MS wants Avatars to reflect your shape

By Robert Purchese Published 21 December, 2009

Patents "Physical Characteristics" system.

Microsoft wants your Avatar to actually look like you, judging by a patent application for "Avatar Individualised by Physical Characteristics".

The aim is to eliminate the "artificiality" of Avatars in order to encourage you to do some exercise and also make it easier to tell whether the person you're speaking to looks the way they portray themselves.

The patent application (thanks 1UP) says: "An Avatar generator for a virtual environment reflects a physiological characteristic of the user, injecting a degree of reality into the capabilities or appearance.

"Thereby, many of the incentives of the real world are replicated in a virtual environment.

"Physiological data that reflect a degree of health of the real person can be linked to rewards of capabilities of a gaming Avatar, an amount of time budgeted to play, or a visible indication. Thereby, people are encouraged to exercise. Physiological data that reflect the health and perhaps also mood also improve social interaction in virtual environments.

"People seeking to meet and become acquainted with particular types of people are not thwarted by the artificiality of Avatars," the patent adds.

The data can apparently be "gleaned" from a third-party health repository, a healthcare smart-card or a physiological sensor such as those for blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar levels and so on, rather than relying on whether you were prepared to spend 240 Microsoft Points on N7 armour, like Tom.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (72) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • the_dudefather #1 2 years ago

    360 vitality sensor available Xmas 2010 then?
    Edited by 1 at 21/12/09 @ 11:48

  • jag10 #2 2 years ago

    pedo's dream come true.

  • JonFE #3 2 years ago

    Yeah, right. Just great.. As if I don't feel bad already for being a fat bastard...

  • Mkwone #4 2 years ago

    Yes MS why not just tell the whole world i'm fat and lazy.

    Feel free to contact my GP and ask for a full health check aswell, i might have a scin condition you wou'll want to know about or a lump somewhere.

    If i try to buy a shirt my my Avatar will i get a message saying Sorry, not availble in XXXXXXXL?
    Edited by 2 at 21/12/09 @ 11:19

  • Canyarion #5 2 years ago

    So let me guess, only fit people are going to use it.

  • TruSmiles #6 2 years ago

    "People seeking to meet and become acquainted with particular types of people are not thwarted by the artificiality of Avatars"

    Do people actually date through Xbox Live then?

    I mean, I know I met and married my hubby through the Dreamcast's chatroom, but that was a chatroom, with adults and stuff. I can't imagine much wooing happening over the headset when playing Halo :\

  • ChthonicEcho #7 2 years ago

    I do not own an Xbox 360 (or a PS3, relax), but the stupidity of this idea stuns me. It would do little else than throw fuel into the fire that is copious trash-talking in online games. People don't play games to socialise. I can't see why the resources used to produce this did not go into something vastly more useful and - good heavens! - actually something gaming-related.
    Edited by 1 at 21/12/09 @ 11:20

  • rock27gr #8 2 years ago

    Doesn't Wii Fit already do something similar?

  • mcmonkeyplc #9 2 years ago

    I assume this will use Natal to get most of it's data.
    The extra crap no thanks.

    /not fat...yet
    Edited by 1 at 21/12/09 @ 11:29

  • raion #10 2 years ago

    you all mental?! I WISH more games would let me sculpt a full-fat recreation of myself, like saints row 2 does.
    but, yeah, having an obese avatar won't make you go out and exercise. not by a long shot. people do not get fat because they don't have any mirrors in their home, they do because either they like to eat, or they're lazy, or they have a physical disposition to fatness. or all of the above. how is that going to change it exacly?

  • Skandalle #11 2 years ago

    Does anyone else get the feeling of a witch hunt? i have an image in my head, pitchfork wielding skinny guys complete with halo hoodies on a chunk-hunt?

  • swissorc #12 2 years ago

    now even my xbox can remind me I have a fat arse just another great reason to buy this jumped up webcam

  • Skurmedel #13 2 years ago

    I think it would be good if you specified where it was patented. I take it this is a US patent application?

    Anyway, patents like this are a bit stupid. I'm gonna patent stool exactly 3.21 inches long.

  • jag10 #14 2 years ago

    Oh No! sony trolls now.

  • kangarootoo #15 2 years ago

    I think this fundamentally misses an important point.

    A huge number of people don't WANT their online avatar to represent themselves.

    Several of my friends have avatars that look nothing like them. I don't mean they had to make do with a haircut that was "close enough", I mean they purposefully set out to create an avatar that looks the way they want it to look. Whether it looked like them or not was not even part of the picture.


    I just don't see the point of this kind of thing. If you want to allow people to make fat or think, or tall or short, or muscley or lean avatars then all power to you. But creating a connection between said versatility and the physical appearance of the actual player is NOT going down the right path.

