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Gametrak

April 12, 2024

Gametrak is a brand of 3-dimensional game control systems based on position tracking, designed for home video game platforms such as video game consoles and personal computers. The first Gametrak was invented in 2000 by Elliott Myers, who developed and guided the Gamester video game peripheral range for Leda Media Products and later Radica Games. Myers founded gaming company In2Games around Gametrak in November 2000.[1]

The main hardware for the original Gametrak is the base unit, a weighted device positioned on the floor in front of the display. The base unit communicates with the console or PC by Universal Serial Bus.[a] and also features an attached foot-pedal input.

Technology edit

The Gametrak uses a patented[2] mechanical system for tracking position of physical elements in three-dimensional space in real time. The base unit features two identical mechanisms, each of which can determine the three-dimensional coordinates of an associated element relative to the mechanism. Each mechanism contains a retracting cable reel and a small tubular guide arm from which the cable passes out. The guide arm is articulated in a ball joint such that the arm and ball follow the angle at which the cable extends from the mechanism. At the end of the cable is a fastener for connecting to the tracked element.

The distance of the tracked element from the mechanism is determined through components which measure the rotation of the spool drum for the retracting cable reel, and calculating how far the cable is extended. Through the ball joint and guide arm, the mechanism functions in a similar fashion as a gamepad analog stick[citation needed] to determine the angular direction from the mechanism to the track element.[2] From the distance and angle data, a three-dimensional position for the element is resolved. The predetermined spacing and orientation of the mechanisms on the base unit allows the coordinate data gathered by the two mechanisms to be converted into positions in a unified space. According to In2Games, the mechanisms can determine position "to an accuracy of 1 millimetre anywhere within a 3m cube around the unit, with no processor overhead or time delay."[3]

By tracking two positions, it is possible to independently track two different objects, or the position and orientation of a single object, such as a sword or baseball bat. The Gametrak includes special fingerless gloves, each with a fastener along the outside edge for attaching a tether cable, allowing the system to track both of a user's hands.[4]

Haptic functionality was planned to be incorporated into future revisions of the original Gametrak,[5] in which supplementary retraction forces on the tension cables would be dynamically increased or decreased to simulate various effects.[2]

History edit

According to Myers, he arrived at the basic concept for the Gametrak while playing with a retractable washing line in a hotel bathroom. While pulling the cord out, Myers thought of combining it with a joystick mechanism to create a 3D control device. After testing the concept, the developers worked on an implementation to make the device affordable, accurate, and reliable enough for a mass market. Myers stated that "the whole process took about 3 years to get right."[6]

In January 2003, Atomic Planet Entertainment was confirmed as a licensed developer for the Gametrak, developing the launch title for the peripheral, a first-person fighting game originally entitled Dark Wind.[7] In the game, players move their hands to punch, block, dodge and wield magic against the on-screen opponent.

In August 2004, a few months before launch, the Gametrak was showcased at the 2004 Games Convention, where it won a "Best of GC" award for "Most Innovative Product".[8] Along with the renamed Dark Wind,[b] at the convention In2Games publicly debuted Real World Golf, a golf simulator game being developed by Aqua Pacific with design consultant Jon Hare, and set for release in 2005.

Gametrak was released for PlayStation 2 on October 22, 2004 in Europe, bundled with Dark Wind.[9] The game received mixed reviews but went on to sell around 60,000 copies.[citation needed] On August 26, 2005, In2Games simultaneously released PlayStation 2 versions of Real World Golf and Gametrak Version 2 in Europe. Gametrak Version 2 is functionally identical to the previous version,[10] but features various design refinements.[4]

Real World Golf debuted at #19 in the weekly Chart-Track rankings for PlayStation 2 software titles in the United Kingdom, after only two days of sales;[11] rising to #6 the next week;[12] and peaking at #3 the following week.[13] Remaining in the top 20 for another 6 weeks,[14] the game was considered a major success by the company. In November 2005 In2Games announced that it had secured additional funding and support, and was planning to expand Gametrak to new regions and platforms. The company also revealed plans for more Gametrak games; including self-published bowling, basketball, first-person shooter, and party game titles; and a baseball game from Gametrak's distributor Mad Catz.[15]

PC versions of the Gametrak and Real World Golf were released in Europe on November 23, 2005.[16] On April 11, 2006, Gametrak was released for both PlayStation 2 and Xbox in the United States, bundled with enhanced versions of Real World Golf.[17]

On August 25, 2006, In2Games released Real World Golf 2007 in Europe for PlayStation 2 and PC,[18] by which time over 300,000 Gametrak units had been sold.[19]

