Extreme Reality is a company that envisions a future, not unlike the one in the film Minority Report, in which computers are controlled with body motion and not a mouse, trackpad or touchscreen. Today, it has announced the release of its newest offering, the Extreme Motion Android SDK, which will allow game developers to bring that possible future to fruition.
The Extreme Motion SDK already supports Windows and iOS, so this release rounds out the developer options, allowing them the freedom to create media on whatever platform they choose, integrating full body motion controls the whole way through the process.
“With this release of the Android SDK, Extreme Motion is now available to all of the major operating systems, including iOS, Android and Windows, and the hundreds of different devices on these platforms,” says Sarit Firon, CEO of Extreme Reality. “Motion games and apps can now reach almost anyone using a tablet, smartphone or PC, as well as Android consoles and smart TVs.”
The announcement also brings with it the launch of SuperPose, a design tool intended to make the integration of poses and motions that are unique into the game – a task that sounds daunting at best – easy and quick.
So what does biometric gaming mean in this situation? Here is how it works:
When playing a game built with Extreme Reality technology, a player places their game device (anything running Windows, Android or iOS depending on a developer’s preference) on a table with the embeded camera facing them. Then, after taking two steps back, the device can capture the motion of the player’s body, allowing her to interface with the gaming world by moving and posing appropriately.
Anyone wondering how this sort of motion-heavy gaming style would be considered optimum for mobile devices is not wrong to be skeptical. A handheld device that tracks full body motion seems counter intuitive at first. However, Extreme Reality’s technology allows for the devices running the motion game to be synced to larger screens, offering casual mobile gamers console-on-the-go options.
SEGA is the most high profile gaming company included on Extreme Reality’s list of customers. The company most recognized for being responsible for the world famous Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has “motionized” it’s iOS dancing title GO DANCE.
Big names aren’t always enough to stand alone in testimonial. Other videogame developers have praises to sing too. Charles Bergen, president of VTree Entertainment, a company that participated in the Extreme Motion Android beta program had this to say,
“As early participants in the beta program for the Extreme Motion Android SDK, we were impressed with how easy it was to integrate motion control into our popular Volleyball game for Android devices. By making it easy for developers like us to convert from traditional touch control to full-body motion control, Extreme Reality enables us to provide an entirely new and immersive motion experience for new and existing customers.”
Possibly the most encouraging aspect of Extreme Reality’s vision of the biometric videogaming future is how it is making its SDK accessible to indie developers as well as big names like SEGA. It’s offered to developers via a revenue share agreement. Encouraging this kind of adoption is key, since unlike the current generation of gaming consoles (PS4, Xbox One), the audience already has the platform in their pocket. As for the controller: it’s all around them.
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