    It feels like they want to create that connection just as some kind of "hey, this would make us unique" sort of feature, without considering whether people really want such a thing. And as for the "it will give people insentive to exercise", whichever wrote that has clearly no real clue about the way peoples' minds work (or how people SHOULD be treated). All stick, no carrot - its quite shameful really.

  • kangarootoo #16 2 years ago

    "Oh No! sony trolls now."

    Idiot.

  • Toothball #17 2 years ago

    I could probably live without this. Getting progressively more bored with Avatars in general. I do like playing games where you can make characters, although in those I tend to end up making girl characters instead of ones that look like me. That's probably the difference.

  • chubster2010 #18 2 years ago

    Sounds quite clever, but isn't one of the joys of online avatars that you can be whoever/whatever you want? Sure, it's good to have a system that allows you to make an accurate version of yourself (something, for example, that is certainly one of PS Home's shortcomings), but surely the choice to make something 'other' is just as important?

    I can't see MS imposing this on anyone though.

  • EmiliasHorse #19 2 years ago

    My Avatar looks nothing like me.....In fact it is not even the same sex.

  • FogHeart #20 2 years ago

    Hell, we don't even want to stick to our given names online! Why on Earth would we want to stick to our given appearances?

  • martin2290 #21 2 years ago

    I, for one, want them to extend this to in-game avatars as well.

    Nothing says realism like having your character in MW2 collapse after attempting to run 20 feet carrying all that gear.

    I really can't see this catching on, unless MS is tying it to some sort of Wii Fit type game, where players are paying to be humiliated about their excess lard.

    I don't want my Avatar to look like me, fat or thin, all the people I want to know what I look like already do.

  • gav_and_the_gavster #22 2 years ago

    Does this mean MS will give us regular proportioned avatar choices now? They all look like large foetuses at the minute. (Though I am proud of my Mario-alike...actually I best start looking like him else I'll be seen as a fraud...).

  • Distributor #23 2 years ago

    A Natal pantent by any chance?

  • miiiguel #24 2 years ago

    A huge number of people don't WANT their online avatar to represent themselves.

    I don't think it'll be mandatory. I'd love my Avatar to emulate me, 'cos I'm pretty much in shape.

  • oupe #25 2 years ago

    Do not want!

  • butler` #26 2 years ago

    hah, this should be mandatory

  • butler` #27 2 years ago

    for people with low self esteem that want to hide behind an avatar there's this game I heard about.

  • davisorle #28 2 years ago

    Too much negativity about it when we dont even know if it will be ( my guess actually ) something that will be combined with some specific software of Natal and not in order to reflect your avatar from your real actual shape. Noone will know if you are fat or not according to the patent so no need to bring our insecurities or shape issues out in the open.. lol chill already.

    But yeah if i was overweight and this was going to autoadjust my avatar etc I can see it being unaccepted so seriously, I so doupt MS is that stupid. This turned into an insecure reaction section :p

    P.S. Way too many missleading article title/subtitles. Where I read this subject in the first place didnt say antyhing about reflecting your "fatness" which is why only in this site you see so many reactions. Just a heads up.

  • smernicki #29 2 years ago

    i think this is a rubbish idea- 2/10

    Edited by 1 at 21/12/09 @ 12:31

  • Retroid #30 2 years ago

    Lots of fatter avatars (and females suddenly becoming male) after this is introduced, then.

    Hmm. Shame this is patented, Home desperately needs the latter issue sorted!

  • Canyarion #31 2 years ago

    "injecting a degree of reality into the capabilities or appearance".

    Realistic capabilities... So now fat people can't run in game either? That's just cruel. :)
    Edited by 2 at 21/12/09 @ 12:50

  • muscleblade #32 2 years ago

    Great news imo.

    Todays Avatars forces you to look either skinny or fat. Im neither.
    This is the reason my Avatar is wearing a COG suit.

    edit: I will probably have the best looking Avatar on LIVE ;-)

    edit: Whos the envious fatty giving me negative feedback?
    Edited by 3 at 22/12/09 @ 08:10

  • mode7 #33 2 years ago

    Easy fix!

    http://ww w.costumefinder.co.uk/ProductCa...

  • Shrike #34 2 years ago

    At first I thought this was just referring to giving players a far wider range of body-shape options, which I'd totally be for, and not just on Live. Tall/short/fat/thin doesn't really cut it. Girls have it worst, because most character creation set-ups equate 'curves and hips' with 'fat'. I suspect they limit people's options to avoid a plethora of implausibly tiny women with massive breasts but while they're not holding games developers to the same high standard it seems a little rich.

    I say give people a chance to represent themselves accurately but the idea that they may be enforcing it somehow is weirdly sinister. I imagine this is just Microsoft keeping their options open.

  • knocker #35 2 years ago

    "An Avatar generator for a virtual environment reflects a physiological characteristic of the user, injecting a degree of reality into the capabilities or appearance."

