Totem Ball gesticulates onto Xbox Live Arcade
by Christopher Grant 
{ Oct 5th 2006 at 10:30AM }
In case you missed it, yesterday's Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday title was the gesture-controlled Totem Ball, released for the low, low price of 0 Microsoft Points (that's $0 USD). The catch: you need Microsoft's Xbox Live Vision camera to play the game.Totem Ball was announced as a free download for all camera purchases but, considering the device hit retail a little early and the game's release is a little late, the retail box came with no Totem Ball registration key. No worries, that's why they stuck it up on Live as a free download (you need the camera either way). The first gesture-based XBLA game proves that the Vision camera is capable of being using as an input device, but is it more than a simple proof of concept?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Anthony D @ Oct 5th 2006 10:38AM
Lame game, period.
aDub @ Oct 5th 2006 10:39AM
I thought it was interesting that their is an acheivement for keeping your arms up and on the screen for 20 minutes. I still need to practice this form of input but in the short period of time I played this I found using my arms to control the onscreen character awkward.
White Rose Duelist @ Oct 5th 2006 10:45AM
Have we learned nothing from the EyeToy?
tarl @ Oct 5th 2006 10:51AM
This game is great. My daughter enjoys playing almost as much as I do. Sure it has a few bugs and jitters, but it's a great idea. I can't wait for the other gesture based games they are making for the camera. I'm just excited to see someone making a game that's not a car racing game. Heaven knows we need more racing games since there are so few of them already.
WhaleMenacer @ Oct 5th 2006 10:51AM
You guys should see me playing DDR with the EyeToy. I look like a retard and man is it just the bestest feeling in the world! I don't see how Totem Ball could be any less Amazing. If you wasted your money on the Vision Cam (like I did on the EyeToy) then use this game to practice Karate Chops.
Erik Novak @ Oct 5th 2006 10:58AM
funny how people praise the Wii and then people diss the posibilities of camera technology in gameplay. Why, because it's not Nintendo? I bet Nintendo wished they came out with the Eyetoy. I've had a few games with it and it's been a fun, unique experience everytime.
What people don't realize is they can do some cool stuff they haven't quite exploited in games yet... like make an object glow you have onscreen, do motions (like a triangle or circle) to activate a command, etc. It would probably make a great magic game if they could get the gesturing technology down pat.
Zatch @ Oct 5th 2006 11:04AM
Weak excuse for an arcade game. So many people don't have cameras and they count this as the weekly update for XBLA. What a ridiculous thing. This is almost as bad as the video tuturials for NCAA and Madden that EA is selling.
. @ Oct 5th 2006 11:11AM
I dont have the "vision cam". This has peaked my interest. Is the game worthless? for kids only? I dont want to waste $40 on a useless peripheral.
Daniel @ Oct 5th 2006 11:41AM
Definitely one of the best headlines of the year.
hoos30 @ Oct 5th 2006 11:16AM
Totemball is very much in the "tech demo" level of games, but for the few minutes I got to play last night before "LOST" came on, I did have some fun, although it will make you sweat. My wife even seemed to like it and she's not into gaming at all.
Thank god this won't be the main method of control for Xbox ever, but I see the potential for enhancing games in a lot of ways.
dvdguy @ Oct 5th 2006 11:13AM
Yes Zatch, a free game is indeed almost as bad as paying for video tutorials for football games. :eyeroll:
OTAM @ Oct 5th 2006 11:13AM
I can't even figure out how to play this. The game goes crazy on my tv because my room has low lighting. Everytime I move my arms nothing happens,the little logs on the side just go crazy jumping up and down and the ball won't go anywhere.
MosquitoControl @ Oct 5th 2006 11:15AM
Erik - because it isn't 3D.
Cameras can only read 2D motions. The wii can get 3D motion and acceleration. It's a big difference.
And hopefully it can do it much, much more accurately.
And, lastly, it doesn't require us to see ourselves on TV. Man, is there anything more embarrassing than seeing yourself doing some eyetoy activity? I don't want to see what I actually look like playing video games...
Thryon @ Oct 5th 2006 11:18AM
I have the camera, and looked forward to TotemBall. Once I got it, I found that I could not control the little guy very well, and that I had to keep flapping my arms for the camera to pick up my signal. I got frustrated and ended the game. A bit later, I found the problem, the lighting in my room was too dark. Once I changed the room a little to allow more lighting, the game played amazing. It is a fun game, that does require a bit more dexterity that most gamers have. I cannot wait to bring this out during a party.
Alex Keen @ Oct 5th 2006 11:22AM
This is a painfully frustrating game. They provide no instructions and I the tutorial level is good to show you how to move - not what the gameplay elements are.
I too am having lighting problems - perhaps a utility to help players set lighting correctly for this game would fix problems.
Right now the camera is still a worthwhile accesory if you need to update your membership and to video chat. But this game is definitely NOT an accessory seller.
Viridium @ Oct 5th 2006 12:47PM
Great... so for the people who have their 360s hooked up to a front projector, given all the "low light" comments, seems we're screwed.
Also, where would you place the Vision camera?
Alex Keen @ Oct 5th 2006 11:22AM
Oops wrong email...
14. This is a painfully frustrating game. They provide no instructions and I the tutorial level is good to show you how to move - not what the gameplay elements are.
I too am having lighting problems - perhaps a utility to help players set lighting correctly for this game would fix problems.
Right now the camera is still a worthwhile accesory if you need to update your membership and to video chat. But this game is definitely NOT an accessory seller.
BIGGEN @ Oct 5th 2006 11:25AM
@10 use more lighting dude. that's the point of any web type cam, low light = bad reception. much light = good reception. plus this game is pretty cool when you get onto it. also, the Vision Camera is far from a worthless peripheral. Uno, backgammon, spades, hearts are ALOT more fun now and there are alot more things you can do with this camera. so "zatch" just because you don't have a camera makes this game's release ridiculous? why don't you get a camera instead of bitching about something you haven't tried?
