Why is this guy not designing Games?

[Ramor]

Time Crisis at the arcades is pretty fun with a friend

[archibaldcrane]

Time Crisis fucking rules, and that's exactly what this is tailored for. Duck behind a crate, pop out and shoot dudes. Would be perfect.

[doofy]

He's not aiming to create a FPS usable VR technology or a "VR Room", he's simply aiming to simulate a 3D environment. In that, he succeeds and with flying colors. To develop a game which uses this wouldn't be difficult really, games already have these kinds of interactions, it's called moving the right thumb stick. Only that movement would be partially controlled by the movement made by your body/head. The point isn't to create an environment where you can turn around and magically see what's now behind you, it's the create a simulated 3D window by alternating sizes/angles to give the illusion of a 3D image.

True, but the reason most people are spazzing over this without thinking is that they expect it to be directly applicable to FPSes or that its something that hasn't already been looked at (this is not a new concept). The reason the illusion works so well in his example is because his targets are a static image looking in a single direction. When you start throwing object motion and rapid field of vision changes from the player's perspective (in game, not in relation to the screen) into the mix the illusion doesn't maintain very well. If his targets in the example tracked with the player to shoot, or the player's FoV changed, the effect wouldn't be as profound.

Its not a new idea, but it would be a nice addition in the rail shooter genre already mentioned where the "window" is controlled by the game and moves from fixed point to fixed point. The Umbrella Chronicles / arcade shooters / etc. would get a nice enhancement from this, but the applications are pretty narrow from a gaming standpoint, at least until the visual interface goes beyond a single fixed point screen. The "cool" part about this is how easy his software implementation was to get this working on the Wii at a low cost, not the concept. There are no patents / riches / etc. or anything to be had here, J.C. Lee is a really smart / cool guy (his website has much more interesting stuff that he's already getting patents for, they just aren't game related), but this isn't revolutionary and its more of a testiment as to how versatile the Wii controller is. However, considering how many people are going apeshit over this you'll probably see some response from Nintendo with a modified Wii controller + game bundle with this in the near future.

[Maguspk]

The whole point of this is only to give a 3D effect to the elements in the "window". It isn't a method of creating a VR Room, it's not a method of looking around a battlefield in an FPS, it's just to allow you to experience a real 3D effect.

Stereoscopic images are a great example of this kind of situation. The pictures alone are fine, but put together they give a 3D effect because the proportions are different. Similar is some regards, his VR software does this, changes proportions with movement so that you have a 3D image. So when you go to look left you will really feel like you are looking left, down into that television set. It's not like, when you want to turn left you're going to have to move your head to view it, it's just a change in how the visual is rendered so that the image is 3D to the user wearing the infrared sensor bar. Take note at how the image is even 3D without movement, the movement in the video is there just to show off the dynamic aspect of proportional resizing and changing the angles things are on with movement(How the targets move with him).

In short, the movement in the video is just a side effect, it could be implemented in it's entirely without involving in game movement, but mearly adjusting to provide that 3D window effect; he simply chose to implement it that way to show how it works more clearly in a video.

(I hope I am making my point of view clear )

[archibaldcrane]

Man, that guy makes a really nice homemade steady-cam for prosumer camcorders (like my panasonic DVX-100b) for $54 after shipping, or shows you how to do it for $14.

What...a unique and versatile individual.

[doofy]

The whole point of this is only to give a 3D effect to the elements in the "window". It isn't a method of creating a VR Room, it's not a method of looking around a battlefield in an FPS, it's just to allow you to experience a real 3D effect.

Exactly, its an example of a non-immersive VR "portal / window" system that I guess most people just haven't ever seen before so they're "Ooohing" and "Ahhing" because he did it with a Wii. Its very cool, but nothing "new" and gaming applications are rather limited. If this gets implemented on the Wii you're basically looking at a "head controller" that accounts for strafe up / down / left / right (no pivot influence) in relation to the scene with a software trick that adjusts the rendering based on the users location, and thats about it.

In short, the movement in the video is just a side effect, it could be implemented in it's entirely without involving in game movement, but mearly adjusting to provide that 3D window effect; he simply chose to implement it that way to show how it works more clearly in a video.

Bingo, which is why you'll probably see this in some sort of rail shooter with limited player movement in the near future. It would not be difficult to implement at all, and with the response its getting it would most likely fly off the shelf. If J.C. Lee gets a cut, more power to him, and I'd buy two copies just to help fund his projects.

[SilverBreeze]

I hope someone from Nintendo catches eye of this and hires this guy

[Maxxthepenguin]

Well, the next problem is the fact that you still have limited movement because you have to be looking at the screen, so we would need some sort of head mounted display like goggles... which of course shows why this tech is limited. There is no way for it to really efficiently account for a full range of viewing. We need something like a Wii Virtual Boy to achieve what this tech attempts.

He's not aiming to create a FPS usable VR technology or a "VR Room", he's simply aiming to simulate a 3D environment. In that, he succeeds and with flying colors. To develop a game which uses this wouldn't be difficult really, games already have these kinds of interactions, it's called moving the right thumb stick.

It would be difficult, read where I said how you kind of have to point your head at the screen which is not natural when you're simulating looking around? It fucks up past a certain range.

The sensation of moving your head to look around while keeping your eyes on the same space is also really odd lol

Try it, you'll see what I mean. It probably works better with the IR emitting goggles, but still it would be odd.

