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IllumiRoom Could Make Me Want a Microsoft Console [VIDEO]

DISCLAIMER: While expressing my lack of interest for Microsoft's consoles emphasizes the point I'm trying to make with this thread, I also don't want to start a flame war, so I'll try to keep my explanation as civil and reasonably limited as I possibly can.

**

So I've never been too keen on the Xbox 360.

Even back when it launched, a console that didn't pack in wi-fi, was prone to crashing fatally, and was noisy as heck didn't really do it for me, inexpensive as it might have been. I had grown fond of some Sony titles, but not many Microsoft ones, so I decided to skip it. I didn't hate it, but I felt like the 60GB PS3 was exactly what I wanted.

These days most of my time playing games is spent on the PC, a platform where an incomprehensibly large number of Xbox would-be-exclusives now end up being released. So even though they've produced an altered, more robust, quieter version of the Xbox, most of the truly-exclusive titles that actually made me want to want one are now, at least, about 4 years old - from back when X360 exclusives would stay there. Couple that with the joke that Xbox LIVE has become when compared to rival services, and I am assertively anticipating the PlayStation Orbis will be my next-generation console of choice. Basically, even though I'm aware there are great exclusives to be had, I had passively shrugged off the notion of ever owning a Microsoft console.

Until I saw this.

This is awesome.

While the video is only a proof of concept, it was recorded live, with no added visual effects.

Just try to imagine all the potential behind this technology. Besides the type of gameplay they're showcasing, can't you just picture some weird, art-house, possibly non-eucledian indie title turning your living room into some sort of traumatic acid trip environment? My God, if there's a reasonable amount of "next-generation Xbox" titles that are compatible with this, then all my money. All of it. If this IllumiRoom tech actually gets adopted as a standard for every exclusive - which is very unlikely - then just NNNNNGGGGGHHHHHHH.

That said, this is still prototype technology, so it probably won't be integrated with Microsoft's impending console - not at launch, anyway. Maybe this will end up being some sort of mid-cycle add-on, much like the Kinect was for the 360. In any case, given how extravagant the concept of "living-room-wide projection" sounds, this IllumiRoom business will probably end up being quite pricy if/when it finally comes out, and for that reason probably won't gather a large enough audience to justify mass adoption in video-games. But one can dream.

For more on this topic, check out this article. There isn't a whole lot more info to be had, but might as well give it a read. This is neat as fuck. What do you think?

54 Comments

54 Comments

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Stimpack

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Edited By Stimpack

I don't mean to shit all over anyone's parade or anything, but it really looks like another lame novelty to me. Maybe it's because I live in a cramped house and would have no real room to see this thing in all its intended glory. Maybe it's because I'm just used to Microsoft pumping out sub-par garbage peripherals. Is this thing going to have any real impact on the gameplay? Also why would you believe that this would work well after seeing the Kinect performance and the lackluster Smartglass stuff?

Anyway, again, not trying to be a downer here.

Give me the Oculus Rift.

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John1912

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Edited By John1912

I wasnt impressed with the non FPS stuff though I could kinda see the potential. The FPS stuff however was actually VERY cool with the extended view, and bare bones extended view of the buildings. Could be REALLY interesting. If nothing else it great for mood and atmosphere. Could do some really great things with horror games. I can see this actually being really big.

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polydeukes

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Edited By polydeukes

The concept doesn't make any sense unless the TV is removed and the user is in a big enough, completely empty room. It just seems very, very jarring to me otherwise.

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guanophobic

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Edited By guanophobic

I see a couple of issues with this. The first being the main reason why i opted for a tv, replacing my HD projector:

It demanded me to constantly worry about how light the room itself was, inorder for me to make out anything at all. My apartment's very light, and I've got a SO not very keen on having the drapes covering our windows constantly. Having a Backlit TV fixed this.

Secondly, the TV is a plasma. Meaning the screen is made of glass, which is very reflective. I kinda don't want my screen to be glared up..

Anyways, seeing how extremely immersive this could be, I'm optimistic!