Microvision Home
About | Investors | Careers | Blog | Newsroom | Contact | Support | Store | My Cart

The Displayground: Microvision Official Blog

Microvision’s Super Gun

Ben Averch

December 14th, 2009
by Ben Averch


Hi all, I’m back in Seattle after spending the last week in Edmonton, the second coldest city on Earth (Siberia FTW!). It was a thrill to be able to demonstrate our new gaming technology for the very first time to hundreds of gamers as well as many just plain curious folks. Two MVIS reps (myself and weapon master Andrew Rosen) + about 800 demos over 3 days = exhaustion! But, I’m happy to say that the response we got was tremendous, the Intel folks were terrific, and a lot of fun was had by all (as you can see from the picture!).

Be sure to read Critical Gamer’s review of our gaming demo at Intel Extreme Masters!

Here are some excerpts:

This is a gaming website, and as such, your first instinct should have been “How well does this play games?” Well, I can honestly tell you that it is nothing like you imagined…Microvision is attempting to take PC gaming to the next level by possibly creating a platform to rival Microsoft’s own interactive gaming environment, with Project Natal.

What the demo showed us was future-tech that Microvision and Intel are trying frantically to bring home to the consumer: the ultimate in gaming interactivity.

What Microvision is trying to accomplish, is an entirely immersive experience…Microvision’s prototype hardware is concealed in a large, life-sized assault rifle powered by what you would find in your average high-end gaming computer.

For all intents and purposes, I think the PC gaming world has every right to be excited about this device and the future capabilities it may bring to the fold. While obviously marketed to a hardcore and niche market, let’s face it; that is exactly what PC gaming is all about these days. I am excited about what Project Natal might end up bringing to the table for first person shooters, but honestly, this tech demo left me drooling.

Tags:


This entry was posted on Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 11:37 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

6 Responses to “Microvision’s Super Gun”

  1. micro5 Says:

    December 15th, 2009 at 12:01 am |

    Rock on microVision, Rock on :D

  2. Anant Goel Says:

    December 15th, 2009 at 6:45 am |

    We have reasons to be excited, because the worldwide market for video games exceeds $50 billion and Microvision is addressing, to start with, the first-person shooter game sub-genre.

    There are several video game genres (vague categories) based on their gameplay interaction rather than visual or narrative differences. A video game genre is defined by a set of gameplay challenges. They are classified independent of their setting or game-world content. For example, an action game is still an action game, regardless of whether it takes place in a fantasy world or outer space.

    Here’s a list of video game genres…
    1. Action Games
    2. Action-adventure Games
    3. Aventure Games
    4. Role-playing Games
    5. Simulation Games
    6. Sports Games
    7. Strategy Games
    8. 3D Interactive Projection Games?????

    A shooter game [an Action Game genre] focuses primarily on combat involving projectile weapons, such as guns and missiles. They can be divided into first-person and third-person shooters, depending on the camera perspective.

    First-person shooter (FPS) is a video game genre which centers the gameplay around gun – and projectile weapon- based combat through the first person persoective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist [the player]. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other shooter games, which in turn fall under the heading Action Games.

    From the Action Game genre’s inception, advanced 3D or pseudo-3D graphics elements have challenged hardware development. But that may change soon, with the arrival of always-in-focus pico “projection game controller” from Microvision.

    Like most shooter games, first person shooters involve an avatar [alter ego], one or more ranged weapon, and a varying number of enemies. Because they take place in a 3D environment, these games tend to be somewhat more realistic than 2D shooter games, and have more accurate representations of gravity, lighting, sound and collisions. First person shooters played on personal computers are most often controlled with a combination of a keyboard and mouse. This system is often considered superior to that found in console games, which frequently use two analog sticks, one used for running and sidestepping, the other for looking and aiming. It is common to display the character’s hands and weaponry in the main view, with a head up disply showing health, ammunition and location details. Often, it is possible to overlay a map of the surrounding area.

