Microsoft's IllumiRoom Brings Games Outside the TV

Cognimancer

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Jun 13, 2012
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Microsoft's IllumiRoom Brings Games Outside the TV


The Kinect can grant gamers something that years of graphics advancements could not - peripheral vision.

Back in September, Microsoft raised eyebrows when it filed a patent for an "immersive display experience" not unlike the coveted Holodeck [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/119564-Microsoft-Patents-the-Holodeck]. The project seems to be making progress - a prototype of the system, dubbed IllumiRoom, was demoed at the Consumer Electronics Show, and it's not too shabby. A proof of concept video provides a few glimpses of what gaming would look like with IllumiRoom dropping the player right into the middle of the action.

The product utilizes a Kinect for Windows camera to scan the room, mapping the geometry of the environment. During gameplay, a projector located somewhere in the middle of the room splashes images generated by the game across the walls and furniture, effectively creating a range of peripheral vision to immerse players in the world of the game. These effects aren't too detailed - you won't be getting crisp 1080p textures projected onto your TV stand - but they serve their intended purpose of providing context outside of the television itself, which remains the focal point of the play experience.

The demo does not fail to impress. According to the video description, there's no post-processing mumbo-jumbo involved here; all the effects seen are generated in real time by IllumiRoom. The video predictably spends a lot of time showing off first-person shooters enhanced by projections, since the added immersion looks most effective with that up-close-and-personal perspective. Several different modes of projection are used: in some shots the entire environment is projected, giving the action a larger-than-life vibe; other times only particle effects like flames, glowing projectiles, and powerups are visible outside the screen. Weapon fire is emphasized by subtle tremors that expand to jarring quakes in the projected environment, lending considerable weight to the combat on the television. A cart-racing game is also displayed, with the projector creating the illusion of snowflakes falling around the living room to match the snow level on the screen.

Details are scarce on when we'll be able to deploy this technology in our own living rooms, or how much our wallets will hate us for doing so. Microsoft says you'll want to keep an eye out at CHI 2013 [http://chi2013.acm.org/] in April for more information.

Source: Technet [http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/illumiroom/]

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WWmelb

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Sep 7, 2011
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Okay. If this is even half as good in reality as this video shows it. That is fucking awesome. I just imagine running through skyrim or lordran like this... with a 7.1 surround system... wow. immersion = win. kinect just seemed to possibly get worth it.

I am all for this, and would actually throw some money microsofts way for this tech. I like and i approve.
 

Remus

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Nov 24, 2012
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I've never been a fan of the X-Box. I prefer Sony's more uniform controller design. But if this works at all as advertised, I may be getting a Next the upcoming console cycle.
 

AlexanderPeregrine

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Nov 19, 2009
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Watching this video, I'm left wondering about the graphics processing needed for this. Either this is going to degrade game performance (notice how choppy the clip at the 54 second mark runs?), require a lower television resolution, or require software companies to scale down the quality of games that support this. I'd love to see the technical specs on this system.
 

V8 Ninja

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May 15, 2010
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...Red Eclipse? Damn, someone at Microsoft must have really dug for that one! That game barely gets full servers of any kind! Of course, the nature of the game being open source probably had a lot to do with why it was picked, but wow! It's actually recognized as a thing by individuals who are not me!
 

Dr Jones

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Jun 23, 2010
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At first I think it looks incredibly-fucking-distracting, but I can definitely see the appeal of it. I should probably just have some more time to get used to it. But I'm awaiting this cautiously, I remember the videos for the "Natal" when it was first announced, it looked like some sort of fucking sci-fi dream.
 

Mike the Bard

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Jan 25, 2010
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I have mixed feelings on this. On the one hand, i don't like the idea of them using this to expand your field of view, seems more distracting to me more than anything else.

But on the other, I like how they used it to add to the existing picture (vibrations when shooting, snow falling) just extra effects that add to the picture, not distract from it. That i could get behind.
 

Joccaren

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Mar 29, 2011
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AlexanderPeregrine said:
Watching this video, I'm left wondering about the graphics processing needed for this. Either this is going to degrade game performance (notice how choppy the clip at the 54 second mark runs?), require a lower television resolution, or require software companies to scale down the quality of games that support this. I'd love to see the technical specs on this system.
The technical specs: Xbox 360.
Well, there's the hard word done =P
Seeing as its Kinect, that's what those specs will be. There is a chance it'll be for the Nextbox instead, but I wouldn't bet my money on it.

Interesting as this is I'll wait for it to get popular, then have Nvidia or ATI port it across to PC with their own systems. Will likely end up cheaper, as no Microsoft Brand Name, Better, and doesn't require an outdated console to run. With my new sound system, that will be fun, though it will definitely look weird for anyone not playing the game.
 

tce11

Turtle Who Lives in the Clouds
Apr 17, 2008
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Was pretty surprised to find out that video was not edited in post.

Agree with a lot of other people that it looks more distracting than immersive, but I imagine I might think differently seeing it first hand.

I thought the more subtle effects, like the snow falling, looked pretty neat and would add a nice touch of atmosphere. The more detailed projections don't look as good though. It would be cool with a more minimalist style I think, like a Silent Hill with fog effects projected around your room or something.
 

Jfswift

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Nov 2, 2009
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That's.. pretty damn cool. For once a product that isn't gimmicky. I'll always welcome more viewing screen space. XD
 

AldUK

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Oct 29, 2010
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Not so sure about this. I have a feeling the Oculus Rift will be more impressive when it ships. I guess if you're strictly a console gamer this is exciting, but for us glorious PC master race types, the rift will be full immersion with your entire vision in-game.
 

AstylahAthrys

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Apr 7, 2010
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Well, color me impressed. I'm looking forward to seeing how this piece of technology ends up playing out in the long run. I don't see it hitting the mass market for awhile, sadly.
 

Andy of Comix Inc

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Apr 2, 2010
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This looks less immersive and more utterly distracting. Microsoft has a funny idea that putting the player between the action and what's happening on screen - huge, wide-sweeping body movements, and now projected elements against the playspace - creates a sense of immersion, while other companies have very smartly identified that removing the player from the equation with smaller movements like that done with fingers on a controller, and a display that sits between the player and reality rather than projecting against it, the Occulus Rift, achieves better the idea that you have removed yourself from the "real world" and plopped yourself into a virtual one. Everything Microsoft is doing just seems too big, and too grand, when simulated realities really should be small, subtle, and unnoticeable.
 

Narcogen

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Jul 26, 2006
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I don't get it. It looks like they've aimed a low quality projector at a good quality TV.

If you want an immersive experience, ditch the TV and get a big projector. There are 1080p 3D projectors under $2k now.
 

SirPigglesworth

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Aug 14, 2012
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I'm not convinced about it. Unless this is included in the next Xbox I doubt many people will get it.
Also were they proper games because I liked the look of them both. (the kart racer had a diddy kong vibe to me).