Halo Reach

Since 6766 Days

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid-Uw
Not sure if you'd seen this one. Even moving your head a little changes the perspective according to your position, giving it the illusion of 3d. I don't sit 15 feet from my TV anyway- more like 7. It would just make it a little more immersive for the one playing. I'm not talking about turning your head to look or anything like that...

In reply to

Oooh, Profound, isn't it?

Optimusv2

Since 6900 Days

Posted by GriftGFX

Head tracking on a screen that's 15 feet away from you? How much are you moving your head to look at objects on your TV?

It doesn't need to be a persistent head tracking, just specific head gestures to perform certain tasks.

That guy also now works for Microsoft directly on the Natal project, I believe.

In reply to

Halo Reach using 360 tesselation unit extensively.

Hironobu Sakaguchi is coming back to reclaim the throne :)

Seeing it in motion on your HDTV, will blow your mind!!

Don't ask any questions just shut up and buy Halo : Ghosts of the Onyx one of th

Frozpot

Since 6766 Days

Ah but that's more than what I'm talking about. I just want the 3d effect, I don't want to control anything with it...

In reply to

Oooh, Profound, isn't it?

Optimusv2

Since 6900 Days

Posted by Frozpot

Ah but that's more than what I'm talking about. I just want the 3d effect, I don't want to control anything with it...

Ahh true that, would be pretty cool.

In reply to

Halo Reach using 360 tesselation unit extensively.

Hironobu Sakaguchi is coming back to reclaim the throne :)

Seeing it in motion on your HDTV, will blow your mind!!

Don't ask any questions just shut up and buy Halo : Ghosts of the Onyx one of th

Frozpot

Since 6766 Days

Posted by Optimusv2

Ahh true that, would be pretty cool.

So in that regard, every game could make good use of the Natal. It's a small thing that shouldn't eat up to much power but can add a TON to the immersion. Can you imagine running THROUGH the smoke hanging in the air? And NO goofy, uncomfortable glasses. This alone is enough for me to get a Natal...

In reply to

Oooh, Profound, isn't it?

GriftGFX

Since 7008 Days

Posted by Optimusv2

It doesn't need to be a persistent head tracking, just specific head gestures to perform certain tasks.

That guy also now works for Microsoft directly on the Natal project, I believe.

That sounds f'n terrible.

Plus, ya know, it's been confirmed that they're not using Natal.

@ Frozpot: I have seen that, and it is cool, I'm just not sure it's practical. If you're sitting on a couch several yards away from your TV, I don't think you're moving your head very much anyway.

In reply to

Frozpot

Since 6766 Days

@GriftGFX. I don't think you have to move much. I think you get the effect because it does change when you do. I bet you move more than you think you do, and it would be mostly subconscous. I think it would have a profound effect. Of course, its impossible to really know until they do it!...

In reply to

Oooh, Profound, isn't it?

deftangel

Since 6876 Days

I would like to see some experiments with head tracking, specifically with a peek round the corner type gesture to see if that works. It's entirely possible that it wouldn't in the context of a modern console FPS but I'd like to try it anyway.

It's never worth 10-15% of your game's engine to implement though unless they really find some solid mechanics for Natal to build a game around.

In reply to

http://twitter.com/deftangel

Frozpot

Since 6766 Days

Does it have to use that much though? Would a less calculative function use less? I mean, if its limited to following the head, and not the arms, legs, etc- then it would stand to reason it would require so much in resources...

In reply to

Oooh, Profound, isn't it?

SimonM7

Since 7031 Days

I will never understand why that compromise was made to begin with. You'd think market penetration of something that was actually useful and applicable would make up for the bigger price tag or initial loss in the long run.

The things talked about here, adding things on top of the standard experience, was exactly what made Natal - in theory - more attractive than the full on wand flailing of the competition in a traditional gaming environment. If these cpu considerations have to be taken into account, it effectively stops that incentive dead in its tracks.

In reply to

http://modeseven.blogspot.com | Dominic and Simon - dyanamic games blog duo!
Twitter: @simonlundmark
Mode-7 on Twitter: @Mode_7updates

GriftGFX

Since 7008 Days

Posted by SimonM7

I will never understand why that compromise was made to begin with. You'd think market penetration of something that was actually useful and applicable would make up for the bigger price tag or loss in the long run.

