Kung Fu Live: 'A crap load of different tech put together'

CVG: Although Microsoft's Kinect and Sony's PlayStation Move are currently dominating the motion gaming stage with grand promises of one-to-one control and full body tracking, developer Virtual Air Guitar Company has quietly created a PlayStation Network title that can stand toe-to-toe with the motion gaming Goliaths using only the humble PlayStation Eye Camera.

Kung Fu Live is developed by a collective of computer vision and virtual reality researchers and is a unique game that uses proprietary technology to remove players from their surroundings and track their skeletal movements all in the name of a good Kung Fu beat down.

[Game-ur]

"we're doing a similar type of skeletal tracking and we are using a normal 2D camera, whereas Kinect has a depth camera, but the result is the same"

True, so far Kinect games hardly use depth, so the PSEye can actually play them.

[Troll_Police]

So true.

[D4RkNIKON]

Kinect does use tracking in 3D but it is really subtle and doesn't add anything new to the experience in any of the games that are currently out.

There is a game on Kinect Adventures called 2000 leaks under the sea or something like that and you have to plug holes and cracks in the glass where water is coming through and some of the leaks are at different depths of the screen so you have to move forward or backward.

The thing is.. As much space as Kinect needs to work properly, it only has like two different layers of depth, foreground and background. It's about as 3D as LBP one..

[ct03]

<<As much space as Kinect needs to work properly, it only has like two different layers of depth, foreground and background.>>

Could you at least research your facts? Just look at some raw videos of the depth footage (there should be plenty on Youtube).

The sensor has no trouble differentiating depth down to about an inch all the way back to 10 feet.

[Bigpappy]

I really hope you guy enjoy this game. But it is not like any Kinect game I am aware of. First thing you should notice is you can not face the TV and the eye while playing this game (It is a side stroller). I you are expecting to get the same result from the PSeye as you do with Kinect, you are setting yourselves up for disapointment. Thats all I got, no fanboy stuff here.

Most if not all Kinect game use depth. There require some type of forward motion, whether it be kicking, punching, leaning back or forward, it is all detected by kinect. Please go to one of the game stores and at least try the thing before making in accurate comments about it.

[theaceh]

@Bigpappy

Can't I just buy a USB extension cable, connect it to the PS Eye and place the PS Eye on top of something thats on side, like a table or something. Maybe that way I could still face my TV while playing the game?

Does anyone know if this would work ?

[blumatt]

The reason I'm getting it is because it is a much cheaper alternative to the Kinect. I've already got the Eye (I've got the Move) so I'll just need to pony up $15 for this game. That's how much full-body motion games should be anyway, for the most part as they're usually just a gimmick that are made to be played in short bursts.

[JUDALATION]

I have a request for Sony on PLAYSTATION BLOG SHARE to buy Virtural air Guitar but it only has around 70 plus votes... Please If you have a playstation account go to playstation blog and vote this idea up! The reason you would want to do this is because if sony owned this company they would actually be able to create vastly better games for the playstation eye without having to worry about this tec being bought by microsoft. In this game the tec can track your legs and hands and if you hit a certain pose it can unleash super moves like fire or thunder... this could be a great way to play a mmo or rts game and the possibilities are endless! PLEASE search blog share for Virtural air guitar and vote for my idea!!!

[CYCLEGAMER]

I cannot say how wrong you guys are on whether or how kinect uses 3d depth in the games stop using your assumption as fact. I have Kinect and MOST of the games use it.

Kinect games that actually use 3d depth:
Leaks
Red Ball game
space bubble game
obstacle course
Fitness evolved
Table Tennis
Vollyball Dodge ball mini game

[Buffniceguy]

Getting this looks fun :)

[CrzyFooL]

this is the funnest looking motion game i've seen so far. Been following this for months.

It reminds me of the original Kung-Fu for Nintendo but with comic book visuals.

Word.

[CrzyFooL]

Virtual Air Guitar Company = VAG Co.

heueuheuheuheueheheuheuheuhe

[clrlite]

Looking forward to playing this. I agree, it seems like it will be a lot of fun and a great value.

[chasegarcia]

I am getting this game for sure.

[BabyTownFrolics]

the dev didnt make this for kinect, then maybe they would have an audience for the game. perhaps ps3 gamers (who hate kinect) are really clamoring for a kinect type game, or perhaps they just use this game in their never ending kinect bitch fest and have no intention of buying kung fu live.

btw, my psn id is Rowsdower1979 and I dont hate kinect

[kneelb4zod]

The reason some ps3 owners like this game is,it prove that you could get similar experience to kinect and that the ps eye is capable of so much more than what people expected.

[BabyTownFrolics]

what I'm saying is that it will be interesting to see if people actually buy it. If they do great, but I suspect the only reason folks on N4G care about it is because they can use it to bash kinect but have no real inclination to buy it. While those who purchased kinect would most likely enjoy the experience the game has to offer.

to jneul

we are all as bad as the people we complain about, like I or anyone on N4G could convince you they were some sort of moral gaming authority.

[jneul]

are you going to buy it then(for ps eye), coz if not you are just as bad as the ppl you complain about

[spunnups]

Nice, about time Sony and PSN started offering more content for owners of the PS Eye. I bought the Eye right around launch and have barely used it. Burnout Paradise and a couple of $3 PSN games is all i've used it for.

[jneul]

i will give it a shot if it's not too expensive, but kinect like games have been available for a while since eyetoy, just wish all the people was not so gullible, heck even before eyetoy there was the activator, it just get's tiring with all the constant fighting....

[Joni-Ice]

Day one for me.

[blackburn5]

To be honest, like any Kinect game so far, I can't see this being very varied or very fun for very long.It might be fun at first but doesn't look like long term fun.

[Z501]

@Baby TownFrolics
If Kinect supporters are SO interested in motion gaming, they should also be buying this game along with all the other motion controlled games. amirite?

See, the thing is. Kinect supporters SEEM more interested in motion gaming then Wii supporters. Yet, a lot of them 'poo-poo' on the Wii/PSEYE/Move.

What i'm saying is. If this game doesn't sell well it's not PS3 owners fault. It'll be MOTION SUPPORTERS fault. And who's the main motion gaming cheerleaders at the moment? Kinect supporters.

Sony motion supporters don't say Kinect sucks. They say the games suck, shovelware, or been there, done that.

~ I've owned Trials of Topoq, Tori Emaki, Aquatopia & Mesmerize since launch.

[BabyTownFrolics]

you obviously visit a different N4G than the one I visit

i get what your saying though, I just disagree with you

[Z501]

Off topic:

Let's also not forget Lifeline for the PS2 for our voice recognition fix/

[HowarthsNJ]

The VRec didn't work so well on that one. I still have my copy though.