One reason GDC 2009 is so exciting is that it provides a showcase for all the newest gadgets that people have been tinkering with for years in labs and offices, garages and basements. In a way, events like these remind me of what the World Expos of the early 1900s used to be like, showcasing new creations from iced cream to photography, ferris wheels to moving vehicles. With time comes perspective on how exactly these new gadgets have changed the world and the corresponding environments we live … [Read more...]
GDC Thursday
March 27, 2009 by at 4:51 pm
Another great exhibit from this year’s GDC was the Vuzix booth. Vuzix is a company based out of Rochester, NY, which is putting its efforts into developing a personal video display device for consumers, as well as low profile, head-mounted virtual reality displays. They have a number of applications that their headwear can boast, and at GDC2009, as you might expect, they had on display some of their ventures into the gaming world.Visitors to the booth could try on a pair of glasses with … [Read more...]
You smile, they smile: GDC Wednesday
March 25, 2009 by at 6:30 pm
One of the more memorable booths for me at the 2009 Game Developers Conference was Optitrack’s face motion capture demo.In it, they had a girl wearing reflective facial markers at different points on her face, along with a headband with more markers. As she moved her face, a screen behind her with three corresponding animated faces also moved in sync. When the model blinked, the three characters blinked. When the model smiled, the three characters would smile. All of her head and facial … [Read more...]
GDC Tuesday
March 24, 2009 by at 4:38 pm
I went early to the Game Developers Conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA today to check things out. Today was sort of a precursor to the main event - vendors setting up their booths and displays, classes and lectures all day, and generally a lot of people networking and/or milling about, many with heads down in their laptops. The conference kicks into full swing tomorrow and things are definitely shaping up for a great one. Of course, the Rock Band folks have a giant display stage, … [Read more...]
Eye Tracking Update at the 2009 GDC in San Francisco
March 19, 2009 by at 10:28 am
A few of us here at the blog will be making the rounds next week in San Francisco for the annual Game Developers Conference. There's a lot of exciting crossover between the eye-tracking and gaming worlds, and we'll be there to check in with current trends and news. Look out for updates next week!In the meantime, have a look through the GDC's 2009 site. … [Read more...]