[REMEMBER CITADEL]

This siyrobbo's post in a thread about Microsoft's, Nintendo' and Sony's current internal projects has brought my attention to the existence of a new Microsoft Games Studio in Vancouver. It seems to be called Zipline Studios (not to be be confused with Zipline Games), and their official website has this statement plastered over its front page:

MGS Vancouver is building a world-class development team in Vancouver, BC, Canada, dedicated to making games for "core" gamers. Our mission is to push the limits of proven and unexplored game development and show the world what's possible on Microsoft's game consoles.

So naturally, I decided to snoop around a little and stumbled upon a personal page of a guy named Shawn Woods. Here's what his resume has to say:

CAREER HISTORY Microsoft Game Studios (Zipline Studios) Feb 2010 to Present Vancouver, Canada Art Director/Senior Artist (Characters) Original team member in a new studio with a start-up mentality, hired a team of artists to create social microtransaction games. Over the course of the year, our studio strategy has changed and now focuses on developing a core AAA shooter experience using Kinect. Member of the MGS Creative Councel to promote job training to artists across all Microsoft Game Studios.

It would appear that the studio has been around since February 2010, but their Facebook and Twitter pages suggest that they've only decided to show their faces to the public a month ago. Currently they're hiring, although their Careers page shows no open positions.

It's interesting that their original goal was to create social microtransaction games, before turning their attention to Kinect. That mirrors the situation with BigPark, another Microsoft's studio situated in Vancouver.

As TheOddOne has noticed in the Kinect thread, the splash page shows silhouettes which resemble men in uniforms holding modern firearms.





Considering the timing, it's fair to assume that we'll hear something about their current project at E3. Could it be one of the first hybrid Kinect/controller games?

[TheOddOne]

Edit: Ohh, you already got the url in the post. Whatever then.

[Shiloa]

It can't be very far along whatever it is they are making.

[Crazymoogle]

I don't know anything about this Zipline business, but I do know that MGS Vancouver is hiring peeps with UDK experience to work in their studio, presumably the one on the floor above Ubisoft Vancouver. I think the studio on the street behind them is still almost entirely BigPark stuff...

[Xater]

Kinect shooter? The gifs will be AMAZING!

[Massa]

Microsoft should not be doing this.

[Hey You]

This should be interesting. A "Core" Kinect Game is what we need. Glad to see Microsoft is listening.

[TheOddOne]

I don't know anything about this Zipline business, but I do know that MGS Vancouver is hiring peeps with UDK experience to work in their studio, presumably the one on the floor above Ubisoft Vancouver. I think the studio on the street behind them is still almost entirely BigPark stuff...

Farcry Kinect confirmed :P

Intresting to note is that it says "using Kinect", maby a hybrid?

[Foliorum Viridum]

Better they dedicate a title to it rather than forcing the Kinect in on other IPs, I say.

I'm all for more games to play on my Kinect so I hope it turns out decent.

[szaromir]

They sort of have to have robust Kinect 1st party development. Either MS asked 3rd parties to wait with the announcements until E3 or 3rd parties' interest in Kinect is very lukewarm.

[REMEMBER CITADEL]

They sort of have to have robust Kinect 1st party development. Either MS asked 3rd parties to wait with the announcements until E3 or 3rd parties' interest in Kinect is very lukewarm.

In either case, it's their job to show what can be done on the platform and try to inspire others.

[Shurs]

It's great to see the scope of Kinect games expanding. I wonder if they're far enough along in the game's development to have anything to show at e3.

[TheOddOne]

It's great to see the scope of Kinect games expanding. I wonder if they're far enough along in the game's development to have anything to show at e3.

Its too convenient that they show up now, something for e3 is prolly a lock.

[ShapeGSX]

Their web site really evokes "head tracking" to me with the way it tracks your mouse and moves the scene in the opposite direction.

[Raide]

Its too convenient that they show up now, something for e3 is prolly a lock.

Agreed. Along with (Hopefully) Steel Battalion, Panzer Dragoon, Haunt and other, it will be good to start seeing some more serious games coming out. I expect Kinect Sports 2 to be suggested and maybe even more Kinectimals and Dance Central.

[~Devil Trigger~]

where's the KB .gif?

oh GAF

[S1kkZ]

Agreed. Along with (Hopefully) Steel Battalion, Panzer Dragoon, Haunt and other, it will be good to start seeing some more serious games coming out. I expect Kinect Sports 2 to be suggested and maybe even more Kinectimals and Dance Central.

dance central 2 and kinect sports 2 are a lock. i think some of the japanese stuff will be shown at tgs or gamescom.

[REMEMBER CITADEL]

Their web site really evokes "head tracking" to me with the way it tracks your mouse and moves the scene in the opposite direction.

