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Microsoft's Future of the Living Room Starring SuperTuxKart 82

Posted by Unknown Lamer from the couldn't-afford-mario's-appearance-fee dept.
New submitter Antoine.Stroll writes "Microsoft's concept of the living room's future doesn't include Master Chief apparently. In fact, it's starring several FOSS games including Red Eclipse and SuperTuxKart (video). Does FOSS just allow more possibilities for research and experimentation? SuperTuxKart had their 0.8 release last month. Go check out the website and download the game that Redmond's researchers couldn't resist. STK gets its Microsoft closeup at 48 seconds into the demonstration." This is the full room projection tech detailed in an earlier story about the patents Microsoft filed relating to it.
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Microsoft's Future of the Living Room Starring SuperTuxKart More

Microsoft's Future of the Living Room Starring SuperTuxKart

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  • I think I saw Halo? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Megor1 ( 621918 ) on Thursday January 10, 2013 @05:54PM (#42552223) Homepage
    At 55 seconds that looks like the halo shard gun or whatever it's called?

    • As did I. Poster was a little too anxious to post, weren't they?

      • If you look at the credits at the end of the video it clearly states:

        In-game footage (order by appearance) Red Eclipse, Super Tux Cart, Halo Anniversary, Worldwide Telescope

        In other words Microsoft's concept of the living room of the future includes Master Chief and two FOSS games... Not several, but two.

    • So... anytime something like this, the kinect, etc... is about to be rolled out, you can safely assume that big game manufacturers aren't going to screw you over and big games will have support.... 90% of the time :)
    • Yep, Halo: CE made an apperance. Couldn't tell if it was Anniversary, but it was specifically Master Chief in the campaign to the original Halo: Combat Evolved, I think in Assault on the Control Room.

    • Definitely Halo. But it's telling that they only use the generic snow effect.

      Why Open Source games? Obviously because they need a dual rendering path for the wide angle immersive projector's viewpoint as well as the high resolution HDTV viewpoint. Good luck getting Bungie to hand over the source code for Halo to work on a research lab project.

    • Don't ask me why I remember the name.....why can't I remember useful information, like my girlfriend's phone number?

    • Was the quarterly loss that bad?

      WTF, anyone know what the submitter is blabbering about here?

  • So, years after SCO, FAT patents... any MS insider knows if they think about FOSS as their bitch?

    • Re:All your IP is belong to us? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by ackthpt ( 218170 ) on Thursday January 10, 2013 @06:59PM (#42552793) Homepage Journal

      More like Microsoft may see their future survival as hinging on collaboration rather than confrontation.

      Lord knows they've dropped the ball, missed the bus and done everything they can to paint themselves into a corner in the past few years.

      XBox was supposed to be the gateway to them providing all the information services you need in your home (like anyone really needs to live like they would in Bruce Wayne's Bat-Cave.)

      Sounds rosey, but honestly the paradigm wasn't how we used information in the house, that happened over 20 years ago, it's that we take it all with us and Apple has been eating their lunch.

    • If I can help it, Microsoft will never be a part of my living room; or any room in my house. And yes, let's not forget how they channel money to companies to destroy FOSS while making it seem like they are not involved. That kind of behavior is unforgivable.

  • Well, it's probably a good game and I'd be more than chuffed to write even a portion of it myself, but the video makes it feel like the kart is disconnected from the ground.

    They should turn of skidmarks if they can't get them to emerge from the tyres for a start.

    It's just a bit floaty, isn't it. One of the things about Mario Kart is that the kart feels connected to the ground, like there is some invisible force that is pushing the kart downwards onto it that adds an aspect of realism to an otherwise fantasy

    • STK is a fun game even if it doesn't meet the realism of commercially developed titles.

      They switched to a new graphics engine a while back, so adding realistic skidding might be on the roadmap.

    • They should turn of skidmarks if they can't get them to emerge from the tyres for a start.

      In the 3DS version of Gameloft's Asphalt, the skidmarks visibly hover above ground when 3D is on (and for some reason car shadows aren't even drawn in first person views). I've always loved the driving games in which if you do donuts in one spot, your oldest skidmarks eventually begin disappearing. I believe Asphalt3D may have this also...

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Junta ( 36770 )
        <quote>and for some reason car shadows aren't even drawn in first person views</quote>

        In general, games that do explicitly support 3D often do things like disable shadows and other lighting related things. Those lighting effects are acheived through interesting 'tricks' that end up looking wrong in stereoscopic situation. This wouldn't be a problem for real time ray tracing in theory.
  • The R&D team prefer to use their money on say...R&D?

