Nintendo VR Headset Confirmed? Plus Other Wii Remote Hacks

toxk_02

Mr. Johnny Lee is using his Wii Remotes to do some very cool stuff.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/projects/wii/

The most mind-blowing is using the remote to do head tracking (aka virtual reality display). I don't know if Nintendo would actually do something like this now with the system already out, but if we could get a game through WiiWare like this, amazing.

Head Tracking for Desktop VR Displays using the Wii Remote
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid-Uw

Tracking Your Fingers with the Wiimote
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0awjPUkBXOU

Low-Cost Multi-touch Whiteboard using the Wiimote
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s5EvhHy7eQ

He offers manuals and sample code on his website in case you want to do this stuff yourself. The only thing you really need to buy are your own IR LEDs (and maybe a projector for the whiteboard project).

naengwen

That Nintendo, VR and Headset were used in the same sentence brought back some very bad memories.

Seriously though, cool stuff.

Speed Racer

Someone post the Nintendo ON video.

Khavall

Virtua Boy II confirmed?

mogdemon

This kind of stuff gets me very excited about the hardware Nintendo has provided. The technology is being used in ways I never thought of--what if this sort of creative power was harnessed by game developers, or even home appliance designers? My favorite example is the whiteboard. My senior year of high school all of the teachers got new computers, and one of the options was a tablet. My math teacher hooked hers up to a projector and used it to teach and work problems. I remember liking it much better than a real whiteboard or a noisy old-fashioned projector.

Couscous

Mushroom Pie wrote: »

Someone post the Nintendo ON video.

Somebody post Rosebud's ramblings.

AJAlkaline40

That tablet PC hack is amazing and I'm doing it immediately.

AbsoluteZero

This makes me excited for whatever console follows the Wii. Honestly. Frickin' cool stuff.

Khavall

Please, let's not refer to it as "the next console".

Let's call it by its true name


The Super Wii.

Improvolone

This is more phenomenal than pheremones

plufim

titmouse wrote: »

Somebody post Rosebud's ramblings.

Spoilered for huge.

Rosebud_128 wrote:

It is I, the ever lovable, squeezable, charming Rosebud is back. What I've said will be verified to be 90-95% true. However, there is one thing I need to correct. I will say it and be gone.

The final name of the console will be... (drum roll)

Nintendo Revolution System
-or-
RS for short (RS and DS, do you see???)
nintendors.com
(so whenever you say 'RS', think of me. "Rosebud System" indeed! Hahaha)

If you notice, the abbreviation is VERY similiar to the DS. If you liked the DS, then you will love the Revolution! The Revoution and DS will interact a lot. Aside from the DS downloading software from the Revolution, the DS will serve as a 'touchpad' controller for the Revolution. But this you already suspected. So I will tell you what you are not suspecting.

Reading the past few pages of this thread, I notice a discussion on DS mock-ups (stop discussing those lousy mock-ups and try THIS better one: http://tinypic.com/jkeush.jpg) and arguing about the future of Smash Brothers. Some people don't want it to change, other people want something new. Why not have both!? Smash Brothers for the DS will be the old style like the Gamecube. But Smash Brothers for the Revolution will be in full 3d combat arenas. The controller is designed for the 3d environment and Smash Brothers needs a breath of life. If you want an updated old style, the DS version will be there for you.

But look at me! I am already off track from what I wanted to say. There is so much going on with the Revolution, I could write pages about it and not get everything in! But to those who want to ban me from the forums, I offer you this challenge.

Reggie will announce the Revolution's full name (as said above) at D.I.C.E. in February. If this doesn't happen, then ban me. But if it does happen, you will know everything I'm saying will come true.

"But magnificent Rosebud," scoffers might say. "Anyone could guess that." Then I will up the ante. I will say that Valve will talk about the Revolution (and other things too). You will see!!

What? You want more information on the Virtual Console? OK, here is some. Zelda: TP will be playable using Revolution's controller. "You already said that in your previous posts." But I'm saying it again since some people have dismissed it. In fact, many gamecube games will be playable with the Revolution's controller. Metroid Prime, Super Mario Sunshine, F-Zero: these will all be able to use the Revolution's controller.

