THE BORE

General => Video Game Bored => Topic started by: chronovore on December 22, 2009, 05:44:46 AM

Title: Get ready for fat, sweaty, antisocial XBL avatars
Post by: chronovore on December 22, 2009, 05:44:46 AM
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/ms-patents-avatars-that-look-like-their-owners

Quote
Microsoft is considering the introduction of avatars that actually look like their users, judging by a patent application for "Avatar Individualised by Physical Characteristics".

The aim is to eliminate the "artificiality" of Avatars in order to encourage users to do some exercise, and also to make it easier for people to tell whether other players look the same as they portray themselves.

The patent application (reported by Eurogamer) says: "An Avatar generator for a virtual environment reflects a physiological characteristic of the user, injecting a degree of reality into the capabilities or appearance.

"Thereby, many of the incentives of the real world are replicated in a virtual environment.

"Physiological data that reflect a degree of health of the real person can be linked to rewards of capabilities of a gaming Avatar, an amount of time budgeted to play, or a visible indication.

Thereby, people are encouraged to exercise. Physiological data that reflect the health and perhaps also mood also improve social interaction in virtual environments.

"People seeking to meet and become acquainted with particular types of people are not thwarted by the artificiality of Avatars," the patent adds.

This data can apparently be "gleaned" from a third-party health repository, a healthcare smart-card or a physiological sensor such as those for blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar levels and so on.
Title: Re: Get ready for fat, sweaty, antisocial XBL avatars
Post by: MCD on December 22, 2009, 05:56:15 AM
haters gonna hate
Title: Re: Get ready for fat, sweaty, antisocial XBL avatars
Post by: OptimoPeach on December 22, 2009, 06:11:28 AM
It would be cool if they took the resources being squandered on this useless shit and put it towards cracking the riddle to manufacturing a console that doesn't break every time I fart
Title: Re: Get ready for fat, sweaty, antisocial XBL avatars
Post by: Ichirou on December 22, 2009, 06:34:49 AM
STOP FARTING.  Do you know how many 360s you've killed already? :(
Title: Re: Get ready for fat, sweaty, antisocial XBL avatars
Post by: chronovore on December 22, 2009, 07:26:21 AM
STOP FARTING.  Do you know how many 360s you've killed already? :(
I superLOL'd.

GRAB A CORK, OPTIMOPEACH. My 360 is ready to red-ring again.

...Man, that sounds wrong.