We know Kinect works if you stand up, we know that it will work if it has been programmed to recognise you are sitting but what if you are really, really lazy and lay down? This important question has been answered at the Develop conference by Blitz CTO, Andrew Oliver.
Blitz are working on a game based on ‘The Biggest Loser’ TV show, a fitness title that features push ups and yoga. It appears Kinect runs in to problems if you are lying flat on the floor to do exercises but there is a work around.
“We had to consider, would this skeletal tracking ever realistically be able to work out that a player is laying on the floor,” Oliver said, “We asked – believe me we asked – and we were told it wasn’t going to happen.”
To get round this problem the Blitz team have coded their own detection routines and simply use a players silhouette rather than the skeletal tracking system.
“You don’t need to rely on the system. You can write your own [detection routine] if you know what you’re looking for.”
Hopefully this paves the way for a system of controlling Halo by waving your arm occasionally whilst safely snuggled under a duvet with a tin of Quality Street. No? Just me then.
Source: Joystiq
bunimomike
Will it call emergency services when I’m lying down in a pool of my own vomit after I’ve been grooming Milo with booze for six hours? No?
No sale!
DeathByNumbers
Activision are bringing ‘Milo’ back as ‘Little Bobby Kotick : Hero’ just so you know.
eirekun
Now there’s a game that would sell for all the wrong reasons.
badgersnapper68
Would that be some kind of beat’em up, then?
gazzagb
I imagine that if its tracking a silhouette, it isnt that accurate. Baggy clothes will probably affect it, and I remember this happening with Eye Toy. You effectivly had to strip off If you wanted any decent level of accuracy. Lets hope Kinect is way better than Eye Toy for everyone’s sake.
eirekun
Apparently, clothes can be a problem:
http://www.gamerzines.com/xbox-360/news/kinect-long-skirt-incompatible.html
DeathByNumbers
Now ladies, if you want this to work properly I’m going to have to ask you to remove all of your clothes. Guys, please it’s ok, it works fine with man-clothes as it was developed by a man…
gazzagb
Thanks for the link, intresting how MS havent thought this through.
Stef Nighthawk
LOL, now all journalists will wear man-skirts on the next Kinect conference :-p
STILLCANTTHINKOFAGOODPSNNAME
i cant wait to play kung fu live in my birthday suite
DeathByNumbers
you have a birthday ‘suite’? My parent’s never got me anything like that..
Forrest_01
Is it a three piece?
Apnomis
Wow yet another fitness game for Kinect!
What this article says to me is: “Kinect’s skeletal tracking works from a database of standing poses and anything involving sitting or lying down resorts to the low-tech method of interpreting the camera feed, just like the PS Eye”
cc_star
So we can basically sum up that if the info comes from MS it has a kind of PR sheen to it, and if it comes from Teh Internetz then its written to whatever agenda people want to portray.
The proof is in the pudding… ie. try it for yourself and make your own mind up
Tuffcub
Mmmm pudding
Apnomis
That’s fine if the ‘pudding’ costs £50 or less, but £130+ is a lot of money for a punt on a ‘pudding’ that looks less appetising with each passing day…
I get the impression you’re already sold on Kinect, either that or MS have offered you a free one in return for sticking up for it all the time!
It’ll be interesting to see if stores have live demo units for you to try, but I have a feeling Microsoft won’t allow it and instead have a screen running a video of actors pretending to use Kinect and having much more fun than you would actually have using the real thing…
If I’m wrong and it becomes huge I have nothing against paying out for a new 360Slim and Kinect bundle… I just don’t think I’m wrong!
TSBonyman
I’m pretty sure the Eyetoy could do that, btw i’ve been playing all my old eyetoy games recently – sitting down!
Charmed_Fanatic
:O do you come from the future?
MXZ
Well its great to get this cleared up….kind of…in a way