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      "The R&D team prefer to use their money on say...R&D?"

      You'd think that plenty of game publishers would be willing to pay a small amount of $ to have their game in a commercial.
      MS wouldn't need to pay to feature games, it's a opportunity to make money.

    • Don't rain on our parade with your damned logic.

    • I'm guessing the R&D team didn't produce the ad.

  • Master Chief (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Master Chief makes his appearance at 55 seconds into the video. If only for a second. And I'm pretty sure the "immersive" parts of it are just visual effects created for the following clip that carry over.

    In their defense, it's really cool and I'm sure it's hard for even the Microsoft Research people to get access to the source code for Xbox games >.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ackthpt ( 218170 )

      Master Chief makes his appearance at 55 seconds into the video. If only for a second. And I'm pretty sure the "immersive" parts of it are just visual effects created for the following clip that carry over.

      In their defense, it's really cool and I'm sure it's hard for even the Microsoft Research people to get access to the source code for Xbox games >.

      Maybe if they knew the right people in Anonymous...

      j/k ... I think.

  • Last thing I want (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Conchobair ( 1648793 ) on Thursday January 10, 2013 @06:05PM (#42552377)
    The last thing I want is Microsoft scanning my living room.

  • they needed source. (Score:4, Interesting)

    by gl4ss ( 559668 ) on Thursday January 10, 2013 @06:14PM (#42552453) Homepage Journal

    they needed the source code to mess around with it.. to do the outside of the screen stuff.

    BUT.. if you had a projector, why the fuck use the tv.

    • Re:they needed source. (Score:4, Interesting)

      by SuricouRaven ( 1897204 ) on Thursday January 10, 2013 @06:40PM (#42552665)

      The ad appears to be showing some sort of rapid scanning and 3d compensation technology that allows for projecting an image onto a set of nonplanar surfaces (Like, say, living-room furniture) in a manner which still appears as a single coherent image when viewed from the player's position. It's a handy tech to have when you have an actual room for living in, rather than a room dedicated for gaming.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Nyder ( 754090 )

        The ad appears to be showing some sort of rapid scanning and 3d compensation technology that allows for projecting an image onto a set of nonplanar surfaces (Like, say, living-room furniture) in a manner which still appears as a single coherent image when viewed from the player's position. It's a handy tech to have when you have an actual room for living in, rather than a room dedicated for gaming.

        My living room is my gaming room, is my dining room, is my bedroom. And it's a mess. I don't need MS scanning it and then suddenly I get a ton of cleaning ads.

    • Re:they needed source. (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Immerman ( 2627577 ) on Thursday January 10, 2013 @06:47PM (#42552703)

      Seriously? It wasn't obvious from the video? It's a simple enough concept: TV = small area, high resolution, high color fidelity = primary vision. Projector = large area, low resolution, poor color fidelity = peripheral vision / situational awareness.

      I'd been playing with such an idea for years, but never set it up for lack of games that supported multiple monitors with wildly different and overlapping fields of view. I'm glad to see someone with some clout is finally thinking about it. Of course I think I'll still be buying an Occulus Rift before a projector.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by bartoku ( 922448 )

      BUT.. if you had a projector, why the fuck use the tv.

      Simple, the pixel density and picture quality from the LCD display will be better than the projector.

      If you had a nice projector screen and a projector with a crazy resolution then by all means ditch the LCD display, but it will cost you a good amount and is not really novel.
      However this solution can combine a sub $500 projector and sub $500 LCD display and provide a novel new display that increases immersion without compromising the current image quality.

      I agree it is not exactly mind blowing, this

    • Re:they needed source. (Score:4, Interesting)

      by im_thatoneguy ( 819432 ) on Thursday January 10, 2013 @06:59PM (#42552795)

      BUT.. if you had a projector, why the fuck use the tv.

      Because if you had an HD projector you probably wouldn't set its FOV to be covering most of your room, you would focus it onto a narrow screen. And if you did set it to a wide angle projection the center of the screen would be very low resolution.

      This is a good use of a high pixel density display in the center of your view and a low pixel display for your peripheral view where your eyes aren't very focused anyway.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by simonbp ( 412489 )

      And isn't it great that the creators of SuperTuxKart make that source code available. And wouldn't it be nice if Microsoft reciprocated and some of its source code available?

  • Considering the low FOV of most console games, I imagine the device won't be the only thing projecting all over the room if this makes it to market.