    Yeah cos I was so happy that wii fit made me a fat little twat when I stepped on the scales.

  • muscleblade #36 2 years ago

    @mode7

    LOL. Thank god i dont need that.

  • hiddenranbir #37 2 years ago

    Only needs two shapes. Fat and thin.

  • DoctorZoidberg #38 2 years ago

    As a coastal rower, I do a hell of a lot of exercise, but it means I like a lot of relaxing time doing such things as gaming and drawing etc.

    How would the computer be able to tell? I guess you could get natal to "fit you up"?

  • muscleblade #39 2 years ago

    "Yeah cos I was so happy that wii fit made me a fat little twat when I stepped on the scales. "

    The truth hurts dosent it. You can do something about it you know. Body Mass Index is awfully inacurrant though.

  • Grayvern #40 2 years ago

    Kind of offensive really especially the stuff about encouraging exercise. It's like those change 4 life adverts, they make people feel guilty but not change and are probably detrimental to people with eating disorders. But it's not really a problem cause no exec would be mad enough to make this mandatory, not enough people have the xbox camera for a start.

  • Artemis_Matsas #41 2 years ago

    It's a good thing i got myself a wide screen TV then :p

  • Rubarack #42 2 years ago

    This is brilliant, I'm tired of seeing everyone with idealised versions of themselves as Avatars, it just cheapens it for those of us who are perfect in real life.

  • JensonJet #43 2 years ago

    No offense to Microsoft, but their avatars are sh*t.

    I'm too old and disinterested in poorly designed, childish avatars.

    I'm also not ashamed of the way I look and have always happily displayed a picture of myself (albeit for friends only) should anyone actually care to know what I look like. While I've met many good friends over Xbox Live, and could potentially meet a girlfriend, I really don't care for Microsoft's 'vision' for avatars. I really want to be able to customise the Xbox interface so I don't have to see those avatars which were clearly designed for under-10 year olds.

  • miiiguel #44 2 years ago

    I like them Avatars, and I don't think they were designed to an age target in mind. So, they are "cute" and they aren't offensive in any way, it doesn't mean automatically that they were designed for "under 10", imo. They're quite "good-moody", a change from a lot of negativity that spawns within this community.

    Edited by 3 at 21/12/09 @ 14:13

  • Shrike #45 2 years ago

    I'm not convinced that Avatars are designed for kids - in the same way that Facebook and Twitter isn't/wasn't for kids but keeps up a cheery, cartoon front. I don't think the money is necessarily in selling avatars to kids. The money's probably in convincing adults that they are still kids and encouraging them to buy more toys.

  • jim1975 #46 2 years ago

    @jag10

    your mind went their pretty quickly it would seem. that would worry me.

  • Kerome #47 2 years ago

    Let's see, this will probably - knowing Microsoft - become some kind of "Genuine Avatar" certification scheme, which gives you services and gamepay bonusses when used. Very likely linked to Project Natal. Yeah right...

    Seriously though, a big part of the fun of avatar games is in the make-believe. It's a fantasy thing to pretend to be something that you're not, and I certainly wouldn't want to have RealWorld(tm) avatars foisted on me in all games. The only case in which I can see it working well is with online casual family games where parents might like the security of 'what you see is what you get'... which strangely enough is pretty close to the target market of Natal... funny that.
    Edited by 1 at 21/12/09 @ 15:59

  • Moribundman #48 2 years ago

    Erm... Let me see... They want information on our vital stats, heart rate, fucking blood sugar levels?!

    How about breast size or size and girth of the old chap?

    And what, pray, does Microsoft intend to do with very specific medical information? It's bad enough Google silently watching what you search for and tailoring your searches on that basis. At least google's anonymous. Microsoft already know your bank info and spending habits, where you live (ip can credit card address), who you mail or play games with (if you use hotmail or live) and now they want to know what you look like and how healthy you are and potentially what medical conditions you do or may suffer from?

  • Dizzy #49 2 years ago

    Hehe, 80% of gamers will only get the Boomer when spawned ;) Great idea! Or maybe you will get more hitpoints in fable 3 if you are fat? The possibilities!!!!

    Anyway, this is just a patent for some Natal stuff. Probably not for the next few years.
    Edited by 1 at 21/12/09 @ 16:17

  • jag10 #50 2 years ago

    @jim1975

    not when it's playstation home though huh?

  • knocker #51 2 years ago

    "Yeah cos I was so happy that wii fit made me a fat little twat when I stepped on the scales. "

    "The truth hurts dosent it. You can do something about it you know."

    Give up cycling and football ? Go down the gym and become a musclemary addicted to mens magazines and the perfect six pack with a waist

  • Fidjit #52 2 years ago

    Blizzard should apply this to WOW!