    But all that is about to change; with the introduction of Microvision’s projection game controller…

    Here’s the news…

    Microvision Demo’s Projection Game Controller

    http://www.techgadgets.in/gaming/2009/12/microvision-demos-projection-game-controller/
    [Link may not work]

    At the end of the article, it says…

    “The projector game controller may unleash a new genre of gaming”

    Keep an eye on the history books; Microvision is on its way to write the next few pages of the future. Here’s the link to The History of Computer Games…

    http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/History-of-computer-games#The_2000s

    What got me excited was the refrence to Microsoft “Project Natel” in the comments made by the Critical Gamer’s Review…

    “…Microvision is attempting to take PC gaming to the next level by possibly creating a platform to rival Microsoft’s own interactive gaming environment, with Project Natal.”

    My first reaction was: “Why create a platform to rival Microsoft… join them to make Project Natal a true hands free control and interactivity reality by incorporating the laser scanner/projection features of the Microvision’s PicoP display engine.”

    Here’s some information on Project Natel…

    Project Natal is the code name for a “controller-free gaming and entertainment experience” by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 video game platform. Based on an add-on periheral for the Xbox 360 console, Project Natal enables users to control and interact with the Xbox 360 without the need to touch a game controller through a natural user interface using gestures, spoken commands or presented objects and images. The project is aimed at broadening the Xbox 360’s audience beyond its typically harcore base. Project Natal was first announced on June 1, 2009. Microsoft said that over a thousand software development kits began shipping to game developers that same day.

    Though Microsoft has not officially announced any price or release date projections for Project Natal, it is expected to be released in late 2010. Project Natal will reportedly also serve as the basis for a “new” Xbox 360.

    In closing, I must re-state…

    “Microvision’s weapon-styled projection game controller will offer gamers an insight of a new technology that projects a follow-you-anywhere video image upto 200-inch via a handheld game controller.”

    Interestingly, you don’t need green lasers to produce the first generation of “projection game controllers”.

    Ready, set, go… let the games begin!

    Anant Goel

  3. michael Says:

    December 15th, 2009 at 10:08 pm |

    Somehow, Anant’s fanatical post made other change their ideas about posting

  4. Dwayne Says:

    December 16th, 2009 at 12:32 pm |

    Let’s get that green laser out there ASAP. QD Laser is going to mass produce them, at $10 each. This will allow for mass distribution and a much lower cost for the whole laser package.

  5. Adam R. Says:

    December 20th, 2009 at 12:59 am |

    What I view for Natal, and what I expect Microvision’s work to be, in the end, is very different.

    Firstly, what everyone posting here expects Natal to be, is what it might be, but what I personally hope it isn’t.

    What I want Natal to do for FPS’s, is add a secondary function: so I have Natal plugged in. What’s next? I want to continue playing my FPS with my 360 joypad, but I want to give secondary controls with Natal.

    For instance, I want to give squad commands with Natal. I want my bro’s to hold position? I give the hand gesture with Natal, and so forth. Maybe I mime a grenade throw, and it is represented in-game. I need this. It sounds GREAT. Etc., etc.!

    That is what I want Natal to be for FPS’s. I’m just clarifying.

    That all being said, I really don’t know what Natal can give a “hardcore” gamer. It works well as a family based game tool, but as one of the two PR reps for Microvison commented, “You see a woman kick with her foot which just so happens to be way out of the range of Natal’s field of view. Yeah. I don’t believe the hype.”

    That isn’t a direct quote, but it was something similar quoted by a man who works in that industry who has his eye on Natal; a product we are not yet sure of, and for all the mainstream knows, could very well be smoke and mirrors.

    What I want Natal to do is expand my already immersive FPS experience. I don’t want to mime an AK when I can actually, maybe, afford this Microvision deal.

  6. homeTon Says:

    December 21st, 2009 at 6:45 am |

    Ben,

    The projector/gun shows us that there are many different applications for our projector technology. I know that a couple of Microvision’s patent applications are about games and virtual reality environments/simulations, which we know is one of your favorite subjects. With the release of the movie Avatar, 3D movies and games are going to be more in demand in a big way. One of our patents describes how we can use our projector to create 3D using the same polarizing technology that the movie Avatar uses. Can you give us any info on what plans Microvision might have for exploiting our projector technology for 3D applications?

    Of course our eyewear is another way to create a 3D virtual environment and potentially far better than the polarizing technology. Can you comment on any plans for 3D eyewear applications?

    Thanks as always for the Microvision team’s great efforts.

    Bill