"But how would the controller work with Zelda: TP?" Excellent question! But you mean, 'how will the controllers work? One controller will be included when you purchase a Revolution console, folks. What do you not know about the controller? Aside from the pressure sensitive buttons, the Nunchucka will be able to detect motion. One will control the camera position and items. The other will control Link's movement and other items. Which will do which? You decide through the options menu. You will be able to swing your sword up to 100 degrees, and your shield can move 45 degrees to your left and right. You can even block an attack up high and stab at an enemy below the shield. You will be amazed!

Oh, as for other parts of the Virtual Console? Price is still being decided but around $3. You will have the option of playing 'original style' or with upgraded graphics. N64 games will recieve new textures and have better frame-rates. Virtual Console games will be multiplayer online. Mario Party... online. Perfect Dark... online.

The 'home' button in the middle of the controller calls up the Dashboard. The Revolution's menu will let you choose to play a Virtual Console game, to play the game you inserted, play demos, movie, and other things. You choose!

Running out of time, so I will post this fairly fast. The visor and its brain (which holds Hollywood and Broadway) will be an add-ON to the system. Not only can you play DVD movies, but those same movies can be streamed to the visor. The visor add-ON will even let you 'make games' for you to test out your own creativity. For example, you can literally plug yourself into a virtual world of your choosing. This is not as complicated as you would imagine.

Remember that recent story of IGN talking about a 'VR' Revolution? I will tell you why IGN posted that story. IGN is under NDA with Nintendo. IGN has seen the full Revolution console. This is a 'clue' for the fans out there. Do not ignore it!!

I will tell you the 'BIG SECRET' of the Revolution. Remember, the big secret earlier was not the controller. If I showed you a picture of the controller early, you would only see a TV remote and not understand it. No, the secret was HOW you played games. Only understanding how the controller was used did you grasp the 'secret' to the control system. The same will apply with the visor. The visor is NOT the 'big secret'. The big secret is how we see games. Turn your eyes from your monitor and look at the top of your computer. If you had on a non-opaque visor, what if you saw Mario sitting on top of your computer, waving at you innocently? You know that the controller can work with projection screens and all. It will also transmit to the visor. So imagine playing games that fill entire rooms. Visor gameplay of course means total immersion into a digital world. But no one considers taking games outside of that digital world. The visor can implant those digital characters into the real world. This is the Revolution! Changing how we SEE games... Do not worry about graphics! Revolution may not have HD but using many graphical tricks the Revolution's graphics will be comparable to the PS3 and Xbox 360. Remember, Flipper was very powerful, and its power was not fully harnassed this generation. You will see at E3 with Xbox 360 showing off more stupid sequels (Halo 3? Blah) and PS3 showing off its stuff, Nintendo (as you've noticed has been more cocky than ever) will turn to their rivals and say, "Who's your daddy?"

Time for me to go and there is so much more I could talk about, like how Apple is involved (but more than aesthetics). February is when the tsunami of Revolution news will begin to roll in, peaking at E3 2006. Nintendo simply can't wait. Hopefully this post will give (some of you guys) something to think about until D.I.C.E. when I am verified as correct.

Unless a correction needs to be made, I'll be back at E3 2006. For those that have forgotten, here is a quote of part of my last post (think quoted for truth).

First, the main parts of the controller have been revealed. But not ALL of it. This element has not been revealed yet because Sony will easily steal it. (which is why I'm not going to say what it is. You think I'd blurt out everyting I know? No. )

When Miyamoto announced another secret to the controller in early December, this proved me correct. I say things, then they happen!

Second, a big feature of the Revolution is interconnectibility between other parts. The full Revolution is multiple systems. One magical 'black box' console has been the design of the past and its gone with the Revolution. The Revolution has multiple machines. There are three total. If you add in the DS, that makes four.

"But that is not how a console is supposed to be," some may say. But don't ask Nintendo the definition of a console! Look at this leaked video show to developers: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4810670725575262567&q=

The hint is "two".

As an example of how 'interconnected' these machines will be, look at the 1up's feature story on Revolution concepts with Atlus. To that developer, the DS becomes simply a module to the Revolution, in fact, a necessary controller. The redesigned DS will have this in mind. But it will also become very online friendly. The DS will be able to participate in the Virtual Machine as well.

The DS will be very important to the Revolution. This you will find out soon enough!

The first part of the Revolution is what Iwata pulled out of his jacket at E3. Its function is to hold all the backward compatibility and to play common Revolution games (while Nintendo is making EPIC titles similiar to Zelda: TP [which will shatter Nintendo's kiddie image since everything in that game is grown up.], there are MANY other developers on board with the Revolution now such as various universities across the world. They will be making small Revolution games, simple as in arkanoid simple). But a big component of the first part is that it communicates with the mobile unit, the third part, or what you will call the visor.

