"putting the role-play back into role playing games."

August 9, 2012 4:41 AM

New feature for online MMO puts the player's facial expressions and movements into the game avatar in real time. The player only needs a normal webcam to make the feature work. It also allows the player to alter their voice to fit the character they're playing.
posted by crunchland (24 comments total)

Finally, I CAN be Elfstar forevermore!
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:43 AM on August 9, 2012 [4 favorites]

I really don't do well with gaming that requires me to be social, but I have to say, this is the first MMO thing I've seen that they came out with a COOL NEW FEATURE and I actually wanted to sign up just to try it. I don't think I will, but I at least had the impulse!
posted by gracedissolved at 4:53 AM on August 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

I guess I have a reason to try EQ2 now.
posted by cthuljew at 4:53 AM on August 9, 2012

Now anyone can see the disdain in their guildmates face in order to find out that they are the annoying guild memeber!

I also wonder if that means that they'll catch the frequency with which people turn to their left and take a hit off their bong....
posted by Nanukthedog at 5:03 AM on August 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

I play EVE. Does this thing recognize hand gestures?
posted by ryanrs at 5:08 AM on August 9, 2012 [6 favorites]

Countdown to characters' faces being butts and scrotums in 3... 2...
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:11 AM on August 9, 2012 [2 favorites]

Does this thing recognize hand gestures? -- Here's a demo of the tech at E3 2012 a month or so ago. It looks like full body emotes still require a mouseclick.
posted by crunchland at 5:13 AM on August 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

Works perfectly!
posted by DU at 5:13 AM on August 9, 2012

I play MMORPGs with a handful of googly eyes glued to my face. Will this product work for me?
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:14 AM on August 9, 2012 [5 favorites]

Also, while I can see why that guy doesn't want us to see his hair, I'm not sure I really accept the deal if it means I have to stare up his nostrils for the whole video.
posted by DU at 5:16 AM on August 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

Gonna be a lot of orcs walking around with this look on their face. [Previously]
posted by designbot at 6:33 AM on August 9, 2012

If this means I can actually see someone crying after griefing them, I may have to check this out.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 6:38 AM on August 9, 2012 [2 favorites]

Sword Art Online has completely spoiled the coolness of this for me. Today, facial expressions, tomorrow full virtual immersion where we can't log off and have to fight our way back to real life or die trying.
posted by somanyamys at 6:38 AM on August 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

The day has arrived where we can condense fact from the vapor of nuance.

*Readies samurai sword*
posted by Mercaptan at 6:38 AM on August 9, 2012 [4 favorites]

Emoting in EVE: recording of a guy who lost his spaceship in EVE Online: A Game For Mean People. Facial expressions would have been a nice bonus.

Explanation: a spy/griefer joined this guy's corporation and then shot his spaceship. The usual protections in high-security space don't apply since the two players are in the same corp. kill mail
posted by ryanrs at 6:38 AM on August 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

All right. Let's just get to the obvious end-game here, and point the camera at a still frame of McKayla Maroney looking unimpressed.
posted by Mayor West at 6:39 AM on August 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

Countdown to characters' faces being butts and scrotums in 3... 2...

As I understand it, it looks at facial expressions. I dunno about others, but my scrotum is not particularly expressive.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:43 AM on August 9, 2012

Point the webcam at a laptop running Pareidoloop.
posted by Foosnark at 6:54 AM on August 9, 2012

I wonder how well this works when you are wearing headphones with a microphone attached.
posted by Quonab at 7:18 AM on August 9, 2012

Ceci n'est pas une face.
posted by Johann Georg Faust at 7:38 AM on August 9, 2012

When I was younger, my sisters noticed that while playing Super Mario Bros. I opened my mouth into a gaping maw of anxiety every time I jumped. This tic has never evaporated, 25 years later. In fact, friends noticed that when I play music or do anything else that requires concentration, my eyebrows wiggle uncontrollably. And I'm pretty sure that now instead of being "that tank that always jumps during boss fights" I'd be "that tank that yawns all the time... and also has wiggly eyebrows."

I CAN'T WAIT.
posted by jph at 8:19 AM on August 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

So when I'm running around the world, I can tell who is having cybersex by looking at their faces? Greeeeaaaat.
posted by spec80 at 8:36 AM on August 9, 2012

Quonab: It totally ignored my glasses and lack of eyebrows, which I take to be a good sign.
posted by cthuljew at 10:22 AM on August 9, 2012

Greeeat. So people can mock me for sticking my tongue out when I concentrate on the internet now too!

But seriously: this is the first and only thing ever to convince me that I may need to check out EverQuest.
posted by AmandaA at 11:40 AM on August 9, 2012