Franky Digital @ Oct 5th 2006 11:45AM
What they really should have done with their debut camera game is create a series of small mini-games or tech demos to quickly demonstrate the different ways the camera could be used: something along the lines of Wii Sports.
You've got to keep in mind that the audience this game is aimed at is not necessarily the EyeToy graduates: it's an introduction to camera-based gameplay for the Xbox demographic, which may not have experienced the EyeToy.
Of course, there's no excuse for the fact that they apparently didn't learn all that much.
grkfire @ Oct 5th 2006 12:08PM
Anyone find a way to get the vision camera to work on OSX???
razer @ Oct 5th 2006 12:17PM
Gesture gaming has yet to catch on and the games that are out don't really innovate enough. I would love to see a serious game like GoW (or a magic game like mentioned above) that uses the camera as a piece of the gameplay but not completely designed around it. I understand the Wii controller is 3D vs 2D on the camera but the concept as it pertains to movement is basically the same and people are going to get tired of flapping their arms and waving that thing around. There is an achievement for being able to keep your arms up for 20minutes. That is going to be nothing compared to having to have your arms up in the air the entire time you are gaming on the Wii.
Khidr @ Oct 5th 2006 12:19PM
My buddy at Interscription said it: "This experience on a scale of 1 to 10 is f**ked."
subVert @ Oct 5th 2006 12:31PM
I played it for about 5 minutes before realizing that I probably need to break out the Dreamcast with my Samba De Amigo maracas to get in shape for playing Totemball.
The first time I tried it I had no problems with the camera picking up my motions. When I tried again later it was much less accurate. The first time I played, sunlight was streaming into the room and the second time was at night, so I guess I just need more light as others have suggested.
I'm sure I'll give it another try, but my brief exposure to it didn't leave me anxious to play it again.
The Brit @ Oct 5th 2006 1:16PM
The camera itself is worth the 40 bucks because it comes with another headset which as we all know is a plus!
The game started making my shoulders ache after only a few minutes of play ( i have a bad shoulder to start with) so i can only imagine what the wii is going to do to people.
In concept its great. Lighting? My cam is 5 feet from my overhead ceiling fan light which has 3 bulbs and it didnt help much. Oh well.
Its not that bad of a game to be honest and people complaining that its listed as a weekly arcade game but only for cam users, oh well - not everything is catered for the entire population.
Some cars have a/c some dont - some cars have leather seats, some dont.
joe smith @ Oct 5th 2006 12:41PM
I think it's pretty funny that a lot of you complain tha thte game doesn't work well when you are playing in a dark room. It's a CAMERA not a night vision scope! Turn on some lights.
My daughter and I had a blast playing this last night.
Help @ Oct 5th 2006 12:48PM
Here's a tip for people having trouble with the controls. Make sure you have decent lighting. This may sounds silly but, wiggle your fingers constantly while you are playing. It seems the constant motion of your fingers helps the game stay honed in on you much better and it really doesn't take any more effort than waving your arms up and down already does. I was able to get through the first few levels without much problem once I figured this little trick out.
SuicideNinja @ Oct 5th 2006 2:21PM
I like the pinball game. But the regular game is a bit frustrating. I'm guessing it's because of the poorly lit room that all the consoles are in.
Help is right. Wiggling your fingers is necessary in dim environments. I figured that out last night as well.
tarl @ Oct 5th 2006 1:37PM
GESTURETEK, the company working with Microsoft and the live vision camera have a couple videos demonstrating a little how the recognition works. If anyone doubts what this little camera can do, you should see GESTURETEK's website. It's a little exciting to see what they will be coming out with next...
Hoffer @ Oct 5th 2006 1:46PM
I tried this game last night for like 20 minutes and found it to be IMPOSSIBLE. I had the worst time trying to control the game. I would say by the end, I was angry because I was so annoyed I couldn't control it. I doubt I'll ever even try the game again.
dvnt @ Oct 5th 2006 1:46PM
I've been playing Totemball and lighting is crucial to your enjoyment of the game. It works best is the light source is coming from in front of you or probably from above you. I dunno about the latter as I don't have overhead lighting, just floor lamps in the living room. Anyway, before you play make sure you're evenly lit and check to make sure you're in focus on the dashboard as well.
Arcturis @ Oct 5th 2006 3:49PM
Off topic here, but how long is the USB cable on the camera? I haven't picked one up yet, but i'd like to place the camera on top of the rear projection TV and run the cable down the back.
Guess i could always get a USB extension cable.
Robotic House Plant @ Oct 5th 2006 5:24PM
The USB cable is LONG. Longest cable I've ever seen for any camera.
Okay, here are my first impressions with Totem Ball, playing on the training level.
Even if you have lights on in the room, if you have a dark background, which was my case, it had trouble determining which portion was me and which was the background. I had to cover the portion of my background with something lighter to get the game to work properly. Mind you, this was without looking at any options with the game to compensate. I did have all the lights in the room on!
The game is pretty simple, somewhat amusing, and also somewhat frustrating. Control is perhaps the biggest issue, but perhaps that was the intention. You move you totem around, collecting other totems to pass into other areas. Along the way, you can pick up diamonds or hit one of the rest areas to give your arms a break.
I think this game makes a nice diversion if you have a short time to kill. But it's not the kinda game that I would play over and over again. It reminded me of the EyeToy.
fraxyl @ Oct 5th 2006 10:30PM
Wii != arms flailing. Arms may flail in a few games but it's not a requisite, unlike camera games which require the movements to register countless of Wii hands on reports have mentioned that you don't need to flail your arms.