The things talked about here, adding things on top of the standard experience, was exactly what made Natal - in theory - more attractive than the full on wand flailing of the competition in a traditional gaming environment. If these cpu considerations have to be taken into account, it effectively stops that incentive dead in its tracks.

The thing is, that's not really the market Natal is after anyway. People are dreaming of these "core" gaming experiences with Natal, but I have no idea why. The closest thing we've seen demoed is Burnout Paradise, and really, who in their right mind would want to play Burnout like that? This thing isn't for traditional gaming environments, which is the number one reason we're not going to see it used as such very often.

In reply to

[quote=SimonM7]I will never understand why that compromise was made to begin with. You'd think market penetration of something that was actually useful and applicable would make up for the bigger price tag or loss in the long run.

The things talked about here, adding things on top of the standard experience, was exactly what made Natal - in theory - more attractive than the full on wand flailing of the competition [b]in a traditional gaming environment.[/b] If these cpu considerations have to be taken into account, it effectively stops that incentive dead in its tracks.[/quote]

The thing is, that's not really the market Natal is after anyway. People are dreaming of these "core" gaming experiences with Natal, but I have no idea why. The closest thing we've seen demoed is Burnout Paradise, and really, who in their right mind would want to play Burnout like that? This thing isn't for traditional gaming environments, which is the number one reason we're not going to see it used as such very often.

SimonM7

Since 7031 Days

I agree, absolutely, but it has become a non-consideration for core titles because nobody will add it as a feature if it gobbles up cpu.

I mean yeah, primary control will always be mapped to a gamepad, but the way Rainbow Six 3 allowed voice commands (with somewhat questionable results) a map interface could easily be navigated by a purely optional on screen indicator where you literally mark points on the map by "tapping" on it with your finger.

I mean that's just a tiny example of a feature that could overlay a traditional experience. Much like a hood cam in a racing game is entirely your choice, and racing outside the car pretty much negates the work the developer has put into rendering a dashboard in painstaking detail, the same way a game could offer that extra natal layer for players that want it.

Actually it makes me think back of SNES Jurassic Park when you went inside buildings and you had to punch a code in. That brought an on screen hand that you navigated to each button. Having natal at the ready to simply let you do that yourself, I think, would be really neat.

People's hate for the Wii is gathering in a gigantic HATE-DOKEN MOVE, SSF2T intro style, so people will generally disagree with me here, but I actually find things like the puzzle interactions in Shattered Memories, the door opening in Metroid Prime Corruption, and the finishers in No More Heroes to enrich the experience. Used in methodical, controlled ways, it's fulfilling the same way lockpicking in Splinter Cell was, as opposed to just pushing a button to do it.

So yeah, I'm not really a fan of the full on body freakout Natal stuff. It looks too laggy and spazzy to do anything worthwhile on that level apart from kicking and slapping balls around. I do think as a layer of interaction it could've lead to some nice implementations though, but ripping out the cpu it just isn't worth the trade-off.

In reply to

I agree, absolutely, but it has become a [i]non-consideration[/i] for core titles because nobody will add it as a feature if it gobbles up cpu.

I mean yeah, primary control will always be mapped to a gamepad, but the way Rainbow Six 3 allowed voice commands (with somewhat questionable results) a map interface could easily be navigated by a purely optional on screen indicator where you literally mark points on the map by "tapping" on it with your finger.

I mean that's just a tiny example of a feature that could overlay a traditional experience. Much like a hood cam in a racing game is entirely your choice, and racing outside the car pretty much negates the work the developer has put into rendering a dashboard in painstaking detail, the same way a game could offer that extra natal layer for players that want it.

Actually it makes me think back of SNES Jurassic Park when you went inside buildings and you had to punch a code in. That brought an on screen hand that you navigated to each button. Having natal at the ready to simply let you do that yourself, I think, would be really neat.

People's hate for the Wii is gathering in a gigantic HATE-DOKEN MOVE, SSF2T intro style, so people will generally disagree with me here, but I actually find things like the puzzle interactions in Shattered Memories, the door opening in Metroid Prime Corruption, and the finishers in No More Heroes to enrich the experience. Used in methodical, controlled ways, it's fulfilling the same way lockpicking in Splinter Cell was, as opposed to just pushing a button to do it.

