Microsoft's developer relations team in the UK and across Europe showed various studios its upcoming Xbox 360 camera, as debuted way back at E3 2004 on an Xbox 359 iterations earlier than the current machine.
The camera was shown primarily as a communication device, enabling users to talk via face to face contact (a terrifying thought if ever there was one) across the Xbox Live network. Interestingly, Microsoft indicated that the device would be announced for launch within Q1 2006 – before the end of March.
Microsoft was coy over applications for the camera, still without an official name, and it's unknown exactly what entertainment it will be able to deploy via this evolution of Mr Eastman's photographic recording device. Any motion-sensing games will likely provoke Sony's legal wrath, leaving little in the way of dedicated camera games for Xbox 360.
We expect an announcement from Microsoft in the next week or so detailing exactly what we can expect from its latest Xbox add-on, so keep an eye out on these pages should you be interested in 'cybering' with rednecks over a game of Halo.
The camera was shown primarily as a communication device, enabling users to talk via face to face contact (a terrifying thought if ever there was one) across the Xbox Live network. Interestingly, Microsoft indicated that the device would be announced for launch within Q1 2006 – before the end of March.
Microsoft was coy over applications for the camera, still without an official name, and it's unknown exactly what entertainment it will be able to deploy via this evolution of Mr Eastman's photographic recording device. Any motion-sensing games will likely provoke Sony's legal wrath, leaving little in the way of dedicated camera games for Xbox 360.
We expect an announcement from Microsoft in the next week or so detailing exactly what we can expect from its latest Xbox add-on, so keep an eye out on these pages should you be interested in 'cybering' with rednecks over a game of Halo.
Companies:
Microsoft
Read More Like This
Comments
Dreadknux 16 Feb 2006 09:02
1/6
I don't suspect an XBOX 360 'eyetoy' game would really incur Sony's legal biz, unless we're saying that Nintendo can sue almost every other developer for making platform games (considering they all came from Super Mario Bros...).
king skins 16 Feb 2006 10:53
2/6
There aren't enough girls on Live to make a camera worth while...? ;)
Cybering with readnecks is a scary thought! Its bad enough having to listen to some of the people singing and whining, are we going to have to watch them dancing and mooning us now as well?
Cybering with readnecks is a scary thought! Its bad enough having to listen to some of the people singing and whining, are we going to have to watch them dancing and mooning us now as well?
more comments below our sponsor's message
fella 16 Feb 2006 11:34
3/6
Dout sony could sue they never evented web cams or web cam games, infact just about every web cam you could buy for a pc a year before eyetoy was ever thought off had free copies of the same sort of games in the first eyetoy pack.
Joji 16 Feb 2006 20:27
4/6
I hear you King. It's okay to bitch over Live at people and the like, but cameras could be taking it too far while playing games, but I could be wrong.
Live has succeeded well, so it's really up to the gamer if this takes off or not.
Live has succeeded well, so it's really up to the gamer if this takes off or not.
Elysium 17 Feb 2006 04:26
5/6
Motion detection algorithms were invented long before the eyetoy was a blip on Sony's radar, and I very much doubt they own the technology. I think this legal action fantasy is just Spong's Sony fanboyism coming to the surface. I would be far more interested in seeing Microsoft copy and improve on Nintendo's Revolution controller, using solid state gyroscopes to track motion, instead of relying on stupid detectors having to be placed next to the telly. I have a projector and Nintendo's solution just doesn't work for my setup.
config 22 Feb 2006 19:19
6/6
Because we're real Sony fanboys here. Duh.