With the creation of its RealPlay and Gametrak Freedom products, In2Games is no longer developing for the original Gametrak system.[20]

Gametrak Freedom edit

On October 20, 2006, a next-generation wire-free Gametrak system, using a patent-pending[21] ultrasonic tracking technology, was revealed at a press event in London under the name "Gametrak Fusion".[22]

The system was to utilize a compactible USB-connected base unit[23] and various wireless RF controller units. The standard controller unit was to be a wand which featured interchangeable clip-on heads for applications such as tennis[24] and golf.[25][26] Custom controller units such as a bowling ball controller were also featured.[27] A concept design was shown for a two-piece wireless motion-sensing gamepad controller that can quickly be split apart or snapped together.[28]

In2Games positioned the control system as a competitive cross-platform alternative to the Wii Remote,[29] targeting it for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms.[30] Originally planned to be released in summer/fall 2007, it was then linked to the game Squeeballs, announced at GDC 2009[31] by PDP and developed by Eiconic Games.[32]

The Gametrak Freedom never went into commercial production past the prototype stage[33] and an application for patent was withdrawn in 2012.[34]

Related products edit

RealPlay edit

On August 17, 2007, In2Games announced RealPlay, a range of family-friendly video games for the PlayStation 2 with wireless motion-sensing controller units similar to those originally shown for then-named Gametrak Fusion, but without the ultrasonic tracking technology.[35] The RealPlay controllers feature accelerometers with a full-scale sensing range of 5 g.[29] The first four RealPlay titles (RealPlay Racing, RealPlay Pool, RealPlay Golf, RealPlay Puzzlesphere) were released in the United Kingdom on November 30, 2007 at a retail price of £34.99 each (approx. US$72, c.2007),[36] with the release of two additional titles (RealPlay Bowling, RealPlay Tennis) in 2008. The company also released the titles outside of the UK.[37]

Notes edit

^ a: The Xbox version connects through the Xbox controller port, which uses standard USB signaling, but features proprietary ports.
^ b: In2Games renamed the title from Black Wind to Dark Wind in late April 2004, to avoid negative publicity[38] after the phrase "black wind of death" was used in a statement published in mid-March from the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades to describe a potential strike against America.[39]

References edit

  1. ^ "Elliott Myers – CEO". Management Team. In2Games. Retrieved 2008-06-04.[dead link]
  2. ^ a b c GB patent 2373039, Elliot Edward Myers, "A transducer for detecting the position of a mobile unit", published 2002-09-11, issued 2005-06-15, assigned to In2Games 
  3. ^ "What is Gametrak?". Gametrak Developer FAQ. In2Games. Retrieved 2008-06-04.[dead link]
  4. ^ a b . Deaf Gamers. Archived from the original on June 10, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  5. ^ . game-trak.com. In2Games. Archived from the original on October 4, 2011. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  6. ^ Block, Gerry (2006-04-14). "Exclusive GameTrak Interview with Developer In2Games". IGN Gear. IGN Entertainment. p. 2. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  7. ^ . game-trak.com. In2Games. Archived from the original on October 4, 2011. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  8. ^ "Gametrak wins "Best of GC 2004" award at Leipzig Games Convention". In2Games. 2004-08-23. Retrieved 2007-10-04.
  9. ^ . In2Games. 2004-10-22. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
  10. ^ "In2Games reveals design and pricing of Gametrak Version 2". Gametrak Hardware News. In2Games. 2005-08-05. Retrieved 2007-08-21.[dead link]
  11. ^ . UK Software Charts. Chart-Track. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  12. ^ . UK Software Charts. Chart-Track. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  13. ^ . UK Software Charts. Chart-Track. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  14. ^ . UK Software Charts. Chart-Track. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  15. ^ "In2Games announces major success with Real World Golf, major fundraising and new products". News. In2Games. 2005-11-10.[dead link] Alt URL
  16. ^ . Game Announcements. In2Games. 2005-11-10. Archived from the original on 2007-02-22. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
  17. ^ . Mad Catz. 2006-04-06. Archived from the original on 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
  18. ^ . In2Games. 2006-07-30. Archived from the original on 2007-07-04. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
  19. ^ "In2games to Preview Real World Golf 2 at E3". In2Games. 2006-05-03. Archived from the original on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2008-06-26.
  20. ^ . In2Games. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-26.
  21. ^ WO application 2007110626, Steven David Lavache, "Wireless position sensing in three dimensions using ultrasound", published 2007-10-04, assigned to In2Games and Steven David Lavache 
  22. ^ . In2Games. 2006-10-20. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  23. ^ "In2Games MD Elliott Myers holding the Gametrak Fusion system" (JPEG). In2Games. 2006-10-19. Retrieved 2007-08-29.[dead link] Alt URL
  24. ^ Elliott Myers (2006-10-20). Codename Fusion tennis video (Flash Video). London, England: ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
  25. ^ Jordan, Jon (2007-06-29). "Q&A: Holmwood On How In2Games Will Wii-ify 360 and PS3". Gamasutra. CMP Technology. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
  26. ^ "Gametrak Fusion bowling ball, baseball bat, sword, golf club concept renders" (JPEG). In2Games. 2007-10-19. Retrieved 2007-08-29.[dead link] Alt URL
  27. ^ Elliott Myers (2006-10-20). Codename Fusion bowling video (Flash Video). London, England: ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
  28. ^ Elliott Myers (2006-10-20). Codename Fusion controller video (Flash Video). London, England: ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
  29. ^ a b Ivan, Tom (2007-10-02). "Gaming in Motion: Taking on the Wii". Next Generation. Future Publishing. Archived from the original on 2013-01-15. Retrieved 2007-10-03.
  30. ^ . In2Games. 2007-06-11. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  31. ^ "GDC 09: Squeeballs Announced".
  32. ^ "Eiconic Games".
  33. ^ "Neogaf".
  34. ^ "About this file - European Patent Register". register.epo.org. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  35. ^ . In2Games. 2005-11-10. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  36. ^ . In2Games. 2007-10-26. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  37. ^ "Realplay Bowling sur PlayStation 2". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  38. ^ . In2Games. 2004-04-21. Archived from the original on 2006-05-19. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
  39. ^ "U.S. Wary After Madrid Bombings". CBSNews.com. CBS Broadcasting. 2004-03-12. Retrieved 2008-06-30.