    • Re:Low FOV (Score:4, Interesting)

      by VortexCortex ( 1117377 ) <VortexCortex AT ... trograde DOT com> on Thursday January 10, 2013 @07:35PM (#42553035)

      I use a tool (glIntercept) when debugging my OpenGL products that lets me disconnect the camera and fly around in the scene, on any OGL software, even closed source. It works by pre-transforming the projection matrix, essentially creating an additional modelview matrix...

      The XBox 360 inside has the same low level control over the graphics being rendered...

      To make nice reflections we use something called an Environment Map, or Cube Map. It's the same sort of tech that Google Street View uses. To make a real time updating reflection where what's reflecting isn't a fixed env map, simply render the scene to a texture from the object's perspective with a 90 degree FOV in each 6 cardinal directions, and use them as the env / cube map for the object.

      So, any vantage point can be converted into a full 360 degree render from that camera's position. MS could take advantage of this technology to send the images to each projector automatically, for legacy games, and/or provide an API so that devs can take advantage of the feature directly -- maybe have an equipment loadout on one wall, health display on the right, Radar on the ceiling, etc.

  • Honestly, that extra projection stuff just seems like it would be horribly distracting
    • The extra distraction can be really useful, if done right. Imagine seeing a offscreen enemy approaching you from the side or a rushing zerg army from two screens to the north.
      I just hope this tech becomes an open standard/output method and gets delivered by some other companies and not only be a MS/Sony/Apple/Nintendo monopoly. It's already sucks that MS patented(or at least filled a patent) even though there are plenty of prior art.
  • Funny how Microsoft finds (1) a need for and (2) the utility of "free as in libre software" and the honest-to-god-truly Open Source Software. Considering they proclaim themselves to me masters of the software production game, you think they could generate a team to code up a useful game to showcase in their prototype like this. Somehow, they couldn't work together with the Halo guys and show Master Chief strutting his stuff?
    .
    This is dripping with irony. However, they must have used an irony-proof filter

    • There's no irony here. Microsoft Research does all sorts of things with open source software, including giving it away themselves. There is no reason to write completely new games for a one minute demonstration. That is just ridiculous.

      Also, Master Chief was in the demo; the original poster (and perhaps you) was just too blinded by seeing something open source on the screen to notice it.

      MSR is one of the few branches of Microsoft that doesn't feel like traditional Microsoft. But by all means, continue hatin

      • re: There's no irony here.
        .
        Dude, you need to learn the definitions of two words: "irony" and "hate". That's because your reply to me makes it obvious that you don't know the meaning of either word, flimflammer.
        .
        You accuse me of "hating", yet all I did was point out an ironic point of fact. Feel free to research that on your own while you look up the meanings of those two words. I had no hate on my side, tongue, spleen, or little toe. :>p
        .
        As for irony: this meets the definition of irony beautifull

        • I know these definitions well enough. I contend there is no real irony in the fact that Microsoft Research uses open source software as this is not at all uncommon for them. Microsoft and Microsoft Research might as well be two totally different entities as far as anyone is concerned, because the former and the latter have two totally different demeanors regarding the usage and support of open source. Speaking of demeanor, yours is quite easily where I got the opinion of hate from you. Not from your message

          • re: Microsoft and Microsoft Research might as well be two totally different entities as far as anyone is concerned, because the former and the latter have two totally different demeanors regarding the usage and support of open source
            .
            Yet they are both under the same umbrella. I am sorry that you believe that I am being obnoxious; it's your right to feel that way. I am expressing my opinion, and not in an obnoxious way [in my humble opinion :>) ], and it certainly wasnot meant to be obnoxious. But I

      • Also, Master Chief was in the demo; the original poster (and perhaps you) was just too blinded by seeing something open source on the screen to notice it.

        MSR is one of the few branches of Microsoft that doesn't feel like traditional Microsoft. But by all means, continue hating every little thing that has to do with Microsoft.

        Yeah, you're right. I noticed the shard gun after posting. Microsoft research does amazing things, but it's still surprising to see a game named after, and starring, the Linux Mascot on Microsoft's official videos.

  • ./supertuxkart: /lib64/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.15' not found (required by ./supertuxkart)

    Seriously, WTF?

    What is is about GLIBC_2.15 that makes it magic for opengl games? The STEAM Linux client has this requirement as well.

  • Or maybe... (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    ...FOSS doesn't require licensing to use images from it (fair use notwithstanding).

  • it's a society where a quiet week means no
    mass school slaughters pas coupl'-a-days.

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