Only that movement would be partially controlled by the movement made by your body/head. The point isn't to create an environment where you can turn around and magically see what's now behind you, it's the create a simulated 3D window by alternating sizes/angles to give the illusion of a 3D image.

I think what he managed to do with some software and a wiimote is amazing. Really inspiring to think this kind of stuff might be available in the near future in a more reasonable form that can be implemented into various applications. I really liked his Whiteboard video from his website.

Absolutely no argument there. I'm just saying that it's a tech demo and building a game around that would be kind of really difficult.

[Maxxthepenguin]

OH MY GOD I JUST SAW THE WHITEBOARD VID FUCK I HAVE TO TRY THIS

[Correction]

I don't think it is that hard to think of a gaming application for this. Any standard rail shooter would make perfect use of this (think Rez). Even light gun games would be awesome, like Time Crisis or House of the Dead. Imagine Punch Out!! with this technology.

[Khamsin]

If you can keep your eyes on the center of the screen and see what you need, there's no need to move your head. You'd only be moving your head to see what's outside your field of view. While sitting in one spot, you can move your head ever so slightly to look at one side of the screen or the other, and in that small movement, you can sense the change in the POV and see a little further to the side than you would otherwise.

Imagine some little flash game, where the view moves slightly with your mouse such that if your mouse is on the right side, it's scrolled to the right a little bit, and if your mouse is on the left, it's scrolled to the left a little bit, but you're always looking generally in the same direction from the same spot. It's just a subtle effect that gives you a slightly larger field of view than would normally be obtainable on your display. It's kinda the same thing here. It doesn't need to be anything other than a subtle shift of your point of view as your head looks from one side of the screen to the other to expand your field of view while giving the illusion of 3D in those subtleties.

You don't have to exaggeratedly turn your head full on to the side while your eyes strain to look back at the screen. Even IRL, if you hold your head still but look around with your eyes, you don't really get that 3D parallax effect that you do when you are actually moving your head. So there's no need to expect that from a game, either.

[Ramor]

OH MY GOD I JUST SAW THE WHITEBOARD VID FUCK I HAVE TO TRY THIS

i have to agree, that was fucking rad, about when he set it up so it was him basically drawing on the table is the moment i considered stealing a projector

[Kaisha]

I just want to know how to make an iR pen, more-so with one that's pressure-sensitive so you don't have to hold a button like he did in the video...

Can make a ghetto tablet with one for my laptop....
(built-in bluetooth ftw <.<)

[doofy]

If you can keep your eyes on the center of the screen and see what you need, there's no need to move your head. You'd only be moving your head to see what's outside your field of view. While sitting in one spot, you can move your head ever so slightly to look at one side of the screen or the other, and in that small movement, you can sense the change in the POV and see a little further to the side than you would otherwise.

Imagine some little flash game, where the view moves slightly with your mouse such that if your mouse is on the right side, it's scrolled to the right a little bit, and if your mouse is on the left, it's scrolled to the left a little bit, but you're always looking generally in the same direction from the same spot. It's just a subtle effect that gives you a slightly larger field of view than would normally be obtainable on your display. It's kinda the same thing here. It doesn't need to be anything other than a subtle shift of your point of view as your head looks from one side of the screen to the other to expand your field of view while giving the illusion of 3D in those subtleties.

You don't have to exaggeratedly turn your head full on to the side while your eyes strain to look back at the screen. Even IRL, if you hold your head still but look around with your eyes, you don't really get that 3D parallax effect that you do when you are actually moving your head. So there's no need to expect that from a game, either.

TrackIR has been around for years and there's a reason why it hasn't propagated. It doesn't feel natural as you have to keep your head rather rigid or increase the dead zone to a point where you do need to make rather significant movements for the camera to register. If this was advantageous fast twitch FPSers would have been all over it a long time ago as it isn't that expensive. WRT the 3D illusion on the Wii (which is what people are spazzing over due to never seeing a non-immersive VR setup before) the left / right pivot isn't influential at all, its the head's position in the camera space relative to the screen / sensor. For the Wii setup you actually do have to move your head quite a bit for this to be worth it, and your body as well unless you happen to be a giraffe. It'll be perfect for a Wii single person rail shooter, or at least one screen per person (split screen may work on a large enough display but there are obvious potential problems). Sitting at a desk with keyboard + mouse...not so much.

[Mysterio]

Time Crisis at the arcades is pretty fun with a friend

2 player Time Crisis 4 on your PS3 costs you two fucking copies of the game though (launched at 89.99 each)

Namco being dicks not releasing the Guncon on it's own, lol

[Ramor]

Time Crisis at the arcades is pretty fun with a friend

2 player Time Crisis 4 on your PS3 costs you two fucking copies of the game though (launched at 89.99 each)

Namco being dicks not releasing the Guncon on it's own, lol

ouch, for about .50 + gas we can do the same thing

[Max™]

Again, it isn't the specific demo, it's the ingenuity he's shown in taking part A, part B, and getting result G, when most are still looking at C and maybe D, as you see on the website he's really good at that sideways thinking (I'm the one who mentioned it) and THAT is why I think he'd be great with game development.

[Minions]

Saw these videos a few days back. Guy is a genius.

PS.

I want a giant sling shot

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nutVKnx1nKQ

[guartz]

virtual doom 4 NAO!!!!!!!