Did I not call this one? Miyamoto told Maxim that Zelda: TP would be 'hardcore'. Nintendo once was in love hotels. They will get into 'hardcore' non-kiddie games as well.

The second part of the Revolution is the one that I can find the least information on. Essentially, think of the ON and you'd be close. It looks nothing like it did, of course. "But the ON video was made by Pablo." It was. But what was the ON video about? Virtual Reality technology. This is not an uncommon idea. And the words 'virtual reality' are enough for people to instantly dismiss because they confuse it with the holodeck and other such insanities.

"NO! NO! THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE! BLAH BLAH BLAH!"

I ask you for a moment to turn off that knee-jerk reaction and consider these FACTS for a moment.

Nintendo DID bring a mass produced VR system to the market in the mid-nineties called the Virtual Boy. It flopped for various reasons, but hatred to VR wasn't one of them. The technology has VASTLY changed since the mid nineties. Mobile units can be made smaller and cheaper. As an example, look at the Gameboy Micro. It is incredibly small. Parts alone, it costs $40 with most of it being for the small screen. This is to give you an idea at how much CHEAPER things have gotten.

As I said in my earliest posts, no matter what you think of the ON, it will resurface again and again. Eventually, Nintendo will explain what happened.

So why can't both machines be together? Good question. The answer is that the second part must be near the player due to the immersive technology it uses. It is also a larger unit than the first part as this is where Hollywood and Broadway are stored.

Hollywood and Broadway are in the other part, like I said. But I must correct myself in that the technology that was used (that had the other part to be near the other player) was dropped due to how expensive it was. This part (along with the visor) will be an add-ON.

The third part is the mobile unit, what we refer to as the 'visor'. Nintendo never stopped doing its VR research after the Virtual Boy flopped. This part makes you feel like you are IN the game for you SEE what your character sees. You SEE what Link sees.

Why is Twilight Princess the last Zelda as we know it? You know that means the *next* zelda would be vastly different, but how? "The controller, Rosebud, the controller makes it all different!" No it doesn't. You're still in front of a TV using a controller, just perhaps in a different way. You want to know the difference? The difference is that in the new Zelda you ARE Link. You see through Link's eyes, you move your head and you see a different part of the world. Video games is a media that has traditionally targeted the left hemisphere of the brain, but rarely the right hemisphere of the brain (the sensational/feeling hemisphere). Now, you will get to FEEL the games. And THIS IS HOW NINTENDO WILL GROW THE MARKET.

Rosebud_128 wrote:

30/1

100 Days until Revolution Day

We have hit the 100 day mark! I figure we ought to have a celebration for this momentous occassion.

If this has not been posted, my apologies. But if it has, then it should be posted again.

From IGN's Nintendo minute:


Quote:"Remember, you're special to us and when we're ready to reveal what's so unique and innovative about Revolution, you'll be amongst the first on the planet to get your hands on it so you can tell your readers what emotion you experienced playing it. Until that important and energizing day, please continue to get plenty of exercise and sleep, and eat a balanced diet!" -Perrin Kaplan (January 27, 2006)


The controller is a part but not the whole of the 'revolutionary' element of the Revolution, like I've kept on saying before.

So... what could the revolution be? Why haven't we been shown screenshots or videos of any game? What is the Revolution?

Spoiler:
Could this be part of it?
http://155.69.54.110/MEDIA/all%20videos/LIVE/CSCW3DLive.mpg
http://wearables.unisa.edu.au/projects/ARQuake/www/videos/index.html



D.I.C.E. is coming soon. If Nintendo has not changed their plans (which they often like to do), they will announce the name of the console and the URL like I earlier said.

Notice how the DS Lite looks very much like the Revolution's controller? This is because the DS will be used frequently as a controller for the Revolution. Spoiler:
RS and DS


Reggie will talk about why Nintendo is changing directions. He will gloat about the DS sales and the 'innovative' DS software sales like Brain Training, Animal Crossing, and Nintendogs. He will talk about the stagnating industry and why Nintendo had to change tracks. He will say that gaming has to be for everyone.

100 more days until the final unveiling!

30/1 (faked front end pics with mario bros DS)

Gets sillier ever time.

