Xbox 360 full-body sensor for E3?

By Robert Purchese Published 5 May, 2009

Ambitious peripheral sighted, detailed.

Microsoft may be working on a full-body motion-sensing peripheral for Xbox 360.

Evidence comes from a tipster's image of a white sensor bar under a telly, as reported on Engadget.

The sensor bar apparently features a microphone and camera and detects full-body movement without need of a controller.

Kicks, punches, dives, ducks and jumps will all be reproduced in-game, it says. Even small gestures such as pinching, grabbing and scrolling will register.

Clapping can be used to buzz during quiz games, and players' images will be captured by the camera to represent their contestants' appearance.

Videoconferencing will benefit as users will be able to pick up and move objects in real time while in full view of other participants.

Apparently the sensor can disregard background sound and movement, too.

This may be the E3 announcement Microsoft boss Don Mattrick alluded to recently. "Microsoft is gearing up for a big presence at E3 which will completely transform how people think about home entertainment," he said.

Sony might want some of that limelight for itself, however, as sources recently claimed it too has brand new motion-sensing technology nearing completion.

Meanwhile, the Wii MotionPlus peripheral will boost Nintendo's motion-sensing capabilities this summer when it launches on 12th June.

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 (32) Latest comment 3 years ago

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

  • Wastelander #1 3 years ago

    I want to know why the engaget man is using his gran's furniture and carpet.

  • b00n #2 3 years ago

    E3 goes motion-mental... Let's hope they have more than that in store for us, because I don't buy the hype for the moment. And I just want to hang in my sofa when playing console games.

  • Moonprince #3 3 years ago

    Do not want.

  • Xerx3s #4 3 years ago

    Seriously, that's even worse than wii controls. At least that gives you the impression that you are holding a bat, gun, wheel, etc.

  • bad09 #5 3 years ago

    I'm beginning to dread E3....

    Still some BF3 and new Hitman news and I'll be happy with E3 this year!

  • metalangel #6 3 years ago

    Why? The whole reason I have a 360 and not a Wii is because I want proper games on a joypad, not crap waving my arms around shit. How will this suck less than the Live Vision?

  • mrpon #7 3 years ago

    @ Wastelander

    It's a coverup! You'd never suspect your gran to be beta-ing the latest gizmos!

  • bad09 #8 3 years ago

    @ metalangel

    Sad truth is the masses want waggle and things like it, it sells and everyone is desperate to sell it to them. Won't surprise me if Sony do the same at E3.

    TBH I think it's quite possible we are all heading back to PC in a few years.

  • kangarootoo #9 3 years ago

    Everything I am reading here suggests it is the same as a PSEye camera. All of the posh features sound like software realisations rather than anything the sensor itself is specifically doing.

    /follows engadget link

  • red3p #10 3 years ago

    I want to play Ninja Gaiden with this shit. Running walls and jumping from one chair to the next! Katamari would be fun too, just rolling in front of the tv for hours!

  • Xerx3s #11 3 years ago

    "Sad truth is the masses want waggle and things like it, it sells and everyone is desperate to sell it to them. Won't surprise me if Sony do the same at E3."

    Even if MS released exactly the same system as the wii, I highly doubt that it will sell as well. They just don't have the image. This is the biggest fault a company can ever make, drop a profit making formula for the formula of the competition because it makes even more profit. It usually ends up in utter failure because you have lost your bound customers and can't interest the customers that are already bound to the competitor.

  • DrDamn #12 3 years ago

    @Kangarootoo
    That was my impression. Presumably there is a 3d spacial element which isn't detailed and distinguishes it :/

  • muscleblade #13 3 years ago

    I wonder how high the exposure to high frequency EMF will be.

  • mcmonkeyplc #14 3 years ago

    I dont want a wii!

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #15 3 years ago

    There are multiple black dots on the sensor bar thingy. One of them is quite possibly the microphone, so do we have stereo cameras?

    Still, the major problem with Microsoft's approach to casual gaming isn't their hardware, it's that Scene It, Lips and You're in the Movies are measurably inferior to Buzz, Singstar and Eyetoy Play from 5 years ago on the PS2.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #16 3 years ago

    I wonder how high the exposure to high frequency EMF will be.

    It'll probably be Unbelievable.

    (do-do-do do-do do do do...)

  • Dizzy #17 3 years ago

    This is based on work by a (Israeli?) company MS bought a while ago. It works *very* well in ideal conditions, but I am very wary of stuff like this since living room conditions are usually pretty awful for this kind of technology (bad light, back light, smoke, ....)

    It almost certainly would not work at my place.
    Edited by 1 at 05/05/09 @ 09:51

  • RexRunti #18 3 years ago

    If I recall correctly there was a company (which was then bought by MS?) that was showing off this technology a few E3s/GDCs/CDETs back. Back then they were using two live vision cameras and a bit of fancy tech to calculate accurate 3d movement. There is a video somewhere out there which does make it look quite impressive. And (@Xerx3s) you can use any object to simulate holding a bat/gun/wheel/etc like a stick or even wiimote.

