Tracking more than one player via the PlayStation Eye may be a technical limitation, but Virtual Air Guitar's Teemu Mäki-Patola does also admit that allowing more than one human player has ... unintended consequences. "It seems inevitably dangerous to let more than one people on the same camera," he said. "Especially kids forget about the other and easily end up bumping to each other." Kids don't need fancy video game consoles and camera tracking technology to fight the old fashioned way.
Kung-Fu Live's multiplayer captured on video
43
Kung-Fu Live, PSN's upcoming PlayStation Eye-powered martial arts beat 'em up, features a multiplayer mode, but it's probably not what you expected. You won't have multiple players flailing around in front of the camera. Instead, one player will be able to fight human-controlled opponents. While the hero will still have to use his physical prowess to progress through the game, his enemies will be able to use standard controls via the DualShock. Kung-Fu Live becomes a very literal battle between traditional and motion controls.
Tracking more than one player via the PlayStation Eye may be a technical limitation, but Virtual Air Guitar's Teemu Mäki-Patola does also admit that allowing more than one human player has ... unintended consequences. "It seems inevitably dangerous to let more than one people on the same camera," he said. "Especially kids forget about the other and easily end up bumping to each other." Kids don't need fancy video game consoles and camera tracking technology to fight the old fashioned way.
Tracking more than one player via the PlayStation Eye may be a technical limitation, but Virtual Air Guitar's Teemu Mäki-Patola does also admit that allowing more than one human player has ... unintended consequences. "It seems inevitably dangerous to let more than one people on the same camera," he said. "Especially kids forget about the other and easily end up bumping to each other." Kids don't need fancy video game consoles and camera tracking technology to fight the old fashioned way.
Reader Comments (43)
Posted: Aug 15th 2010 2:09PM cool8man said
@MrAlex If you put the camera to your right that means you will sometimes have to turn your back to the tv screen when your enemies are coming from the other direction. How are you going to play a game when you can't even see the TV screen?
That's the problem with Eyetoy/PS Eye there is no depth perception so you're always kicking and punching to the left and right of the screen.
Reply
That's the problem with Eyetoy/PS Eye there is no depth perception so you're always kicking and punching to the left and right of the screen.
Posted: Aug 14th 2010 4:50AM Raffi256 said
@Shadsy
It's pretty cool how they visually exaggerate the player movements onscreen.
It is a nice application of computer vision, but you need a very well-lit room I imagine. Low light means noise, low contrast, and poorer tracking. That's always the problem with camera-based tracking, it's totally at the mercy of the environment.
Reply
It's pretty cool how they visually exaggerate the player movements onscreen.
It is a nice application of computer vision, but you need a very well-lit room I imagine. Low light means noise, low contrast, and poorer tracking. That's always the problem with camera-based tracking, it's totally at the mercy of the environment.
Posted: Aug 14th 2010 5:04AM GuardianLegend said
Looks like it'll be fun for about 30 minutes or an hour.
Reply
Posted: Aug 14th 2010 2:23PM Extinction said
@Copland Oh come on, PS eye came out first. Hell this game will be out before Kinect
Reply
Posted: Aug 14th 2010 3:33PM Copland said
@Extinction
I meant it in a positive way :)
Sorry if my comment made you misunderstood.
I know the PS Eye came out first. It was available on the PS2 too.
And I meant that you can have similar experience as the Wii nunchuk and Kinect by just owning the PS3 :)
PS3 does both, which I think is great !
Reply
I meant it in a positive way :)
Sorry if my comment made you misunderstood.
I know the PS Eye came out first. It was available on the PS2 too.
And I meant that you can have similar experience as the Wii nunchuk and Kinect by just owning the PS3 :)
PS3 does both, which I think is great !
