A peek into the future: head-tracking in FPS games[joystiq]

said: 

Move over Johnny Lee. Now that you've gone corporate,
there's a new student researcher in town ready to take up your mantle.
What mantle is that, you ask? The "show us cool tech that can be used
in video games via YouTube" mantle, of course. Introducing Torben Sko,
a PhD candidate at Australian National University. He's currently
"studying the idea of augmenting traditional forms of computer game
interaction using unconventional, but commercially viable approaches."
Translation: head- and face-tracking in video games using a traditional
webcam. 

The video after the break shows off several very impressive demonstrations of this technology using none other than 
Half-Life 2's Source engine: 1) VR Desktop is a "replication of the [technique] made popular by Johnny Lee"; 
2) Zoom in by moving your head closer to the screen; 
3) Peering allows you to look around the corners by tilting your head; 
4) Camera rotation/spinning allows you to look around, "more like a Handycam"; 5) Ironsighting "allows the player 
to aim down the barrel of their weapon by tilting their head to the side." 

If you're anything like us, you're already imagining this functionality in games using both the 
Xbox Project Natal camera and the PlayStation Eye. Afraid that new camera-based interfaces herald
the death of traditional gameplay? ("I don't want to play Halo Reach by jumping up and down!")
Fear not! This video is whispering in your ear, Core Gamer, and saying,
"Don't be afraid. Everything is going to be alright." 

[Via PushingPlay]

 



 
  

I think this should be possible with Natal day and date.....

that was cool. i wonder how all video game will be played in maybe 10 years

Cool.

Personally, I think any kind of head-turning gestures are useless as long as we play video games from a screen that's in front of us. I'd wait for TV goggles before using the head-turning thing.

I'm gonna make a prediction and say it will be at least 6 or 7 years before motion capture technology makes any sort of real innovative and significant gameplay enhancement in a game, that then becomes a standard in following games. (note: I don't believe replacing buttons with motion is really innovative or significant)

" I'm gonna make a prediction and say it will be at least 6 or 7 years before motion capture technology makes any sort of real innovative and significant gameplay enhancement in a game, that then becomes a standard in following games. (note: I don't believe replacing buttons with motion is really innovative or significant) "

I bet this is the kind of thing we will see if Natal is integrated in Halo: Reach.

That would also work really well in a racing game while using the dashboard view. At least I assume it would.