TubularLuggage

The cheap smartboard part was insanely awesome. I have to go try that right now.

Zimmydoom

Mr. Johnny Lee is a Goddamn genius. If a Wii developer does not throw considerable amounts of money at this man I will be thoroughly disappointed.

Malkor

Rosebud was good times.

TubularLuggage

Zimmydoom wrote: »

Mr. Johnny Lee is a Goddamn genius. If a Wii developer does not throw considerable amounts of money at this man I will be thoroughly disappointed.

Agreed and agreed.

Improvolone

Okay, so what games use the IR like... exclusivly? I need to try that hand thing.

UncleSporky

I figured this out before the Wii was even released.



It would work flawlessly.

SirToasty

That is amazing. How do people think of stuff like this?

SirUltimos

Oh my god. That's amazing.

I was in awe throughout the videos, and that was just showing some demo stuff. Imagine the actual possibilities, oh my god...

Malkor

You know, people do have probably done stuff like this all the time in the past. You take an idea then expand on it or come at it from another direction and do something the original person never thought of, but now all people have to do is film it and put it on the web... This is hella awesome though.

slash000

The little VR + Shooting demo was extremely impressive. It would be so very, very nice to have a developer come up with a game that could utilize that somehow. Something like a Time Crisis game I think would be awesome, except instead of using a foot pedal to dodge in and out of cover, you actually do it yourself.



I couldn't fucking believe the whiteboard demo either. That's impressive as hell. I love it. I want to get that shit working on my computer just for the sake of trying it out.

Variable

I wish I knew how to do any of that stuff. I'd need step by step instructions.

hmm maybe on his site.

toxk_02

Variable wrote: »

I wish I knew how to do any of that stuff. I'd need step by step instructions.

hmm maybe on his site.

I'm hoping the Mac version of WiiWhiteboard gets done soon. I've got the Darwiin program but this would be even better. Just need to score a couple IR LED pens.

ghost_master2000

wow... watching that video made me say "holy shit" out loud... several times.

BlueBlue

UncleSporky wrote: »

I figured this out before the Wii was even released.

I sure did.

It would work flawlessly.

This reminded me of that one thing...I think it was called the avatar project or something similar. In any case, they had rigged up this camera to a harness that suspended it behind you, and fed the camera's output to one of those video visors so that you got a 3rd person view of yourself.

Zek

This is all really cool, though just because it uses the Wiimote doesn't make any of it plausible for Wii games. It definitely makes you think about how far this sort of tech could potentially be taken for games though, if Nintendo keeps developing on it for the next gen.

slash000

Zek wrote: »

This is all really cool, though just because it uses the Wiimote doesn't make any of it plausible for Wii games. It definitely makes you think about how far this sort of tech could potentially be taken for games though, if Nintendo keeps developing on it for the next gen.

It's plausible that the VR thing could be implemented in a game. The game would have to utilize 2 wii remotes to play it for a single player though. But it's perfectly possible. Unlikely that any dev would do this though.

whitey9

slash000 wrote: »

It's plausible that the VR thing could be implemented in a game. The game would have to utilize 2 wii remotes to play it for a single player though. But it's perfectly possible. Unlikely that any dev would do this though.

Why? People are willing to dump out crazy money for a board with scales in it, why wouldn't they pay that money for the closest thing we have to decent VR. It would basically be shitty glasses with lights on the side, like in the video, and a crappy plastic mount for your remote.

Doc Holliday

whitey9 wrote: »

slash000 wrote: »

It's plausible that the VR thing could be implemented in a game. The game would have to utilize 2 wii remotes to play it for a single player though. But it's perfectly possible. Unlikely that any dev would do this though.

Why? People are willing to dump out crazy money for a board with scales in it, why wouldn't they pay that money for the closest thing we have to decent VR. It would basically be shitty glasses with lights on the side, like in the video, and a crappy plastic mount for your remote.

I wonder how feasible it is to put in games. I mean, us as non-developers, it's easy to say "man this would rock-- someone needs to do this", but once you go into actual feasibility research and prototyping, I'd be interested to see what the outcome of something like that would be.

Man, when he was explaining it, I was assuming it would be like that 911 Tokyo Cop arcade game (or whatever it's called). But that demo blew me away. I bet it would be almost disorienting because I don't think I've ever experienced anything like that.

Viscountalpha

Two words (well ten if you count these)

FUCK YES

LightRider

That was awesome! That was fantastic!

