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Nintendo Power Glove Used To Create 'Robot Chicken'

Posted by timothy on from the show-not-animatronic-poultry dept.

dotarray (1747900) writes "Despite its glorious introduction in The Wizard, the Nintendo Power Glove was, from all accounts, a bit of a failure. However, Dillon Markey has given the doomed peripheral a new lease of life — it's a crucial part of making stop-motion animation for Robot Chicken." The linked article doesn't have many more words, but the video it features is worthwhile to see how Markey has modified the glove to make the tedious work of stop-motion a little bit less tedious.

9 of 40 comments (clear)

  1. Power Glove was not helped by the Tyson shot by damn_registrars · · Score: 4, Informative

    The commercial shows the kid playing Mike Tyson's Punch-Out with the Power Glove. The problem, though is it was completely, utterly, worthless for that game. Sure, moving like a punch would have your player punch. But pulling back your fist? That used a power punch (which would pretty much never land correctly as a result).

    Best game for the glove? Hands down, Top Gun.

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    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
    1. Re:Power Glove was not helped by the Tyson shot by rHBa · · Score: 4, Funny

      Best game for the glove? Hands down, Top Gun.

      I can't imagine a game of Hands down, Top Gun lasting very long.

  2. The real problem with stuff like this. by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 2

    The real problem with stuff like is is that it brings out your inner child - "Gee, wouldn't it be fun to do some stop-motion animation". Of course, the reality is that it's as tedious as programming.

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    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  3. Re:Fist Bump by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 2

    "The Spinning News" Headline:
    Power Glove Chokes Robot Chicken!

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    You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
  4. I think Nintendo Wii was powerglove 2.0 by GoodNewsJimDotCom · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Say what you want about the gimmickness of a Wii controller, but they did the powerglove to what it should have been. Props to Nintendo for sticking to getting something to the finish. My favorite Nintendo controller so far has been the SNES controller. It might not have analog, but it was a cerebral interface unlike some controllers where you had to adjust your grip to get to different buttons.

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    God spoke to me
    1. Re:I think Nintendo Wii was powerglove 2.0 by Osgeld · · Score: 2

      powerglove was not made by nintendo

      "Though it was an officially licensed product, Nintendo was not involved in the design or release of this accessory. Rather, it was designed by Grant Goddard and Samuel Cooper Davis for Abrams/Gentile Entertainment (AGE), made by Mattel in the United States[2] and PAX in Japan."

  5. Re:I like it. by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 2

    So, basically you're saying that you Love the Power Glove?

    It's so bad.

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  6. Re:Seems like... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2

    ...a small formfactor regular Bluetooth keyboard strapped directly to your wrist would be more practical than the entire glove for this, especially since needlessly constraining the hand and fingers doesn't appear to add any functionality, just inhibit movement.

    The artist in the video seems to be doing all right.

    Anyway, who's to say what's best for an artist? I mean, Picasso painted the Sistine Chapel while lying on his back and that had to really suck, not to mention it cost him an ear.

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  7. Honest-to-Goodness Functional Wearable by Carcass666 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This is so simple yet so much more effective than many of the wearables coming out today. It is impressive, to me, because it fits in his workflow seamlessly. He doesn't have to change the way he works. The tactile keys and buttons not only give feedback (which haptic does poorly), but it makes it easy to hit them exactly the number of times you want (which mobile touchscreens do very poorly).

    Technology like mainstream 3D printing will enable the creation of DIY peripherals like this. It's a great opportunity to enhance productivity for repetitive, laborious work.