GDC08: Boom Blox to include head tracking. Seriously.
by Ross Miller 
{ Feb 21st 2008 at 8:15PM }
At the end of the "Creating Boom Blox" session at GDC, executive producer Lou Castle revealed that you can use two Wii remotes on your TV (and some form of do-it-yourself LED headset) to control the camera in Boom Blox with your head. Seriously.
Speaking briefly to Joystiq after the session, Castle explained that it was more of an easter egg inclusion and they weren't planning to actively promote the feature. We'll have more from the Boom Blox session later this week. After the break, a video of do-it-yourself head tracking.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Bluebrake @ Feb 21st 2008 8:23PM
Well that was unexpected.
Jeff @ Feb 21st 2008 8:41PM
I now have to buy this game.
Fernando Rocker @ Feb 21st 2008 8:49PM
This game passed from "Maybe a rent" to a "Definitely a buy"
dcrooks @ Feb 21st 2008 8:50PM
Oh YEAH, baby!! Better yet, since this is EA, they could give the tech to other EA games, too. Anyone else wanna play Medal of Honor Wii with that stuff?
Platy @ Feb 21st 2008 8:50PM
Not exactly unexpected ...i mean .. spielberg IS a man of vision ....
Wich means in the entertaining industry means "to search for underground good ideas and make it mainstream like if he maded himself" xD
like that "narbacular drop" thing =P
Martez @ Apr 14th 2008 11:07AM
Soooo, you're trying to say that Valve stole the idea of Portal from Narbacular Drop? Because I'm pretty sure they HIRED those people for Portal.
Lijik @ Feb 21st 2008 8:53PM
Looks like someone took Jimmy Lee Chung's words to heart.
Totally buying this game now.
Nick the Hero of Canton @ Feb 21st 2008 9:11PM
Yes, this game has gone from a looks-cool-probably-won't-buy to OMG PORTAL OF 08!!111
Okay. maybe not to that extreme, but you get the point.
SoulBlade @ Feb 21st 2008 9:26PM
It's a cool feature, but it doesn't put it in a must buy list for me just yet. I want to see it in action - depends how sensitive it is I think.
hvnlysoldr @ Feb 22nd 2008 12:07AM
Two videos in action:
http://gonintendo.com/?p=36198
Joshua @ Feb 21st 2008 10:17PM
I'm wondering why two Wii Remotes are needed, though. The concept, as demonstrated in Johnny Lee's video, made sense with one Wii Remote. I don't understand the need for two to do something similar in Boom Blox...
aka_ak @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:19PM
One to make head tracking work and one to control the game.
Joshua @ Feb 23rd 2008 5:00PM
"you can use two Wii remotes on your TV"
That's not the meaning I'm getting from this quote.
nmezib @ Feb 21st 2008 10:38PM
did you hear that? what was that sound? Oh, that must have been Johnny lee having a nerdgasm.
It's good to see his hard work being put to real good commercial use finally. I wonder if he gets anything out of using his proof-of-concept in the game? i mean, legally, the studio might not be entitled to paying johnny for his intellectual property as it most likely wasn't copyrighted or whatever... ah screw it I'm just excited to get my hands (and head) all over it.
PSN: KillaKornbread @ Feb 21st 2008 11:12PM
damn Johnny Lee, i didnt think we would see this for a while but it appears YouTube vids spread faster than i thought. i am now instantly interested in this game.
WiNG @ Feb 21st 2008 11:25PM
Noob to Joystiq....
This spammer got the wrong definition of "head" tracking when she decided to post here.
WiNG @ Feb 21st 2008 11:29PM
Wow, totally unexpected. Awesome.
hvnlysoldr @ Feb 22nd 2008 12:09AM
If EA is going in this new direction, I'll be pleasantly surprised.
TwEE @ Feb 22nd 2008 12:12AM
I saw that video there too.. It was awesome.. To the max.
TwEE @ Feb 22nd 2008 12:23AM
From the video I saw, and the previews I've read, Boom Blox looked a lot better then the spielberg endorsed janga clone that everybody wants to make it out to be..
I hope it sells well, so more people will check out the Johnny lee inspired camera, and maybe come up with some crazy new ideas. Experimentation is good..
Fernando Rocker @ Feb 22nd 2008 12:44AM
Boom Blox is the Spielberg's game.
bm @ Feb 22nd 2008 9:17AM
I think he knows that. He's saying the game looks a lot better than people imagined it would be.
samfish @ Feb 22nd 2008 12:49AM
That's awesome. I figure I have to get this now.
...but I'm not paying $50 bucks for it.
......unless people proclaim it to be the second coming or something, at least.
ThornedVenom (Ludwig Defense Force) @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:27AM
Ladies and gentlemen, who would have known?
Spielberg is bringing us a game which is contributing to the pioneering the new generation of games (in contrast with next generation).
KayRazy Ken Kutaragi @ Feb 22nd 2008 3:33AM
I'm pretty sure you can do this with the Xbox Vision Camera or any web cam.
Feel pretty stupid now dont ya. The Wiimote is nothing special...Gods, get off the Plumber's cock b4 u guys get split in half.
Ranus Studios @ Feb 22nd 2008 3:52AM
You, sir, are a clever, clever man who has used his immense brainpower to instantly make every single Wii fan feel foolish.
Post more often.
velocitystrike @ Feb 22nd 2008 4:19AM
OH NOSE! I fiel redikulus nao -.-|||
C'mon hater. No-one said it was an exclusive Wii ability. But it's in a game. So it's good. Go play Warhawk. Go on, tilt your controller.
Oops, Wii did it first.
bm @ Feb 22nd 2008 9:19AM
Hmmm.
6/10
bender @ Feb 22nd 2008 8:03AM
go fuck yourself spammer.
David @ Feb 22nd 2008 1:36PM
This CAN'T be done with an xbox eye. At least not as effectively. Unless of course M$ has perfected object recognition and has merely been keeping it from the rest of the world? Wiimotes are designed to track based on IR light. The eye thinger is designed to show your picture.
Stumper @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:16PM
I'll say it right now. Desktop VR + 2 wiimotes (rather than wiimote + nunchuck)= the freaking coolest boxing game in the history of the world. 1:1 arm motion through the wiimotes, headmovement to dodge, duck, use one of the d pads to move. I'd pay $100 for this, yesterday. Just make the controls tight. We won't care what it looks like (within reason) if the controls are tight. someone needs to make this happen.
Pupnasty @ Feb 22nd 2008 10:38PM
soo...this makes me want a wii...
Martez @ Apr 14th 2008 11:10AM
Wasn't there a demonstration of the PS3 camera doing this sort of thing natively?
JDuzio @ May 3rd 2008 2:49PM
Ha! now all we need is Nintendo to make the next Metroid game FEATURING the Wii-Helmet? or Wii-Glasses? something of the sort im sure. ha, that. will. be. fun.
i just hope they dont find a way to charge us for it lol (good thing nintendo is all about low cost to consumer)
JDuzio @ May 3rd 2008 2:49PM
uhh... . what?