That's a very good point, I wasn't paying attention to that.

[snoopeasystreet]

You sure Big Park didn't get renamed and relocated? The address is just around the corner from where Big Park is located. Here's the google map.

[Combichristoffersen]

No pewpewpew.gif yet? GAF I am disappoint

That said, if done correctly, it could provide an interesting experience

[TheOddOne]

You sure Big Park didn't get renamed and relocated? The address is just around the corner from where Big Park is located. Here's the google map.

MGS Vancouver follows Bigpark on twitter :P

[cgcg]

Only AAA? Should've been AAAA.

[shinnn]

You sure Big Park didn't get renamed and relocated? The address is just around the corner from where Big Park is located. Here's the google map.

"We also often share resources and knowledge with BigPark Studios, another MGS studio located in downtown Vancouver"

http://www.mgsvancouver.com/about/

[REMEMBER CITADEL]

dance central 2 and kinect sports 2 are a lock. i think some of the japanese stuff will be shown at tgs or gamescom.

Well, Project Draco at the very least is planned to come out this year so it would make sense to show it earlier, at E3. Unless it's only a regional 2011 release or delayed.





We can also count on Kinect Star Wars being there.

[Vinterbird]

Good to see Microsoft doing something not casual for Kinect internally. But man, Rare must be feeling terrible for not getting the chance to do this for Perfect Dark.

[Philthy]

Imaginary guns. pewpewpew


The perfect use of Kinect would be to make a Warhammer 40k Titan simulator. The drivers (Princeps) basically plug into the Titans and they become the titan. Their arms, legs, etc.

[nincompoop]

How exactly would a "core" type of game even be possible on Kinect?

[JaggedSac]

How exactly would a "core" type of game even be possible on Kinect?

nincompoop

[Vinterbird]

How exactly would a "core" type of game even be possible on Kinect?

Hybrid. Control your typical movement via a controller, do headtracking for leaning around corners, hand gestures to command squad around, voice commands for initiating a planned attack and the likes.

The possibilities are pretty cool if people would stop doing the imaginary guns and pew-pew joke.

[Stumpokapow]

Well, Project Draco at the very least is planned to come out this year so it would make sense to show it earlier, at E3. Unless it's only a regional 2011 release or delayed. We can also count on Kinect Star Wars being there.

and rise of nightmares is ESRB'd.

[Rad-]

Hybrid. Control your typical movement via a controller, do headtracking for leaning around corners, hand gestures to command squad around, voice commands for initiating a planned attack and the likes. The possibilities are pretty cool if people would stop doing the imaginary guns and pew-pew joke.

That does sound pretty cool but the fact that the studio was first created for facebook games makes me wonder about the talent in the studio...

[Philthy]

Hybrid. Control your typical movement via a controller, do headtracking for leaning around corners, hand gestures to command squad around, voice commands for initiating a planned attack and the likes.

Haven't they been doing this on the current controllers and mics?

[Busty]

How exactly would a "core" type of game even be possible on Kinect?

Exactly. I have images of grown men flailing their arms around in front of embarrassed children while playing some Modern Warfare clone.

[siyrobbo]

hope to see something truely innovative with kinect. Hopefully they can come up with something that none of us have even thought about yet

[The_Darkest_Red]

Hybrid. Control your typical movement via a controller, do headtracking for leaning around corners, hand gestures to command squad around, voice commands for initiating a planned attack and the likes. The possibilities are pretty cool if people would stop doing the imaginary guns and pew-pew joke.

Maybe it's just me but none of these things sound very appealing. It all just sounds kind of... goofy.

[Vinterbird]

Haven't they been doing this on the current controllers and mics?

Not hand gestures and head tracking on the Xbox, and not in an console FPS for any platform from what I remember. But yeah, some of the stuff has been done. But taking it all and bringing it into a single game, or on the Kinect API's could bring something interesting to the mix.

Simple things like stealth missions where the only means of communications are hand gestures, could bring interesting interactions with a game, while still maintaining the typical FPS controller experience.

[alr1ght]

[Ickman3400]

UGH this is not what I wanted MS. Stop pushing Kinect to the gamers and make some regular fucking games!

I cannot wait for E3. It has the makings for an embarassment we haven't seen since that Nintendo one a few years back.

[REMEMBER CITADEL]

That does sound pretty cool but the fact that the studio was first created for facebook games makes me wonder about the talent in the studio...

Facebook games? Where are you getting that from?

Maybe it's just me but none of these things sound very appealing. It all just sounds kind of... goofy.

Go tell it to real soldiers.

[Raide]

Maybe it's just me but none of these things sound very appealing. It all just sounds kind of... goofy.

