Login to access exclusive gaming content, win competition prizes
and post on our forums. Don't have an account? Create one now!

Why should you join?
Click here for full benefits!

FIFA 10 dated - http://bit.ly/tYgGJ

Games

Search CVG

Homepage

Xbox Home

News

HD Video

Previews

Reviews

Interviews

Features

Competitions

Hardware

Forums

Cheats

Games A to Z

Release Dates

RSS Feeds

Site Map

Contact Us

Golden Joysticks

FileRadar

Peggle & More

CVG Home � Xbox � News

NEWS: XBOX

Modern Warfare 2 CE - free night vision goggles

Microsoft Spotify rival for Xbox 360?

MS patents 'camera' for third-person shooter

Tuesday 14-Jul-2009 11:36 AM Could this be Natal's first shooter?

9 Comments

A Microsoft patent has revealed a camera system for an unnamed third-person shooter, possibly in development for the Xbox 360 Natal.

The filing, spotted by Skoar, describes 'exploring' and combat camera mechanics and even makes mention of Xbox 1 game Brute Force.

It reads: "In a third-person shooter video game, the viewing perspective is smoothly transitioned between an 'explorer' viewpoint and a 'ready' viewpoint as game conditions change. In the 'explorer' viewpoint, scenes are depicted from a camera positioned behind and removed from a character.

"The explorer viewpoint offers a wide angle of view of the surrounding combat area, enabling the game player to scout the terrain. In the 'ready' viewpoint, scenes are depicted from the camera as it is repositioned close to the character. The ready viewpoint provides a narrower angle of view to facilitate better aiming when the character is engaged in armed combat. The transition between the explorer and ready viewpoints tracks a non-linear path.

"A technique for controlling camera viewpoints in a third-person shooter video game is described. Scenes are depicted from a camera positioned behind and removed from a character that is being controlled by a player. As conditions change during the game, the camera is moved smoothly along a non-linear path between an 'explorer' viewpoint and a 'ready' viewpoint.

"In the 'explorer' viewpoint, the camera is farther removed from the character to provide a wider angle of view of the battle terrain as the character moves about. In the "ready" viewpoint, the camera resides just behind the character to facilitate better aiming when the character is engaged in combat.

"Selection of a camera viewpoint and timely movement between the two viewpoints are controlled to facilitate a more intimate feel with the character and to avoid having obstacles obscure vision of the character and/or reticle used to sight targets."

Make of that what you will.

Andy Robinson

// Interactive

Share this article:

Posted by starsail

The future is here! Microsoft have just invented the Xbox 360 Eye Toy!!!!

Posted by TheKraige

I don't know if it's just me but this says nothing about Natal and sounds like Gears camera.

Posted by jonboy1969

Noooooooooooooooooo!

Posted by DrRickDagless MD

Er... that was interesting. That statement was kinda vague and pointless. That style of camera is everywhere. How they make it happen with natal would be news.

Posted by RavenxPrime

Isn't the 'camera' mentioned just the ingame camara which thousands of games have lol.

Used to respect CVG as a magazine but their online employees must've been shipped in from practical f'in sewing magazine :twisted:

Posted by Mark240473

I now have a phobia of the word 'viewpoint'.

Posted by horngreen

It better be NATAL as I won't be buying a different camera for each game type. I already have the useless camera I bought from MS years back.

Posted by The_KFD_Case

Is it just me or were others more confused after reading that description than before they started reading it? I think a demonstration is in order.

Posted by altitude2k

ooooo...head tracking camera angles in Gears 3, anyone? As long as the controller controls the position of the crosshair, and this only changes the camera position so you can look around more then this will be awesome.

Read all 9 comments