So yeah, I'm not really a fan of the full on body freakout Natal stuff. It looks too laggy and spazzy to do anything worthwhile on that level apart from kicking and slapping balls around. I do think as a layer of interaction it could've lead to some nice implementations though, but ripping out the cpu it just isn't worth the trade-off.

http://modeseven.blogspot.com | Dominic and Simon - dyanamic games blog duo!
Twitter: @simonlundmark
Mode-7 on Twitter: @Mode_7updates

deftangel

Since 6876 Days

Posted by Frozpot

Does it have to use that much though? Would a less calculative function use less? I mean, if its limited to following the head, and not the arms, legs, etc- then it would stand to reason it would require so much in resources...

Yes, the CPU is needed to do much of the heavy lifting of processing the 3D camera. Whether they can just focus it on the head as you suggest I don't know but the bigger issue is more likely latency. The image will need to be analyzed X times a second so in order for it to be processed with minimal lag so likely needs a dedicated hardware thread. Plus RAM for the software etc.

Posted by SimonM7

I will never understand why that compromise was made to begin with. You'd think market penetration of something that was actually useful and applicable would make up for the bigger price tag or initial loss in the long run.

It's the same as the hard drive issue. We can all agree that the 360 would be a better device with that included in all models from the get go. If I had it my way, there wouldn't be a 360 Arcade either but you can't really argue with results on that front.

The thing is, that's not really the market Natal is after anyway. People are dreaming of these "core" gaming experiences with Natal, but I have no idea why. The closest thing we've seen demoed is Burnout Paradise, and really, who in their right mind would want to play Burnout like that?

Not me and I hope that's not an indication of where things will be going because it will fail. That said, Natal as a device allows for new input possibilities and by extension, new game mechanics. I don't disagree the core focus on Natal is chasing the expanded market but that doesn't mean it can't be put to good use by people more imaginative than I. When the DS was announced I dare say some people said the same thing about the stylus but it would be ludicrous to suggest no "core" games have made use of it.

That it can't just be bolted on to an existing game might be a decent thing in the long run because if the initial software line up from third parties was anything like the Wii's (i.e. a bunch of PS2 ports with waggle clumsily worked in) it'll kill it stone dead from the get go.

In reply to

[quote=Frozpot]Does it have to use that much though?  Would a less calculative function use less?  I mean, if its limited to following the head, and not the arms, legs, etc- then it would stand to reason it would require so much in resources...[/quote]

Yes, the CPU is needed to do much of the heavy lifting of processing the 3D camera. Whether they can just focus it on the head as you suggest I don't know but the bigger issue is more likely latency. The image will need to be analyzed X times a second so in order for it to be processed with minimal lag so likely needs a dedicated hardware thread. Plus RAM for the software etc.

[quote=SimonM7]I will never understand why that compromise was made to begin with. You'd think market penetration of something that was actually useful and applicable would make up for the bigger price tag or initial loss in the long run.[/quote]

It's the same as the hard drive issue. We can all agree that the 360 would be a better device with that included in all models from the get go. If I had it my way, there wouldn't be a 360 Arcade either but you can't really argue with results on that front.

[quote]The thing is, that's not really the market Natal is after anyway. People are dreaming of these "core" gaming experiences with Natal, but I have no idea why. The closest thing we've seen demoed is Burnout Paradise, and really, who in their right mind would want to play Burnout like that?[/quote]

Not me and I hope that's not an indication of where things will be going because it will fail. That said, Natal as a device allows for new input possibilities and by extension, new game mechanics. I don't disagree the core focus on Natal is chasing the expanded market but that doesn't mean it can't be put to good use by people more imaginative than I. When the DS was announced I dare say some people said the same thing about the stylus but it would be ludicrous to suggest no "core" games have made use of it.

That it can't just be bolted on to an existing game might be a decent thing in the long run because if the initial software line up from third parties was anything like the Wii's (i.e. a bunch of PS2 ports with waggle clumsily worked in) it'll kill it stone dead from the get go.

http://twitter.com/deftangel

icemanufc

Since 5674 Days

Sweet!!

