[-Sara-]

It seems Microsoft, after the kinect, now has patented a concept which involves a 360 degrees projection in ones living room, somewhat similar to an actual holodeck from Star Trek. It is supposed to project images all over the room, wich morph according to your furniture and obstacles in the room to compensate and look as lifelike as possible. Awesome or over the top? Workable or a stupid wild idea? Fit for at-home console gaming, or only for special places? It is still an interesting idea.

... Microsoft's patent application for an "immersive display experience" was published by the US Patent Office last week after being filed back in early 2011. It describes a standard video game system with a connected "environmental display" capable of projecting a panoramic image that "appears to surround the user."

Such a projector wouldn't replace the central TV display used in current consoles, but it would provide a "peripheral image" that would "serve as an extension" of that primary display. The purpose, of course, is to extend the gaming environment outside of the TV screen, so a player could, for instance, "turn around and observe an enemy sneaking up from behind."

The display device as described is integrated tightly with a depth-sensing camera system (read: Kinect) that could even be housed in the same casing as the environmental projector, according to the application. This device could be a standard two-camera, structured-light-sensing system like the current Kinect, or a more sophisticated model that could include "multiple image capture devices" to "stitch a panoramic image from a plurality of captured images" pointed in all directions around the room.

Regardless of the form, the depth-sensing camera described in the patent application aids the environmental projector by sensing the layout and topography of the room. This allows the projector to provide color and distortion correction, so the projected images look correct even when cast against different walls and pieces of furniture ...

Read more.

Better not knock that china vase off the table while swinging your virtual lightsaber through the living room. Interesting concept though, albeit a bit of a wild dream perhaps. It strikes me a bit like a concept car, you keep the nice bits of the prototype, but it might not become a final product by itself. Though maybe it is suited for 'gaming halls', sort of reviving the passed-away hype that was arcade-halls and laser-gaming. These sort of changes sure do re-define what sets console gaming apart from PC gaming.

[MatthTheGeek]

Yet-Another-Useless-Gadget, much like Kinect was to begin with. 'Nuff said.

[z64555]

Yet-Another-Useless-Gadget, much like Kinect was to begin with. 'Nuff said.

The robotics hobbyists would like a word with you.

[Luis Dias]

It ain't even that. This is just a patent that will never see the light of day. Microsoft's ability to bring their concepts to market is amazingly terrible. The Kinect was an amazing exception.

[Alex Heartnet]

Like the Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Kinect, this idea has a great deal of potential, but sadly most of that potential will be squandered on worthless gimmicks rather then anything that would actually add to gameplay experience.

[Spoon]

Yet-Another-Useless-Gadget, much like Kinect was to begin with. 'Nuff said.

The robotics hobbyists would like a word with you.

To tell him what? That he is right? That the kinetic is a useless gadget that has added nothing of value to gaming?

[z64555]

Yet-Another-Useless-Gadget, much like Kinect was to begin with. 'Nuff said.

The robotics hobbyists would like a word with you.

To tell him what? That he is right? That the kinetic is a useless gadget that has added nothing of value to gaming?

Useless to gaming? No, not really. Game developers haven't figured out how to use it properly.

Useless to robotics? Hell no. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWmVrfjDCyw

[Colonol Dekker]

Just what i need, a giant silhouette of me blocking my view when i play............

[Klaustrophobia]

do not want.

[MatthTheGeek]

Useless to gaming? No, not really. Game developers haven't figured out how to use it properly.

Probably because they aren't interested, see no future in it, and see no potential market interested in it.

[Spoon]

Useless to gaming? No, not really. Game developers haven't figured out how to use it properly.

Oh that must be it then, after all this time its just that all the game developers are retarded and not that the kinetic is a useless gadget.

[Polpolion]

Yeah, stupid private companies spending money for R&D of things the general public sees no practical use for. 

[z64555]

Useless to gaming? No, not really. Game developers haven't figured out how to use it properly.

Oh that must be it then, after all this time its just that all the game developers are retarded and not that the kinetic is a useless gadget.

Or rather, they just don't know what to do with it. IIRC, the laser was a useless gadget when it was first discovered, as was a couple of other gadgets that are now commonplace.

[FireSpawn]

Unless I can do this, I don't want to know.

[An4ximandros]

So, because a commoner with no creative vision whatsoever can't see the use of X, we should not research it?

Please see why we should disband useless wastes of money such as cancer research and NASA.

Edit: yes the second article is a jurassic aged, but you get my point.

[Spoon]

Who is this 'commoner' with no creative vision you speak of?

Now for all you going "HURK DURK DURP YOU ARE SO DUMB AND STUPID, CAN YOU NOT SEE THE APPLICATIONS FOR THIS DEVICE OUTSIDE OF GAMING!?"
Stop it and at least pretent to read the posts you are replying to.

Kinetic is a useless and ****ty gadget when it comes to gaming. Fullstopperiod.

http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/kinect-disconnect

[Ghostavo]

The kinetic is about as useless for mainstream gaming as the joystick is right now.

The lack of widespread adoption of both devices dictates that developers waste their time doing things that the majority of gamers will actually use. If on the other hand the kinetic had been bundled with every XBox...

[An4ximandros]

SPOON: I was talking about the HOLOGRAM research, just because (like NATAL, how many remember that name?) it can't be used for the ****ty mainstream games of now days, it does NOT mean they can't be used for anything else!

Hell, it might not even be useful for a gamer but perhaps for a next generation communications platform or something, think openly, it's not only about gaming! (which if it continues to decline like it has I might forsake all together.)

[Polpolion]

Who is this 'commoner' with no creative vision you speak of?

Now for all you going "HURK DURK DURP YOU ARE SO DUMB AND STUPID, CAN YOU NOT SEE THE APPLICATIONS FOR THIS DEVICE OUTSIDE OF GAMING!?"
Stop it and at least pretent to read the posts you are replying to.

Kinetic is a useless and ****ty gadget when it comes to gaming. Fullstopperiod.

http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/kinect-disconnect

No one here is obligated to judge an item's value the same way you do, even if it's you they're talking to.

Edit: you know what, before spoon gets here again I will satiate him and say that I agree with him 100%, the kinect is a poor game controller, and it is likely that this will not work well in that fashion either. But I stand by everything else I said as well.

[General Battuta]

Kinect, open thread

Kinect, reply to post

Kinect -

****

seriously come on

KINECT OPEN FRUIT NINJAS