Posted: Aug 15th 2010 2:16PM cool8man said
@Copland Except in practice it's nothing like the Kinect because Kinect actually detects depth and the Z-Axis motion. So in this game for example you have to kick and punch to the left and right and are not even able to look directly at the TV screen while you are playing. In a Kinect game you would be able to face the tv screen and punch and kick forward
Reply
Posted: Aug 14th 2010 3:07PM MSKiller aka Sony4life said
@Extinction
You have to be of low IQ to say NBA Jam sucked, Slag Off!
Reply
You have to be of low IQ to say NBA Jam sucked, Slag Off!
Posted: Aug 14th 2010 6:14AM CrimsonRyan said
Be careful when playing this stuff... I once punched a kid in the face at Walmart while playing the Eye-toy. It can be dangerous if you don't pay attention.
Reply
Posted: Aug 14th 2010 6:25AM Zepinephrine said
I can see how more than one person would be dangerous. Hell... I'm probably going to get hurt playing this solo. Still going to do it though so I'd better start thinking of some lies.
Reply
Posted: Aug 14th 2010 9:54AM trickybuz93 said
Wait a motion controlled game with MP won't let anyone but 1 person be motion captured?
Defeats the purpose
Reply
Defeats the purpose
Posted: Aug 15th 2010 2:22PM cool8man said
@Raiki If Kinect seems like a rebranded PS Eye to you then you have no understanding whatsoever of what Kinect is and what it is capable of.
The PS Eye and Kinect both have RGB cameras and microphone arrays, but that's where the similarities end. The Kinect has an infrared light projector which floods the room with infrared light (not visible to the human eye) it also has an infrared camera which then reads what the IR light is bouncing off of. Then like a bat it maps out everything in the room including depth. Because of this depth map the Kinect can detect motion on the Z-axis. This is something that the Move camera and the RGB camera in Kinect couldn't detect by themselves. The Kinect also has a motorized base which can move to keep you in it's field of view.
Rebranded PS Eye? No. Much more advanced next-generation version of the PS Eye? Yes.
Reply
The PS Eye and Kinect both have RGB cameras and microphone arrays, but that's where the similarities end. The Kinect has an infrared light projector which floods the room with infrared light (not visible to the human eye) it also has an infrared camera which then reads what the IR light is bouncing off of. Then like a bat it maps out everything in the room including depth. Because of this depth map the Kinect can detect motion on the Z-axis. This is something that the Move camera and the RGB camera in Kinect couldn't detect by themselves. The Kinect also has a motorized base which can move to keep you in it's field of view.
Rebranded PS Eye? No. Much more advanced next-generation version of the PS Eye? Yes.
Posted: Aug 15th 2010 2:31PM Raiki said
@cool8man
More advanced? The only difference you mentioned is that they put some IR LEDs on it (which are completely costless). The resolution on the camera is extremely low too, lower than that of the PS Eye's, so it isn't any more accurate anyway. Fact is, it probably costs less than the PS Eye to manufacture. The rest of the cost is for the software, which is basically the same as the PS Eye's.
Depth? Is that it? Wow the Kinect is on a WHOLE new level.
Reply
More advanced? The only difference you mentioned is that they put some IR LEDs on it (which are completely costless). The resolution on the camera is extremely low too, lower than that of the PS Eye's, so it isn't any more accurate anyway. Fact is, it probably costs less than the PS Eye to manufacture. The rest of the cost is for the software, which is basically the same as the PS Eye's.
Depth? Is that it? Wow the Kinect is on a WHOLE new level.
Posted: Aug 14th 2010 11:32AM ColorblindMonk said
Looks like more fun than the Kinect games we've seen.
Reply
Posted: Aug 15th 2010 2:31PM cool8man said
@ColorblindMonk Until you play it and realize it has the same problems that Eye Toy games have always had. You need to punch to the left and right of the screen meaning you are never looking directly at the TV while playing. You need to have very good lighting at all times and you also have terrible hit detection because of the nature of the technology.