Perched at cliff’s edge, the Elite surveys his troops as they secure the civilian structures below, carrying out their orders without question. Overhead a Phantom drop ship breaks the silence, the whir of its engines masking the sound of approaching footsteps. This is the perfect time to strike.

The Spartan leaps out of the shadows and sprints hard to close the distance, lighting the Elite’s energy shields the whole way with short bursts of Assault Rifle fire. Though caught off guard, the Elite is more than ready for a fight. He spins, leveling his weapon, and immediately returns fire.

Blistering bolts of plasma scorch the air as the Elite’s elongated legs crisscross over one another, toes splaying as they grip the ground for purchase. The Spartan adjusts to the surprisingly speedy strafe, focusing on the opponent’s menacing gaze to stay in lock step with the agile alien.

The Elite’s energy shields have begun to swell, but just before they burst the warrior jukes hard. He dives. The Spartan cannot adjust. In the blink of an eye the beast has evaded the Spartan’s deadly intentions, regained his footing, and earned an infinitesimal but invaluable moment to recover.

The Spartan sweeps his rifle right to relocate the target. Running low on ammo, he burst fires into the Elite’s torso again and the alien’s shields finally crack under the sustained fire. But the Elite does not fall. He’s used his small window of opportunity to his advantage and quickly darts behind a small rock outcropping, out of fire.

The Spartan needs to reload. He lobs a grenade near the footing of the rock, hoping to finish the job, or at the very least, to buy himself a moment to safely reload his weapon.

Rifle ready, he carefully sweeps around the backside of the rock, hoping to find a corpse. Just as he steps around the far side, he hears the Elite’s shields regenerate, and on the wind, the sounds of approaching enemy reinforcements.
Cool Story Bro
So yeah, reading about how we’re bringing the Elite back is one thing. Seeing it in action? A thing of beauty.
Almost brings a single, emo tear to my eye.

Word went out internally this week in response the long asked and incredibly important question, “Will Elites be fun to fight again?” It’s no small task. After being absent from the Halo universe as an primary adversary for the span of two games, it’s a legitimate question for the team. So it’s comforting to receive an email with nearly a thousand words dedicated to the progress that’s been made to bring the Elite AI back up to speed.

Here’s the gist:

The return of the Elite has been a huge focus for the team and there’s already been a ton of work done to ensure that when you come face to chest with the Sangheili warriors in Reach, they’ll be just as cunning, vicious, and worthy as you remember. And of course, they’ll have learned some nasty new tricks as well. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topne...

In reply to

Sweet!!

[quote]Perched at cliff’s edge, the Elite surveys his troops as they secure the civilian structures below, carrying out their orders without question. Overhead a Phantom drop ship breaks the silence, the whir of its engines masking the sound of approaching footsteps. This is the perfect time to strike.

The Spartan leaps out of the shadows and sprints hard to close the distance, lighting the Elite’s energy shields the whole way with short bursts of Assault Rifle fire. Though caught off guard, the Elite is more than ready for a fight. He spins, leveling his weapon, and immediately returns fire.

Blistering bolts of plasma scorch the air as the Elite’s elongated legs crisscross over one another, toes splaying as they grip the ground for purchase. The Spartan adjusts to the surprisingly speedy strafe, focusing on the opponent’s menacing gaze to stay in lock step with the agile alien.

The Elite’s energy shields have begun to swell, but just before they burst the warrior jukes hard. He dives. The Spartan cannot adjust. In the blink of an eye the beast has evaded the Spartan’s deadly intentions, regained his footing, and earned an infinitesimal but invaluable moment to recover.

The Spartan sweeps his rifle right to relocate the target. Running low on ammo, he burst fires into the Elite’s torso again and the alien’s shields finally crack under the sustained fire. But the Elite does not fall. He’s used his small window of opportunity to his advantage and quickly darts behind a small rock outcropping, out of fire.

The Spartan needs to reload. He lobs a grenade near the footing of the rock, hoping to finish the job, or at the very least, to buy himself a moment to safely reload his weapon.

