' that end up looking wrong in stereoscopic situation. This wouldn't be a problem for real time ray tracing in theory.
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
Is that you MS R&D?
Oy! Right where it hurts!
coding is life
The GPL isn't the only open source license.