A Look At Head Tracking With ArmA II

Today's the day for ArmA II, at least on Steam. While I'm sitting here, watching it slowly download, I'm fully expecting it to be way too much for me to handle. I mean, Operation Flashpoint was already way too much for me to handle. So a new game along those same lines, from the same developers? I'm probably doomed.

Maybe I need to further complicate things by getting one of these crazy-ass head tracking units. Dave sent me this video of a guy using a TrackIR with ArmA II. The TrackIR is a camera devoted to watching your head. Or, more specifically, it's looking for a set of markers that you have to wear on a hat or on something that can clip to a headset. When those markers move, it translates the movement into in-game actions that you can program via an external tool. It's the part where you need to wear something on your head that immediately switches me into "thanks, but no thanks" mode, in case you were wondering.

The guy likes to use phrases like "situational awareness" and "threat scans" when he really means "I'm going to turn my head a bit so I can see what's going on around me without having to change my character's position." But it's his stoic, empty stare and overtly salesy vibe (he is, after all, pushing his affiliate links in the video) that kept me sort of giggling through the entire thing.

 

that's quite something

This looks pretty neat, but very impractical. I'm not liking this trend of replacing the controller with you.

ArmA II FTW!
that game is awesome!

weird reminds me of that asian dude with the Wii invention

THE FUTURE AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Eh, old?

Too expensive anyway, look up faceapi which yields similar results with just a standard webcam. Now that one might just take off. Developers will actually want to enhance their games since a large part of their fanbase will be able to use it. Just about everyone has a webcam.

@hughesie27 said:

" weird reminds me of that asian dude with the Wii invention "

sounds like this dude has pop rocks in his mouth

I agree this is completely impractical unless your monitor surrounds your entire periphereal vision. Because guess what, when I go to turn my head all of a sudden I'm looking away from the monitor. As to be expected.

I was this a while ago and It looked cool then and it looks cool now.

Cool video, wish my PC was good enough to run it ArmA II :(

Ahh, ShackTac!

Don't put Dslyecxi down, he's doin a good job demoing the tech.

He's even written a big guide to tactics in Arma.
You can read it HERE
If you are interested in this kind of game it's definitely something that warrants a good read.

There are a couple of really dedicated communities based around the game, ShackTactical is the group run by the man who made that video.

In my experience Arma is one of those games that is defined by the community, you won't get as much enjoyment out of it without being in a tight knit group like shacktac.

Which shows you simply don't know how it works and how it can be used...

A) it can adjust the view depending on your head position to provide almost stereoscopic 3D, more immersive view, without actual dual displays.
B) it can detect movement, and therefor allow you to lean and do other functions without the use of keys.
C) it can adjust the sensitivity, so a slight tilt to the left or right can translate to a more exagerated movement on the screen.

That adds to the immersion and releases your fingers and keys for more functions, of which "sims" like this have many. You don't have to use Q and E to lean, you can add other easily accessible functions there. You don't have to use a "freelook" key to look around without altering your aim.

Etc. There's certainly potential to devices like this one without multiple monitors. After all, if you actually have multiple monitors, why do you need headtracking? You'd just need the game to support rendering the different views, and you'd look @ the monitors yourself, without tracking it.

I don't get it. How is this more effective than...well...mouse look? Or Q/E leaning?

But, whatever. Obviously it's meant for the hardcore - the guys all hooked up with the Philips amBX and Novint Falcon. I'm not part of that market.

The motion controller would be weird to get used to, but I'm totally giving Arma 2's demo a shot. Sold?

i whit for natal and do all this on my 360 games :)

" I agree this is completely impractical unless your monitor surrounds your entire periphereal vision. Because guess what, when I go to turn my head all of a sudden I'm looking away from the monitor. As to be expected. "

The biggest practical problem I see is you're turning your head but still looking at the screen in front of you.  Ideally you'd have screens surrounding you so when you look to your left you're not glancing at a screen to your right.  I have nowhere near the head discipline as this advertiser does, so it'd be a real pain to play a game like this.

For actual in-game view adjustment the product is absolutely pointless.  Could be useful if you wanted to be able to nod to people over the net though.

Here is the use of Natal in 'normal' games

I'd buy it if more games were supported that I would actually want to play.

Looks awesome. I wish I could run Arma 2. I got the demo off steam and my computer almost exploded.   :P

He should demonstrate it for a DJ Hero add-on that allows for hip hop head bobbing.  He's already wearing the headphones.

I think the ArmA 2 demo ended up being a little bit too much for me, kinda sad really, looks like I'm not the serious player I thought I was.
Oh well, I will always have Killing Floor!

I've been playing Arma 2 alot these past couple of days and I must have watched that video about 6 times since I started playing...SOOOOOO tempted to get one :)

" I've been playing Arma 2 alot these past couple of days and I must have watched that video about 6 times since I started playing...SOOOOOO tempted to get one :) "

You know, I've noticed that I can't seem to find a single fucking video for ArmA2 where people are ACTUALLY FIGHTING!!!

" You know, I've noticed that I can't seem to find a single fucking video for ArmA2 where people are ACTUALLY FIGHTING!!! "

" You know, I've noticed that I can't seem to find a single fucking video for ArmA2 where people are ACTUALLY FIGHTING!!! "

Cool stuff. Looks very "practical".

Yes, but how do most of our eyes look when we're playing some frigging action game?  Just as dead, probably :P

Seems quite cool but not into the whole realistic sim; may look at Arma 2 though and that may change my mind.

This game looks so epic, but it runs like fudge on my laptop.

This game looks so epic, but it runs like fudge on my laptop.

I'll bet this will be the most used feature of Natal, unless MS wises up and releases a pair of trackable full-controllers.

EDIT: Hey! I havr those exact headphones! Sennheiser HD-595s. Not a bad pair of cans.

Trying demo for ArmA2. But the head thing looks...weird.

I've been flying various flight sims with previous versions of Trackir for years and it works great.  It isn't for shooters, it's for controlling your view from a cockpit when you've got one hand on a stick, another on a throttle, and both feet on rudder pedals.  It takes about an hour to get used to, but after that it's as natural as using a mouse.  Similar web cam apps work, but they are not nearly as precise.

It's a very niche product and its a safe bet that 95% of Trackir owners will purchase Arma2.

" I'll bet this will be the most used feature of Natal, unless MS wises up and releases a pair of trackable full-controllers. "

Shawn Elliot linked to this awesome tourette's video of ARMA. [NSFW]

The game is horribly coded. Shame.

Hm, too bad the game... kind of sucks.

For headtracking I use the Track-IR trackclip pro which I picked up for $29.99 and Free-track using my Xbox 360 cam.  Unfortunately for ArmA 2 you have to use ppjoy to emulate the head tracking to use with free-track.

Dslyecxi is the fucking man. This is an awesome demo, I'd love to see TrackIR implemented in a game like Freespace 2 or a new Mech game.

This, combined with a video headset so that you actually look where you point your head, would be the best thing ever!

Arma 2 looks pretty shit hot from that o.O

I could see Project NATAL incorporating this.

AND it get my seal of approval.....for what that's worth, lmao. That cracked me up.

I played the demo of ArmA 2 that just came out and it was a little too much for me to handle. I don't know there's something about it, that just doesn't feel right. It's too realistic? I never thought I would be complaining about realism in games.

Doesn't it seem stupid to have to move your head away from what you're supposed to be looking at in order to look around you? Seems like this could work exceptionally well with a special peripheral vision monitor, or a triple monitor setup, but every other application seems more impractical than just moving your mouse in the direction you want to look.