I would happily play a Ghost Recon game where you used a normal pad but then used Kinect for Voice Commands and Hand Signals. Add to that being able to look at maps and intel using Kinect and I think that would be pretty awesome.

[Smithy C]

"AAA" and "Kinect" are rarely seen in a sentence together. I hope this game changes that fact.

[nincompoop]

Hybrid. Control your typical movement via a controller, do headtracking for leaning around corners, hand gestures to command squad around, voice commands for initiating a planned attack and the likes. The possibilities are pretty cool if people would stop doing the imaginary guns and pew-pew joke.

Is the Kinect camera even accurate enough to do proper head tracking? From what I've seen it seems to have way too much lag and not enough resolution to implement it properly. The voice command stuff sounds ancillary at best, although it was a pretty cool novelty in Odama.

[Vinterbird]

UGH this is not what I wanted MS. Stop pushing Kinect to the gamers and make some regular fucking games! I cannot wait for E3. It has the makings for an embarassment we haven't seen since that Nintendo one a few years back.

The 360 is getting hardcore games from everyone else, and if Microsoft can bring something truly unique and different to the game space, then why not?

Is the Kinect camera even accurate enough to do proper head tracking? From what I've seen it seems to have way too much lag and not enough resolution to implement it properly. The voice command stuff sounds ancillary at best, although it was a pretty cool novelty in Odama.

The camera is capable of it, Microsoft just has to do the API work for it to make it happen.

[Rad-]

Facebook games? Where are you getting that from? Go tell it to real soldiers.

Aah I read the OP way too fast.

[Raide]

The 360 is getting hardcore games from everyone else, and if Microsoft can bring something truly unique and different to the game space, then why not?

A bit of both is great. Most people fear MS are going "all in" for Kinect. There are still some great core titles coming this year but I would still like them to announce what else is planned outside of Kinect software.

[Ickman3400]

The 360 is getting hardcore games from everyone else, and if Microsoft can bring something truly unique and different to the game space, then why not?

waving your arms around and pew pewing is not innovative. This will not be able to do anything more than a normal game would. In fact I'll bet it will do less unless they go the cheap way and make it a hybrid controlled game.

and they're going all kinect now and pushing a halo or forza game out every now and then to keep their base satisfied. It's nintendo part 2.

[The_Darkest_Red]

I would happily play a Ghost Recon game where you used a normal pad but then used Kinect for Voice Commands and Hand Signals. Add to that being able to look at maps and intel using Kinect and I think that would be pretty awesome.

I just feel like the whole idea is trying to force a level of immersion in an environment that isn't suited for it. I honestly can't imagine feeling impressed or satisfied by waving around my hands and blurting out commands while I'm sitting on my couch with my feet propped up on the coffee table. It just isn't what I'm looking for in a gaming experience.

All of that said, I will try to keep an open mind about it when more concrete information starts dropping on this and other "core" Kinect games. Maybe I just have to experience it first but right now I will remain skeptical.

[REMEMBER CITADEL]

Is the Kinect camera even accurate enough to do proper head tracking? From what I've seen it seems to have way too much lag and not enough resolution to implement it properly.

Yes, it's already been demonstrated and it works. And contrary to what you might have heard, the lag is not so bad.

waving your arms around and pew pewing is not innovative. This will not be able to do anything more than a normal game would. In fact I'll bet it will do less unless they go the cheap way and make it a hybrid controlled game. and they're going all kinect now and pushing a halo or forza game out every now and then to keep their base satisfied. It's nintendo part 2.

Oooh, someone sounds bitter.

[The_Darkest_Red]

Yes, it's already been demonstrated and it works. And contrary to what you might have heard, the lag is not so bad.

What do people find appealing about head tracking? I'm not being sarcastic so I'm sorry if it comes off that way, I'm just genuinely curious because I personally don't understand the appeal.

[Vinterbird]

waving your arms around and pew pewing is not innovative. This will not be able to do anything more than a normal game would. In fact I'll bet it will do less unless they go the cheap way and make it a hybrid controlled game. and they're going all kinect now and pushing a halo or forza game out every now and then to keep their base satisfied. It's nintendo part 2.

Hybrid is not cheap. Cheap would be going "wave your arms and animation happens". Actually making an interesting and fun game using hybrid structure or kinect exclusively could be extremely fun. We haven't seen what they are doing, and Kinect has shown it does more then just "waggle", so it's way to early say "meh, will suck, make the game we've already played but with new shaders".

What do people find appealing about head tracking? I'm not being sarcastic so I'm sorry if it comes off that way, I'm just genuinely curious because I personally don't understand the appeal.

Because peaking over cover is clumsy as hell in FPS games, and looking out of your window with the right stick in a driving game will make me crash or drive of course. Moving that stuff to me head, and simple movements there would remove that problem for me personally.