External links edit

  • In2Games website
  • libgametrak

April 12, 2024
gametrak, brand, dimensional, game, control, systems, based, position, tracking, designed, home, video, game, platforms, such, video, game, consoles, personal, computers, first, invented, 2000, elliott, myers, developed, guided, gamester, video, game, peripher. Gametrak is a brand of 3 dimensional game control systems based on position tracking designed for home video game platforms such as video game consoles and personal computers The first Gametrak was invented in 2000 by Elliott Myers who developed and guided the Gamester video game peripheral range for Leda Media Products and later Radica Games Myers founded gaming company In2Games around Gametrak in November 2000 1 The main hardware for the original Gametrak is the base unit a weighted device positioned on the floor in front of the display The base unit communicates with the console or PC by Universal Serial Bus a and also features an attached foot pedal input Contents 1 Technology 2 History 3 Gametrak Freedom 4 Related products 4 1 RealPlay 5 Notes 6 References 7 External linksTechnology editThe Gametrak uses a patented 2 mechanical system for tracking position of physical elements in three dimensional space in real time The base unit features two identical mechanisms each of which can determine the three dimensional coordinates of an associated element relative to the mechanism Each mechanism contains a retracting cable reel and a small tubular guide arm from which the cable passes out The guide arm is articulated in a ball joint such that the arm and ball follow the angle at which the cable extends from the mechanism At the end of the cable is a fastener for connecting to the tracked element The distance of the tracked element from the mechanism is determined through components which measure the rotation of the spool drum for the retracting cable reel and calculating how far the cable is extended Through the ball joint and guide arm the mechanism functions in a similar fashion as a gamepad analog stick citation needed to determine the angular direction from the mechanism to the track element 2 From the distance and angle data a three dimensional position for the element is resolved The predetermined spacing and orientation of the mechanisms on the base unit allows the coordinate data gathered by the two mechanisms to be converted into positions in a unified space According to In2Games the mechanisms can determine position to an accuracy of 1 millimetre anywhere within a 3m cube around the unit with no processor overhead or time delay 3 By tracking two positions it is possible to independently track two different objects or the position and orientation of a single object such as a sword or baseball bat The Gametrak includes special fingerless gloves each with a fastener along the outside edge for attaching a tether cable allowing the system to track both of a user s hands 4 Haptic functionality was planned to be incorporated into future revisions of the original Gametrak 5 in which supplementary retraction forces on the tension cables would be dynamically increased or decreased to simulate various effects 2 History editAccording to Myers he arrived at the basic concept for the Gametrak while playing with a retractable washing line in a hotel bathroom While pulling the cord out Myers thought of combining it with a joystick mechanism to create a 3D control device After testing the concept the developers worked on an implementation to make the device affordable accurate and reliable enough for a mass market Myers stated that the whole process took about 3 years to get right 6 In January 2003 Atomic Planet Entertainment was confirmed as a licensed developer for the Gametrak developing the launch title for the peripheral a first person fighting game originally entitled Dark Wind 7 In the game players move their hands to punch block dodge and wield magic against the on screen opponent In August 2004 a few months before launch the Gametrak was showcased at the 2004 Games Convention where it won a Best of GC award for Most Innovative Product 8 Along with the renamed Dark Wind b at the convention In2Games publicly debuted Real World Golf a golf simulator game being developed by Aqua Pacific with design consultant Jon Hare and set for release in 2005 Gametrak