Reply
Posted: Aug 14th 2010 2:39PM Voltech said
Looks fun!! I wonder if you mounted the camera to the side of the TV it would make the on screen version of me look more natural. Either way Ill be getting this. My Nephew is going to go nutz playing this game lol Hell I might make this part of my workout routine Tuesday night Kung Fu =P
Reply
Posted: Aug 14th 2010 5:51PM golfs4panzys said
This game looks hilarious and casually fun.
Kung Fu Live + a couple friends + case of beer = a good night
Reply
Kung Fu Live + a couple friends + case of beer = a good night
Posted: Aug 15th 2010 12:50AM CouchAthlete said
Looks like it would be fun for a few hours, but it would get boring quickly.
The trailer looks misleading to me. It implies body tracking, but the game seems to use the same tech as 'You're in the Movies' did. I don't there's any motion tracking at all. Just superimposing an image (or video).
They're releasing this game for some of the Sony fanboys who hate Kinect so much, they're willing to throw their money away to prove their loyalty. Smart move on Sony's part.
Don't believe me? Then buy it. You'll regret it.
Reply
The trailer looks misleading to me. It implies body tracking, but the game seems to use the same tech as 'You're in the Movies' did. I don't there's any motion tracking at all. Just superimposing an image (or video).
They're releasing this game for some of the Sony fanboys who hate Kinect so much, they're willing to throw their money away to prove their loyalty. Smart move on Sony's part.
Don't believe me? Then buy it. You'll regret it.
Posted: Aug 15th 2010 6:24AM golfs4panzys said
@CouchAthlete
And you know this because... you've played it?
Reply
And you know this because... you've played it?
Posted: Aug 15th 2010 12:38PM CouchAthlete said
@golfs4panzys
No I didn't play it, so I could be wrong. But I highly doubt it.
I'm a software developer who works in 3D graphic applications. From the video, the game appears to be able to identify a person(It may use motion detection here, but more similar to motion detecting lights you can buy at the hardware store), then it defines the person in a separate image, then searches for a point in the image (ie an arm, leg, guitar). If it identifies a point, that would be a 'punch'.
Don't get me wrong, that's not a simple feat, but leaves for very simplistic game play.
If it were really motion tracking your body, it wouldn't be a PSN game, but a full retail game.
My two cents, feel free to disagree. But I won't be buying it.
Reply
No I didn't play it, so I could be wrong. But I highly doubt it.
I'm a software developer who works in 3D graphic applications. From the video, the game appears to be able to identify a person(It may use motion detection here, but more similar to motion detecting lights you can buy at the hardware store), then it defines the person in a separate image, then searches for a point in the image (ie an arm, leg, guitar). If it identifies a point, that would be a 'punch'.
Don't get me wrong, that's not a simple feat, but leaves for very simplistic game play.
If it were really motion tracking your body, it wouldn't be a PSN game, but a full retail game.
My two cents, feel free to disagree. But I won't be buying it.
Posted: Aug 15th 2010 1:59PM Hedgeson said
@(Unverified) I've found a website that sells modified PSEye cameras as IR cameras for multitouch, MS Surface-like applications.
Actually, after a quick google search there seems to be many instructions on the web to use modified PS Eye cameras for multitouch surface applications.
Reply
Actually, after a quick google search there seems to be many instructions on the web to use modified PS Eye cameras for multitouch surface applications.
Sorry, you must be logged in to leave a comment.
Featured Stories
Dark Side 'Cause It Looks Cool: The Failings of Moral Choice in Games
Posted on Feb 10th 2012 7:45PM
GameStop sees majority of digital sales from cash; won't pursue used PC game sales
Posted on Feb 10th 2012 5:45PM
The most popular posts
in the last 7 days
- Vita 'UMD Passport' won't be offered in US 221 comments
- Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning review: A tempting fate 155 comments
- Blizzard taking Valve to court over 'DOTA' trademark 112 comments
- David Jaffe leaves Eat Sleep Play, layoffs hit developer [Update] 107 comments
- Don't call it a remake: Final Fantasy X is a 'remaster,' to be clear 95 comments









