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 Features
An Update on Microsoft's Xbox 360 Live Vision Camera Technology
 Introduction
At the 2006 Gamefest, Microsoft's Game Technology Conference that took place in Seattle August 14 and 15, a number of middleware developers - as well as Microsoft itself - showed off various game-related technological advances for both Windows and the Xbox 360 platform. The most infamous new development, of course, was Microsoft's announcement of user-created Xbox 360 game content, via the GarageGames-developed XNA Game Studio Express.
XNA Game Studio Express will "democratize game development" by allowing users of all caliber and experience to create original game content using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, along with managed C# code. Games can be created and shared for free on the Windows platform, though content sharing and downloading on the Xbox 360 console - according to Microsoft's online FAQ - may only occur if all users involved are part of Microsoft's "creator's club," which requires a $99 annual membership fee.
The news is groundbreaking, for certain, but has arguably overshadowed other Xbox 360 advancements closer to home; namely, the Live Vision camera accessory, which is set for release next month.
The Xbox Live Vision camera
In the following pages, Gamasutra explores the Live Vision's features, its upcoming software, and a number of middleware tools, including depth perception capability from GestureTek that could threaten Nintendo's Wii controller's unique charm.
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