was released for PlayStation 2 on October 22 2004 in Europe bundled with Dark Wind 9 The game received mixed reviews but went on to sell around 60 000 copies citation needed On August 26 2005 In2Games simultaneously released PlayStation 2 versions of Real World Golf and Gametrak Version 2 in Europe Gametrak Version 2 is functionally identical to the previous version 10 but features various design refinements 4 Real World Golf debuted at 19 in the weekly Chart Track rankings for PlayStation 2 software titles in the United Kingdom after only two days of sales 11 rising to 6 the next week 12 and peaking at 3 the following week 13 Remaining in the top 20 for another 6 weeks 14 the game was considered a major success by the company In November 2005 In2Games announced that it had secured additional funding and support and was planning to expand Gametrak to new regions and platforms The company also revealed plans for more Gametrak games including self published bowling basketball first person shooter and party game titles and a baseball game from Gametrak s distributor Mad Catz 15 PC versions of the Gametrak and Real World Golf were released in Europe on November 23 2005 16 On April 11 2006 Gametrak was released for both PlayStation 2 and Xbox in the United States bundled with enhanced versions of Real World Golf 17 On August 25 2006 In2Games released Real World Golf 2007 in Europe for PlayStation 2 and PC 18 by which time over 300 000 Gametrak units had been sold 19 With the creation of its RealPlay and Gametrak Freedom products In2Games is no longer developing for the original Gametrak system 20 Gametrak Freedom editOn October 20 2006 a next generation wire free Gametrak system using a patent pending 21 ultrasonic tracking technology was revealed at a press event in London under the name Gametrak Fusion 22 The system was to utilize a compactible USB connected base unit 23 and various wireless RF controller units The standard controller unit was to be a wand which featured interchangeable clip on heads for applications such as tennis 24 and golf 25 26 Custom controller units such as a bowling ball controller were also featured 27 A concept design was shown for a two piece wireless motion sensing gamepad controller that can quickly be split apart or snapped together 28 In2Games positioned the control system as a competitive cross platform alternative to the Wii Remote 29 targeting it for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms 30 Originally planned to be released in summer fall 2007 it was then linked to the game Squeeballs announced at GDC 2009 31 by PDP and developed by Eiconic Games 32 The Gametrak Freedom never went into commercial production past the prototype stage 33 and an application for patent was withdrawn in 2012 34 Related products editRealPlay edit On August 17 2007 In2Games announced RealPlay a range of family friendly video games for the PlayStation 2 with wireless motion sensing controller units similar to those originally shown for then named Gametrak Fusion but without the ultrasonic tracking technology 35 The RealPlay controllers feature accelerometers with a full scale sensing range of 5 g 29 The first four RealPlay titles RealPlay Racing RealPlay Pool RealPlay Golf RealPlay Puzzlesphere were released in the United Kingdom on November 30 2007 at a retail price of 34 99 each approx US 72 c 2007 36 with the release of two additional titles RealPlay Bowling RealPlay Tennis in 2008 The company also released the titles outside of the UK 37 Notes edit a The Xbox version connects through the Xbox controller port which uses standard USB signaling but features proprietary ports b In2Games renamed the title from Black Wind to Dark Wind in late April 2004 to avoid negative publicity 38 after the phrase black wind of death was used in a statement published in mid March from the Abu Hafs al Masri Brigades to describe a potential strike against America 39 References edit Elliott Myers CEO Management Team In2Games Retrieved 2008 06 04 dead link a b c GB patent 2373039 Elliot Edward Myers A transducer for detecting the position of a mobile unit published 2002 09 11 issued 2005 06 15 assigned to In2Games What is Gametrak Gametrak Developer FAQ In2Games Retrieved 2008 06 04 dead link a b Gametrak amp Real World Golf Deaf Gamers Archived from the original on June 