Joystiq

Sony patents 'Eyepad,' a Move-enabled PS3 tablet controller

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 13:30:00 EST

It's important to remember, especially in situations like this, that the existence of a patent does not necessarily correlate to the existence of a product, or even a company's desire to build what it has patented. So, with that in mind, let's take a look at Sony's ridiculously named PlayStation 3 tablet controller patent.

The device Sony refers to as an "EyePad" in its patent application, seen in the sketch above, would theoretically come equipped with the usual trappings you'd expect from a PS3 controller: D-Pad, buttons, analog stick, SIXAXIS motion sensors, etc. The more interesting bits, however, are a bit harder to pick out from the drawing.

First of all, those shaded stripes on the edge are not a creamy nougat center, as we had originally surmised, but rather illuminated strips of LEDs or comparable light source. This would allow the EyePad, in conjunction with an EyeToy camera, to function as a PlayStation Move controller.

Secondly, those dots on either corner of the apparent display (which could actually be a normal display, touchscreen or Vita-esque touchpad, according to the filing) are paired stereoscopic cameras. The cameras are arranged in such as way that their respective fields of vision provide a full, 360-degree view of any object placed onto the surface of the EyePad's screen, allowing for objects to be fully scanned in three dimensions and then rendered in game. Theoretically the player could also place their face within this field, allowing for face mapping in character customization applications, for instance.

Again, we doubt this patent represents anything more than a combination of day-dreaming and butt-covering on the parts of Sony's engineers and legal department, respectively, but the ideas presented here are definitely interesting.

Sony patents 'Eyepad,' a Move-enabled PS3 tablet controller originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 16 Feb 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Next-gen Xbox details spilled in penultimate issue of Xbox World

Jordan Mallory — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:00:00 EST

Xbox World will stop revolving come December, but it plans on going out with a bang. Specifically, the UK publication's second-to-last issue claims to have all the inside deets on Microsoft's next console.

The new console's name, for instance, will be simply "Xbox," with no numerical modifiers to speak of, according to the magazine. It'll supposedly ship with a quad-core processor and eight gigs of ram, run Blu-Ray discs and will eventually support some form of head-mounted augmented reality device, in addition to a next-generation Kinect.

"Xbox World has been at the cutting edge of Durango coverage for over 12 months," Xbox World EIC Dan Dawkins told CVG. "Unless something really dramatic changes, everything we reveal in our penultimate issue will be revealed long before E3 in June."

Rumor: Next-gen Xbox details spilled in penultimate issue of Xbox World originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Gamescom media megapost: The Last of Us, Assassins Creed: Liberation and more

Jordan Mallory — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 22:00:00 EST

Welcome friend, to Joystiq's Sony Trailer and Gallery Wildlife Preserve. Here, you will find trailers for upcoming Sony games and/or games exclusive to Sony systems, cohabiting in a forced amalgamation of their natural habitats.

Take for instance, The Last of Us' Gamescom trailer, chilling majestically above like a panther stalking its pray. Or perhaps, take a trip through the reserve's front gates and take a gander at LittleBigPlanet Vita and LittleBigPlanet Karting, Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation, Tokyo Jungle, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time and the Vita's suite of AR card games, all from the safety of your own virtual Jeep.

Continue reading Sony Gamescom media megapost: The Last of Us, Assassins Creed: Liberation and more

Sony Gamescom media megapost: The Last of Us, Assassins Creed: Liberation and more originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vita 'AR Hockey' works without cards

JC Fletcher — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST

All right, so the existing Vita AR games aren't hits. But Sony's still trying, demonstrating a new AR game at GDC that's more impressive than the current lineup. It's Pong.

AR Hockey, which the Sony staff assured me was currently only a tech demo, is an air hockey game in which two players face off over a rectangular surface, each controlling their paddle by physically shifting left or right.

Unlike, say, Table Soccer, which uses six damn cards, AR Hockey can build a playing field out of any rectangular surface it detects -- basically, any corners the Vita can see. This is the "markerless" AR tech shown by Sony back at TGS, and it seems to work just fine, even if you move the Vita around to change your perspective on the game. Though, as one nearby attendee asked, "Why would you want to do that?"

Vita 'AR Hockey' works without cards originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 10 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PlayStation Vita augmented reality comes in two very different flavors

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 06:00:00 EST

Sony Computer Entertainment head of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida has a carpet with a little monkey in it. Except the monkey's virtual, and he's using a PlayStation Vita to make the little guy appear. Thus is the Vita's "Markerless AR," an augmented reality application that Yoshida demonstrated with a smile on-stage during Sony's TGS 2011 keynote this afternoon in Tokyo.

Yoshida also had a set of marker cards and "Wide Area" AR to boot, showing off a full-scale game played across a table with a handful of marker cards laid out to assist in the process. Yoshida's demonstration seems to indicate the the Vita will ship with a variety of AR applications when it launches this December in Japan -- perhaps even more than the handful of AR games that Nintendo's 3DS came packed with earlier this year. We'll do our best to nail down some more specifics this week as TGS continues.

PlayStation Vita augmented reality comes in two very different flavors originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: 3DS Fatal Frame spinoff uses 3DS cameras as in-game camera

JC Fletcher — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 05:00:00 EST

It's kind of the perfect idea: match the Fatal Frame series, in which characters see and fight ghosts through a camera lens, with AR tech like that in the 3DS. And, if early reports out of the latest Famitsu are accurate, we'll soon get the opportunity to see if that idea is executed perfectly.