    Personally I don't see how anyone can be against this, it doesn't mean the new COD or Deus Ex 3 will suddenly require stupid waggling, but it might mean the 360 can get games like Bloom Box or XBox 360 Fit.

    Of course I could be wrong, it could be that mind control technology.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #19 3 years ago

    It might be cool in COD4 or Deus Ex 3 if it can do head tracking (without the need for LED specs), for a player sitting on their sofa using a controller as God intended.

  • schnide #20 3 years ago

    Xerx3s +1

  • CHAZBIGPOTATO #21 3 years ago

    Sounds intruiguing; I wonder if you can manipulate in game objects by flapping your cock up and down (If you have one of course)

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #22 3 years ago

    I was never against the Wii controller in principle and was quite excited by the idea of it. However I was completely disappointed when it came to fruition.

    So likewise, I'm intrigued by this again, but I'm slightly more sceptical this time as to whether motion controls are anything more than a novelty.

    MS also haven't produced anything as good as Buzz or SingStar yet so I'm wondering if they are really committed to casual software or just want minimal effort/possible gain out of it.

  • Eraysor #23 3 years ago

    For fuck's sake Microsoft, you were the last bastion of waggle-free gaming and you blew it.

  • BartonFink #24 3 years ago

    Hopefully MS (and Sony) will see sense and not go down the waggle route.

  • Alkeno #25 3 years ago

    RexRunti +1

    Tthis device will not be dumbing down Gears of War 3 into "shake-to-melee-the-bad-cartoon-locust", it will allow a new line of casual games that may help increase Xbox sales among the casual market (unless MS is gone mental, of course).

    MS, bring Bloom Blox to XBox Live!

  • Vin #26 3 years ago

    I can't imagine it to be a mandatory change. You won't be forced to use JUST the bar. You'll have a CHOICE.

    The 360 pad is the best thing to come down the gaming pipeline in ages. MS know this. Gamepad gaming will around for a long time, yet.

  • geeza2020 #27 3 years ago

    Vin - +1 on the xbox pad comment. I cant believe Sony havent upgraded their pad in the last ten years. I just hope that the MS pad sticks around and isnt eclipsed by all this gimmicky rubbish thats flying around at the moment.

  • metalangel #28 3 years ago

    interference is indeed a problem... I got the "play for ten minutes without resting achievement in Totemball because my room is so dingy that it wouldn't register my hands properly... But also just registered the room on its own as movement. So I just sat and read a book while the game saw my "hands" and spasmed Pterry the Pturtle around for 10 minutes.

  • kestral #29 3 years ago

    X360 fit?

  • ronuds #30 3 years ago

    I think there's a fair bit of overreacting being done here. Like others said, you're not going to have to shake your booty in every game if MS does release this. It'll be for specific games, as it should be. If you don't want it, don't buy it then. I'm sure you'll still be able to enjoy all the same games you do today.

    This is just like with the avatars. People freak out over something they can completely ignore. What's odd is that the PS3 version of this rumour was met with a very positive reaction. MS tries it and it's the worst thing ever. And at least MS are doing it a LITTLE differently. Sony's rumour has them basically making an exact replica of the Wii-mote.

  • Bander #31 3 years ago

    The tools to take on the Wii were there before the Wii even came out. Live Vision could have been great for head tracking in addition to arm waggling or taking pictures, and most 360 owners have a drawer full of tangled up headsets that could be used for voice recognition. Several aircraft use voice commands now so it would be appropriate to flight sims, or you could tell friendly AI in Halo or GTA where to drive or shoot, or even just talk to yourself when you want to use something from a large inventory. But it seems like Endwar's probably going to be a one-off.

  • bad09 #32 3 years ago

    "Even if MS released exactly the same system as the wii, I highly doubt that it will sell as well. They just don't have the image. This is the biggest fault a company can ever make, drop a profit making formula for the formula of the competition because it makes even more profit. It usually ends up in utter failure because you have lost your bound customers and can't interest the customers that are already bound to the competitor."

    Did the king of gaming big N look like....well..what it does now? Sure they have always been about clean family fun but come on! A company can change it's image, they do it all the time through advertising. See the sad thing is (working in it for years I know), advertising DOES actually work.....

    N have shown the other two where the money is (whether the "hardcore" like it or not). The children/masses/casuals want "fun" waggle/movement/electric instruments. It's "healthy" and "active" and "FUN!", "EVERYONE is doing it - even these celebs".

    Don't get me wrong these are just the rants of a worried (maybe paranoid....maybe...) gamer, but I fear all three will not be competing for us "hardcore" next gen...
    Edited by 1 at 05/05/09 @ 19:22