What is "Nintendo Floor Vision"?

by Christopher Grant { Jan 1st 2006 at 7:00PM }

German gaming-site GameFront reported on a curious acquisition by Nintendo: the name "Nintendo Floor Vision." The original article translates as "Nintendo secured the name 'Nintendo Floor Vision' last month at the Japanese patent office. It is unknown what it is about." A search of the United States Patent and Trademark Office's website didn't unearth any similar applications. Nintendo has also not seen fit to register www.nintendofloorvision.com, although it appears www.floorvision.com has been purchased by BuyDomains.com in October '05. Could this be the VR dream Nintendo fanboys refuse to let go of? Probably not, but what could this unwieldy name mean? Commence speculation.

[Thanks, Sage]

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Logan @ Jan 1st 2006 7:16PM

Willing to bet this is the technology they showed at E3, saw a video of it but don't remember where it was. It was basically a touch sensitive lcd screen on the floor, which you could step on to play with. The video showed a sort of interactive screensaver, a pond scene where you could splash and scare the fish.

Hunta @ Jan 1st 2006 7:25PM

This?

http://www.n-sider.com/articleview.php?articleid=468

Google Nazi @ Jan 1st 2006 7:29PM

It could be that ORRR

It could be Nintendo making fake trademarks to make fun of people who track patents and stuff. I'm sure this will begin one day by making people and competitors either fear or wonder.

Though I have yet to hear Nintendo doing this.

Jago @ Jan 1st 2006 7:30PM

I was there...that wasn't a touch sensitive LCD on the floor. There was a special projection screen hanging above the ground and there was a special mat directly below it.

LucasArts had the same thing setup in the long hallway connecting the South and West Halls which was advertising their Star Wars titles.

Tom @ Jan 1st 2006 7:36PM

Some sort of lame accessory for another Mario Dance Dance Revolution game?

J-Ron @ Jan 1st 2006 7:38PM

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6185946983584477029&q=ninten

Yeah this video pretty much explains it. What else could it be?

Cyport @ Jan 1st 2006 7:41PM

Logan-

That reminds me of when I went to Virgin Megastores on Hollywood Bouvelard. There was this projected pond on the floor and you could step on it make the water react to yor steps, pretty cool eh!

TheMayor @ Jan 1st 2006 7:42PM

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6185946983584477029&q=NINTENDO+E3

TheMayor @ Jan 1st 2006 7:43PM

curses, beaten.

Iced_Eagle @ Jan 1st 2006 7:43PM

#2: Sounds reasonable...

Never even heard of that attraction actually o.O

Oh, and I have one of those Reactrix things at my local mall (Brookfield Square in Brookfield, Wisconsin, USA) and there's like a soccer game where you score points and such... Really fun when you get bored

It's right as you walk in, and also right next the food court... You _always_ see people stare at the thing and little kids playing with it (me? I mostly glance down to see if there's a new ad or otherwise I'm used to it now)

It's pretty neat and I can imagine the fish pond :)

Hunta @ Jan 1st 2006 7:45PM

See also:

http://www.reactrix.com/case_study_details.php?id=9

Perhaps the big N will produce a cut-down version like the virtual keyboards for phones? Doubtful really, as if the Revolution controller does 50% of what it's supposed to, it'll do that kinda thing anyway.

Personally I am an old-school Nintendo fan who migrated to PC's LONG LONG ago... but I will problably be buying a Rev' when they come out... I treated myself to a DS over Xmas (under the excuse of getting it for my son!) and have NOT regretted it.

Bob @ Jan 1st 2006 9:05PM

They had something like this at a music store in Mall of America. Pretty sweet.

Dasutin @ Jan 1st 2006 9:07PM

Yeah I think its a DDR style dance pad that Nintendo is going to come out with for the revolution.

http://www.dasutin.com

Derick @ Jan 1st 2006 9:42PM

I'm speculating that this will be the way they establish kiosks at different retailers. I mean, if they want to show the revolution in store, the traditional kiosk is going to need to change, and they are probably wanting to patent whatever design they come up with.

Also, the name 'Floor Vision' sounds like a hint at E3 for this year; how they are going to show their vision on the floor.

Vexorg @ Jan 1st 2006 9:45PM

Yes, a number of the Sam Goody stores in the area have installed these in the front of their stores. They certainly get people's attention...

Iced_Eagle @ Jan 1st 2006 9:53PM

Hmmm I'm just thinking of this right now... But what if the Revolution will be able to pretty much use any sort of controller that Nintendo builds? So that if they want you have this "virtual floor" and then a year later maybe Nintendo will make some virtual helmet or something...

I mean who knows what sort of input the Revolution can support, so maybe it's upgradeable and not just to their "wand"?

fatboy @ Jan 1st 2006 9:54PM

sweet

teddyn @ Jan 2nd 2006 12:06AM

January 1st 2029

After a stormy january day out in the snow, Bill returns home. He kicks off his boots by the front door and takes a deep breath, soaking in the scent of rich mahogany and leather-bound books which permeated his opulent abode. As a party official, Bill had access to luxuries which the proles would not dare dream of. Newly installed, however, was Bill's most prized possession; a gift from the Central People's Party Headquarters (CPPH) as a reward for his promotion to 'Comrade Commissar for the People's Domestic Liberation'.

Heart skipping with anticipation, Bill furtively entered the basement room in which the object of his excitement was stored. Having opened the door, Bill paused to admire the fruits of his loyalty to the party. The walls and floor were covered in what was a screen. Walking to the middle of the circular room, where there was a small pedestal on which to stand, Bill picked up the controller for what was in effect a toy.

Nintendo Floor Vision, a technology which had been in production since the year 2005, a year before the Popular 'Nintendo' Revolution, (so named in honour of the corporation which made the worldwide uprising which thrust the party into power possible) fulfilled two aims. Firstly, the detailed strategic game was highly entertaining for loyal party officials. Secondly it helped the party control population and suppress rebellions. Nintendo Floor Vision was the evolution of videogame technology. The 'units' being commanded in this room were made up of real people. Using the Nintendo designed controller, Bill was ordering real human beings to their deaths accross many colourful battlefields, in urban, temperate, arctic and desert settings. If no rebellions were available to satisfy party officials, criminals, the unemployed, the disloyal and those too intelligent or not intelligent enough were drafted. From the point of view of Bill, this was an unbelievable spectacle. Across the entire floor of the room were groups of people who were only allowed to move and and where he told them. Seeing a group of lightly armed conscripts seeming to enjoy themselves around the wreck of a rusting tank, Bill selected an artillery group and had them fire at the resting soldiers. Enjoying the sight, Bill then ordered another group to charge towards a machine-gun nest.

There was no balancing, no challenge, and no clear enemy but the 'graphics' were incredible and Bill was having fun.

This is definitely what floor vision will be like =)

Osiris @ Jan 2nd 2006 1:25AM

I'm assuming this works on similar technology to those projector keyboard you get for laptops.

They Project an outlay of a keyboard onto the surface its placed on and can detect which areas your fingers block the light and then input that to the computer.

I think this is a great idea to delve into for gaming purposes, but i think it will be hard to implement, especially in japanese homes where space is an issue.

Perhaps it will feature in arcades instead.

It is low maintenance as the players will only be stamping on the floor/projections and not a button of sorts such as DDR :)