10 2008 Retrieved 2008 09 30 Game Trak game trak com In2Games Archived from the original on October 4 2011 Retrieved 2008 06 04 Block Gerry 2006 04 14 Exclusive GameTrak Interview with Developer In2Games IGN Gear IGN Entertainment p 2 Retrieved 2008 06 05 In2Games game trak com In2Games Archived from the original on October 4 2011 Retrieved 2008 06 05 Gametrak wins Best of GC 2004 award at Leipzig Games Convention In2Games 2004 08 23 Retrieved 2007 10 04 Gametrak Dark Wind In2Games 2004 10 22 Archived from the original on September 30 2007 Retrieved 2007 08 21 In2Games reveals design and pricing of Gametrak Version 2 Gametrak Hardware News In2Games 2005 08 05 Retrieved 2007 08 21 dead link Top 20 Sony PlayStation 2 full price week ending 27 August 2005 UK Software Charts Chart Track Archived from the original on July 19 2011 Retrieved 2008 06 05 Top 20 Sony PlayStation 2 full price week ending 3 September 2005 UK Software Charts Chart Track Archived from the original on July 19 2011 Retrieved 2008 06 05 Top 20 Sony PlayStation 2 full price week ending 10 September 2005 UK Software Charts Chart Track Archived from the original on July 19 2011 Retrieved 2008 06 05 Top 20 Sony PlayStation 2 full price week ending 22 October 2005 UK Software Charts Chart Track Archived from the original on July 19 2011 Retrieved 2008 06 05 In2Games announces major success with Real World Golf major fundraising and new products News In2Games 2005 11 10 dead link Alt URL Real World Golf comes to PC Game Announcements In2Games 2005 11 10 Archived from the original on 2007 02 22 Retrieved 2007 08 21 Mad Catz Ships Real World Golf Mad Catz 2006 04 06 Archived from the original on 2016 01 15 Retrieved 2007 08 21 Launch Date 25 August In2Games 2006 07 30 Archived from the original on 2007 07 04 Retrieved 2007 08 21 In2games to Preview Real World Golf 2 at E3 In2Games 2006 05 03 Archived from the original on 2012 09 06 Retrieved 2008 06 26 Gametrak In2Games Archived from the original on July 4 2008 Retrieved 2008 06 26 WO application 2007110626 Steven David Lavache Wireless position sensing in three dimensions using ultrasound published 2007 10 04 assigned to In2Games and Steven David Lavache In2Games unveils Gametrak Fusion 3D wireless motion sensor gaming is here In2Games 2006 10 20 Archived from the original on May 13 2008 Retrieved 2008 06 04 In2Games MD Elliott Myers holding the Gametrak Fusion system JPEG In2Games 2006 10 19 Retrieved 2007 08 29 dead link Alt URL Elliott Myers 2006 10 20 Codename Fusion tennis video Flash Video London England ComputerAndVideoGames com Retrieved 2007 10 09 Jordan Jon 2007 06 29 Q amp A Holmwood On How In2Games Will Wii ify 360 and PS3 Gamasutra CMP Technology Retrieved 2007 08 29 Gametrak Fusion bowling ball baseball bat sword golf club concept renders JPEG In2Games 2007 10 19 Retrieved 2007 08 29 dead link Alt URL Elliott Myers 2006 10 20 Codename Fusion bowling video Flash Video London England ComputerAndVideoGames com Retrieved 2007 10 09 Elliott Myers 2006 10 20 Codename Fusion controller video Flash Video London England ComputerAndVideoGames com Retrieved 2007 10 09 a b Ivan Tom 2007 10 02 Gaming in Motion Taking on the Wii Next Generation Future Publishing Archived from the original on 2013 01 15 Retrieved 2007 10 03 In2Games s innovation lands 7 76m Ingenious investment In2Games 2007 06 11 Archived from the original on May 13 2008 Retrieved 2008 06 04 GDC 09 Squeeballs Announced Eiconic Games Neogaf About this file European Patent Register register epo org Retrieved 2020 02 04 RealPlay Wireless Gaming Range For PlayStation 2 Unveiled In2Games 2005 11 10 Archived from the original on May 13 2008 Retrieved 2008 06 04 PlayStation 2 Wireless Gaming Hits Pinnacle In2Games 2007 10 26 Archived from the original on May 13 2008 Retrieved 2008 06 04 Realplay Bowling sur PlayStation 2 Jeuxvideo com in French Retrieved 2020 02 04 Terror threat prompts PS2 game name change In2Games 2004 04 21 Archived from the original on 2006 05 19 Retrieved 2008 06 30 U S Wary After Madrid Bombings CBSNews com CBS Broadcasting 2004 03 12 Retrieved 2008 06 30 External links editIn2Games website libgametrak Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gametrak amp oldid 1084399062, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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