  • Quixz #53 2 years ago

    I don't want HOME style avatars, i like them they way they are.

  • Bluetooth #54 2 years ago

    Stats that may come from this:

    "The average cock size of the Xbox male gamer is 2 inches"

    "The average Xbox female eats 55 cakes a day"

  • Sharzam #55 2 years ago

    The patent is probably some protection for natel future ideas. It would make sense as microsoft have lots plans for natal and using them with avatars make sense.

  • Phishfood #56 2 years ago

    If they wanted our avatars to look like us then they shouldn't have allow us to have all sorts of crazy colours on our hair and skin.

  • NewbieZilla #57 2 years ago

    I don't think this actualised imagery will be a stalkers dream. Isn't that what the dose of reality is for? People making up what they look like because they want to, or whatever, having a dose of reality will probably end up too bitter a pill for most stalkers, I'd imagine.

    /Not a stalker.

  • GreatUncleBaal #58 2 years ago

    I would rather have more options to have my avatar look even less like me - I'm talking tentacles, extra heads, wings, and, ideally, pincers. Also, the patent is a bit odd, since it sounds like a bit of a rip-off of Miis, as already pointed out, and I would be surprised if Nintendo don't have a bit of legal protection for the concept.

  • LazyNinjaUk #59 2 years ago

    The only reason I have any online friends is because they don't know im a chubby bastard.

    If they ever find out the truth I may have to take up exercise :S

  • X3Entente #60 2 years ago

    This is disturbing. Next theyll patent a "Pain Stimulus system" which plugs directly into your cerebral cortex and simulates the pain you would actually feel in game. I'm only half joking.

  • Spekingur #61 2 years ago

    Yes! This is awesome. Now people will believe me when I tell them to 'shut up or else I shall sit on them'!

  • headrush #62 2 years ago

    Not interested, but I think it is not the most stupid idea on Xbl. I mean there are obviously people out there who spend actual money to buy their avatar shirts and shit...

  • VMerken #63 2 years ago

    I'm not sure, but weren't we supposed to play video games on our consoles? You know, the kind of thing you relax with and enjoy spending some time on? Some innocent escapism to forget the daily worries? Why the fook should video games reflect reality all of a sudden? So that we're partly back in the real world? Isn't that a... how should I put it... complete and utter suspension of fooking disbelief killer?

    The more I'm seeing the industry putting the real world into internet and video games, the more I want to just quit internet and video games and seek new, untainted forms of entertainment. Luckily, there are currently more than enough "oldskool", escapist, suspension of disbelief inspiring video games being made, so I'm not gone yet :). But still, this kind of evolution is hard to ignore...

  • Guildenstern #64 2 years ago

    Good old Microsoft with their invasive and unnecessary crap.

  • kongzi #65 2 years ago

    Oh man.. this would be a great movie... A dad buys an xbox for the family for christmas, but over the course of the holiday it starts telling people they're fat and meddling in the family affairs, making them all secretly hate and distrust each other. After the family kills each other the xbox drops itself in the pool water and multiplies....THE END (or is it?)

    Don't bother...Spielberg has already optioned it, Bruckheimer was disapointed by the lack of major explosions and couldn't read the subtle subtexts and analogies in the script. I'm still holding out for Ridley Scott, tho..

  • StixxUK #66 2 years ago

    Bit weird all this eh?

    Why should your Avatar reflect your real body?

    I assume it'll be an option and that others will be given some kind of indication as to whether you're using it or not.

  • gorf #67 2 years ago

    looks like the US will need to upgrade tvs to widescreen then...

  • Nephirion #68 2 years ago

    The should have an option to disable avatars, from an older gamers point of view they just look childish
    Edited by 1 at 29/12/09 @ 00:37

  • TheJuriel #69 2 years ago

    What a strange idea. Avatars should be about escapism and such, not about reflecting you truthfully.

    I also really don't need to see geeky or fat nerds fill up my friends page. :p

  • SomaticSense #70 2 years ago

    This is about 20 steps too far. Vital stats, medical state, and blood sugar levels to accurately measure how our 'avatar' should look?

    Fuck sake, it's just ridiculous. What next, "You can't play our free-running game as the 360's BMI scanner suggests you are too overweight"?

  • muscleblade #71 2 years ago

    "The only reason I have any online friends is because they don't know im a chubby bastard. "

    You dont have any real friends then i assume because they know youre a chubby bastard.

    If you fattys are so afraid of the fact that fellow 360 gamers can see how you really look like, what do you do if you need to go outside in a crowded area? Just wondering.

  • Hjels #72 2 years ago

    Fatness I don't care about. My concern is that this new patent of theirs will expose my baldness to the world. My XBL avatar has a glorious head of hair, while I myself... cannot make such a claim. For the love of all that is holy in the world, don't take my self-delusion away from me MS! I can't take it!