Called "Spirit Diary," the game interacts with an included "AR Notebook" whose functions are curently unknown. In the game, you and a young girl investigate the cursed book. Other modes include AR minigames and a battle mode in which players fight using "spirit pictures" of themselves.

It is currently unknown whether this game will be published by Tecmo, who handled most previous Fatal Frames, or Nintendo, who published the Wii Fatal Frame -- and then neglected to release it outside of Japan.

[Image: Fatal Frame 4]

Report: 3DS Fatal Frame spinoff uses 3DS cameras as in-game camera originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony shows off markerless AR technology

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 21 May 2011 17:00:00 EST

Sony Computer Entertainment's dabbled in the Augmented Reality space with titles like Invizimals and Eyepet, but if a recent Sony press release is any indication, its parent company is investing a bit more into AR technology. The release explains the company's in-development "Smart AR" application, which can superimpose a 3D model on a real-life object without the use of special markers -- rather, the technology can recognize entire objects, such as menus and posters.

In addition to eschewing the usual AR codes required to recognize objects, Smart AR can recognize compatible objects moving at extremely high speeds. Check out the press release for a brief outline of the tech's capabilities, as well as an impressive video demonstration. Man, we want that pink bear to walk on everything we own.

Sony shows off markerless AR technology originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 21 May 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arttoo: 3DS fan gets AR card tattoo

Mike Schramm — Tue, 03 May 2011 01:00:00 EST

Most people who don't happen to have their Nintendo 3DS AR cards handy just, you know, load them up on a smartphone. But a fellow who goes by the handle Cranberryzero decided to go for a more permanent solution -- he got a tattoo of the Mii AR card on his arm.

As you can see above and after the break, the tattoo actually works. Whenever the 3DS camera is looking at his arm, the Mii of his choosing appears to be standing just below his wrist. Cranberryzero says the tattoo works best in dim light; in bright light, the device seems to have trouble sussing out the card's border from his skin color.

It's pretty cool -- and clever -- but he'd better start preparing an explanation to give his future grandkids now.

Continue reading Arttoo: 3DS fan gets AR card tattoo

Arttoo: 3DS fan gets AR card tattoo originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 May 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony discusses the past and future of AR gaming

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 21:30:00 EST

Sony's been working to tap the largely untapped augmented reality gaming market since 2003, when it launched the world's leading window wiping simulator, EyeToy Play. Check out the video below to see how their AR strategy has changed since then -- and where it's going in the coming years.

Continue reading Sony discusses the past and future of AR gaming

Sony discusses the past and future of AR gaming originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 10 Apr 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Great news: The 3DS will recognize a giant AR Card drawn on a whiteboard

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 02:00:00 EST

It's been kind of a bummer day, hasn't it? Studio closures? Game cancellations? No thanks. Luckily, we've had our spirits boosted by Refractr's recent, mind-blowing discovery: Your Nintendo 3DS AR Cards can be blown-up to hilariously gargantuan proportions. You should probably watch the video below.

Continue reading Great news: The 3DS will recognize a giant AR Card drawn on a whiteboard

Great news: The 3DS will recognize a giant AR Card drawn on a whiteboard originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square gets in on AR with Dissidia [duodecim] iOS app

Randy Nelson — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 23:59:00 EST

Feeling just a little bit jealous of your 3DS-owning friends and their fancy new AR games? Well, if you've got an iPhone or iPod Touch, you can enter the augmented reality of Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy with a (pricey) $5 app that lets you put its character models in real-world settings.

[Thanks, Ben]

Square gets in on AR with Dissidia [duodecim] iOS app originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Load up your 3DS AR cards on your internet-equipped phone

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST

Last week, Android users got their hands on an app which let them load up images of the 3DS AR cards on their smartphones -- but the rest of the world had to go without. Today, a more accessible mobile site has launched, opening up the doors to anyone with an internet-enabled portable device.

Continue reading Load up your 3DS AR cards on your internet-equipped phone

Load up your 3DS AR cards on your internet-equipped phone originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Giant AR card used to create a Mega Mii

Mike Schramm — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:00:00 EST

Follow us on this one: The way augmented reality cards work is that a camera (like the cameras on Nintendo's 3DS) sees a certain marker image at a certain size on screen, and then displays video from the camera along with a virtual object that matches that size. The closer the camera is to the card, the bigger it is on screen, and thus the bigger the object is displayed, as if it really exists in the on-screen world.

So what if you took one of the slightly-smaller-than-a-credit-card-sized images, blew it up, pixel for pixel, into a 22 foot long swimming-pool-sized poster, and then looked at it with the Nintendo 3DS? Answer: You'd get a three-story tall augmented reality Mii. See it in action after the break.

Continue reading Giant AR card used to create a Mega Mii

Giant AR card used to create a Mega Mii originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo assault rifle replica in the really real life

Dustin Burg — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Halo 3, Fan stuff

Cheap plastic Halo laser toys just don't cut it for you? Do you have a more refined taste for video game replica weapons and demand a real man's Halo piece, all metal, and life size? Then you have to check out link4044's custom made Halo 3 MA5C assault rifle. It's still a work in progress, but he has been working on it since December. Using Corel Draw, having the blueprints laser cut, putting it back together, and giving it some sanding love makes this assault rifle quite the pretty replica. He's even putting an electronic bullet counter in it too! Job well done link4044, but we just want to know where we can preorder something like that.

[Via Digg]

Halo assault rifle replica in the really real life originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Feb 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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