...It was Awtastic!

eelektrik

whitey9 wrote: »

slash000 wrote: »

It's plausible that the VR thing could be implemented in a game. The game would have to utilize 2 wii remotes to play it for a single player though. But it's perfectly possible. Unlikely that any dev would do this though.

Why? People are willing to dump out crazy money for a board with scales in it, why wouldn't they pay that money for the closest thing we have to decent VR. It would basically be shitty glasses with lights on the side, like in the video, and a crappy plastic mount for your remote.

I'd take the glasses a step further and throw more features in it, simple but useful things like having a mic and speakers for voice chat. The thought of playing a first-person shooter with the closest thing to good 3D VR yet, online play, voice chat, and the Wii remote for aiming at targets, just sounds like an awesome experience. Lacking same console multiplayer wouldn't be much loss to me, but given how Nintendo is promoting the Wii more for that, I doubt they would do it themselves.

AJAlkaline40

The only issue I see with the head tracking thing is that there's no valid game play use for it (yet). It would be cool and all, but when you play video games you generally stay stationary the entire time. I suppose that ducking/dodging for cover mechanic mentioned earlier might be a good use, but companies would be hard-pressed to find something beyond that. Then again, with people as creative as this guy around maybe I shouldn't be worrying so much.

I think this guy is my idol, actually. I'm reading his paper on BCIs (brain-computer interfaces) and I think this sort of stuff is exactly what I want to go into professionally. Man, HCI is so exciting!

cherv1

So, why does the Wii use the remote as the IR tracker and the "sensor" bar as the IR source? Would it not work the other way round?

toxk_02

cherv1 wrote: »

So, why does the Wii use the remote as the IR tracker and the "sensor" bar as the IR source? Would it not work the other way round?

So it can track multiple people. It would be cheaper to have each remote an IR source and just one tracker, but then how would the tracker differentiate between 4 sources of IR from 4 remotes? They'd just be 4 sets of light to the tracker, indistinguishable from each other.

Viscountalpha

AJAlkaline40 wrote: »

The only issue I see with the head tracking thing is that there's no valid game play use for it (yet). It would be cool and all, but when you play video games you generally stay stationary the entire time. I suppose that ducking/dodging for cover mechanic mentioned earlier might be a good use, but companies would be hard-pressed to find something beyond that. Then again, with people as creative as this guy around maybe I shouldn't be worrying so much.

I think this guy is my idol, actually. I'm reading his paper on BCIs (brain-computer interfaces) and I think this sort of stuff is exactly what I want to go into professionally. Man, HCI is so exciting!

(in reference to no valid game)
Police 24/7 would like to have a word with you.

http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9065

This sensor bar setup screams Disks of Tron remake. I saw the 3d target demo on the first link and said "that would fsking rock as a disks of tron demo"

MinionOfCthulhu

Malkor wrote: »

Rosebud was good times.

I do kind of miss his postings, in a way.

steve-o99

Why don't we get johhny lee to make the game... get startup investments, give him developer money, come out with some FPS with awtastic gameplay and crappy graphics that is fun and cheap as hell and sell it in a format online that you can play/hack off the wii's sd card slot...

even if it was only a one map only 2player split screen FPS with Ps1 graphics, we need something

Dareth Ram

steve-o99 wrote: »

Why don't we get johhny lee to make the game... get startup investments, give him developer money, come out with some FPS with awtastic gameplay and crappy graphics that is fun and cheap as hell and sell it in a format online that you can play/hack off the wii's sd card slot...

Never go into business.

Speed Racer

Dareth Ram wrote: »

steve-o99 wrote: »

Why don't we get johhny lee to make the game... get startup investments, give him developer money, come out with some FPS with awtastic gameplay and crappy graphics that is fun and cheap as hell and sell it in a format online that you can play/hack off the wii's sd card slot...

Never go into business.

Man I don't know, he could sell basically anything if he described it using term "awtastic."

Guek

Mushroom Pie wrote: »

Dareth Ram wrote: »

steve-o99 wrote: »

Why don't we get johhny lee to make the game... get startup investments, give him developer money, come out with some FPS with awtastic gameplay and crappy graphics that is fun and cheap as hell and sell it in a format online that you can play/hack off the wii's sd card slot...

Never go into business.

Man I don't know, he could sell basically anything if he described it using term "awtastic."

or you could sell it bundled with a wii.

"Now with 3D Graphics...in 3D!"