Rifle ready, he carefully sweeps around the backside of the rock, hoping to find a corpse. Just as he steps around the far side, he hears the Elite’s shields regenerate, and on the wind, the sounds of approaching enemy reinforcements.
Cool Story Bro
So yeah, reading about how we’re bringing the Elite back is one thing. Seeing it in action? A thing of beauty.
Almost brings a single, emo tear to my eye.

Word went out internally this week in response the long asked and incredibly important question, “Will Elites be fun to fight again?” It’s no small task. After being absent from the Halo universe as an primary adversary for the span of two games, it’s a legitimate question for the team. So it’s comforting to receive an email with nearly a thousand words dedicated to the progress that’s been made to bring the Elite AI back up to speed.

Here’s the gist:

The return of the Elite has been a huge focus for the team and there’s already been a ton of work done to ensure that when you come face to chest with the Sangheili warriors in Reach, they’ll be just as cunning, vicious, and worthy as you remember. And of course, they’ll have learned some nasty new tricks as well. Be afraid. Be very afraid.[/quote]

http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BWU_020510

Tinks

Since 6937 Days

Any rumors of when we'll see more footage of this game yet?

In reply to

RC_Master

Since 6910 Days

Posted by Tinks

Any rumors of when we'll see more footage of this game yet?

A few weeks before the beta maybe.

In reply to

Ignorance is the true enemy of all things.

Suhweet!

dcdelgado

Since 6868 Days

Also maybe at the X10 MS event.

In reply to

** Yes We CAN!! **

Frozpot

Since 6766 Days

It better be there, or I'm gonna be a sad puppy :(...

In reply to

Oooh, Profound, isn't it?

Optimusv2

Since 6900 Days

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1971128...

Reach Will Be at X10 and there will be a new Vidoc as well on the 11th

We can confirm that we'll be there and I can convey my excitement about the event.

As to what we're showing/saying... here are the guidelines we've been asked to follow:

You can confirm that Bungie will be in attendance at X10 showing off Reach
? EXAMPLE: Gearing up for X10 in San Francisco. Can’t wait to show Reach to US and int’l press and kickoff the biggest year in Xbox history! #X10Xbox

o You can share when the event is and what readers can expect to see coming out of the event
? EXAMPLE: Be on the lookout on 2/11 – we’ll be showing Reach's first ViDoc to the press at X10 and it will be on Marketplace and web the following morning. #X10Xbox

There will be some stuff coming. Stay tuned.

Halo Reach Dev Blog!!

http://www.nobleactual.com/

In reply to

Halo Reach using 360 tesselation unit extensively.

Hironobu Sakaguchi is coming back to reclaim the throne :)

Seeing it in motion on your HDTV, will blow your mind!!

Don't ask any questions just shut up and buy Halo : Ghosts of the Onyx one of th

dcdelgado

Since 6868 Days

Sweet!!

In reply to

** Yes We CAN!! **

BLackHawkodst

Since 5894 Days

Looks like they will be showing some of the pre-alpha build MP we will be seeing later in the BETA?

In reply to

Prepare To Drop!!

Optimusv2

Since 6900 Days

Potentially yea, we may get to see what will basically become the public beta.

In reply to

Halo Reach using 360 tesselation unit extensively.

Hironobu Sakaguchi is coming back to reclaim the throne :)

Seeing it in motion on your HDTV, will blow your mind!!

Don't ask any questions just shut up and buy Halo : Ghosts of the Onyx one of th

deftangel

Since 6876 Days

Posted by BLackHawkodst

Looks like they will be showing some of the pre-alpha build MP we will be seeing later in the BETA?

The beta will actually be Bungie's "Delta". Once they get an alpha build, they'll fork off one branch to be the public beta and work on their internal beta for the full game in parallel. Thus I expect what we end up playing to be pretty polished in fairness as they'll have a team cranking just on that.

It was the same for Halo 3. The Beta maps were pretty "polished" and didn't change that much when it shipped.

I think what we get tomorrow is a ViDoc with footage from their pre-alpha in it (hopefully)

In reply to

http://twitter.com/deftangel

dcdelgado

Since 6868 Days

MP is good enough, would like to see some SP too though.

In reply to

** Yes We CAN!! **

BLackHawkodst

Since 5894 Days

Any footage would be great just want to see me some Halo!!!!

In reply to

Prepare To Drop!!

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