Microsoft Gaming Plans

Anyone can make their own Hololens, games going platform agnostic. There's a broad and interesting strategy being implemented at Microsoft.

It will be nice to hold shares in the company that produces the best AR display.




Motley Fool

Nadella changed that by accelerating efforts to bring the best versions of all the company's products to any platform that wanted them. Ballmer should get credit for starting that process by bringing the Office apps to Android, but it was Nadella who has preached an any-device, any-customer strategy.

Project xCloud would do that for gaming, bringing the company's software (i.e., games) to people using tablets, phones, PCs, and who knows what other devices. Using Microsoft's Azure cloud platform, the company hopes to make streaming gaming available on 4G and eventually 5G networks. It laid out its broad goals in a blog post Choudhry made back in October:

Scaling and building out Project xCloud is a multi-year journey for us. We'll begin public trials in 2019 so we can learn and scale with different volumes and locations. Our focus is on delivering an amazing added experience to existing Xbox players and on empowering developers to scale to hundreds of millions of new players across devices. Our goal with Project xCloud is to deliver a quality experience for all gamers on all devices that's consistent with the speed and high-fidelity gamers experience and expect on their PCs and consoles.

Hololens at CNN & other places.

What we're waiting for is for the news to start going viral. It hasn't yet.

This is still an open secret. 


CNN


Kim Komando

(If you aren't familiar with Kim Komando, she has a lot of fans a tech website, and has a syndicated radio show. This is fertile ground for attention.)

Microsoft's next-gen HoloLens

Not to be outdone by all the crazy smartphone hoopla, Microsoft also unveiled the HoloLens 2, it's follow up to the "mixed reality" glasses it announced in 2015. Like its predecessor and other augmented reality gadgets, the HoloLens 2 superimposes computer-generated images on the real world, delivering one-of-a-kind experiences. Think Iron-Man/Tony Stark-like interactions with your immediate surroundings, that's how cool and practical Mixed Reality could be.

Improving on the tech introduced by the first HoloLens, the HoloLens 2 is more powerful, better-balanced, efficient and Microsoft managed to double its field of view. Its new design with improved "thermal management" also makes it more comfortable to wear with extended use, even with users who wear glasses.

Unfortunately, the HoloLens 2 is still priced out of the regular consumer's range. Tagged at $3,500, it's still aimed at large businesses and the military. Hopefully, the HoloLens 3 will be primed for mass adoption and its price will finally be within reach of you and me,
Game Reactor

"I'm really excited to see what people end up doing with the product," Han admits. "But it's very clear that from our customer and market signal perspective we're really focused on the first-line and task workers. Look, people are going to dream with this thing, and that's really the most exciting part of it, people are going to tell us what they want to go and do, and I think the future for mixed reality and these type of devices is very promising."

Gaming and consumer versions will happen. (They made that clear during the presentation, and clearly there is interest.)

Augmented Reality Gaming

Cool with a phone, way better with a great near eye display.

Mobile to replace gaming consoles.

But mobile players are still going to want a big screen experience.


Death of the Gaming Console?  From the Motley Fool -- a Lot more at the source.

Consoles are still thriving, but the big growth is in mobile
Nintendo's plan to launch a new gaming platform in March 2017 and AMD's recent announcement that it will supply chips in three upcoming consoles virtually confirms that gaming hardware will see a historically quick refresh. Doubting the viability of consoles as sales are at a high point and more hardware releases are peaking over the horizon might seem odd, but shorter lifecycles for gaming systems point to pressure from mobile competition -- with more frequent hardware updates now potentially necessary to maintain a significant capability gap between consoles and mobile devices.

Mobile gaming looks to account for the mainstay of growth in coming years and is set to overtake console and PC revenues this year. Publishers including Electronic Arts and Activision Blizzard stand to benefit by growing their customer bases outside consoles. 

In addition to its movie and image-sensor business, video games are a core pillar in Sony's turnaround effort, which CEO Kazuo Hirai indicated was past the halfway point as of October 2015. The PlayStation 4 has thus far outperformed even optimistic targets before its release, and the platform's incredible momentum makes it likely that its upgraded sibling will be a win for Sony -- at least in the short term.

Bathwater as game screen

We saw this a long time ago, and it just popped up again. IF you haven't seen it, it's worth a look. 

I'm not sure why it has just re-appeared.

From Inverse

I'm sure this has improved.

An old but awesome video. With the much better resolution of PicoP, we should see this in reality soon.

Tokyo Game Show

Tuesday September 15

Another event to watch closely. Hopefully we'll have a good announcement before this -- and even more about it here. 

Sony is hosting its pre-Tokyo Game Show press conference on Tuesday, September 15 at 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. local time/ 5:00 p.m. AEST / 8:00 a.m. BST / 12:00 a.m. PST / 3:00 a.m. EST.

IGN

Gamescom 2015 may have been dismal for PlayStation fans, but Sony's setting up a grandstand finish to the year. Not content with Paris Games Week and PlayStation Experience, the platform holder has now dated its annual pre-Tokyo Game Show press conference, which will take place on 15th September.

Push Square

Nintendo NX

Can Nintendo NX replace both the portable game system and the home console? 

That would require some kind of new display to do so effectively.

WII U
Nintendo 3DS

International Business Times

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has commented on the company's next piece of games-dedicated hardware, codenamed 'NX', hinting that it may be replace both their Wii U home console and Nintendo 3DS handheld.

Iwata also spoke about why Nintendo is holding off on detailing the NX until 2016. "We can't talk about the NX," he said. "If we do, competitors may take our ideas and customers won't be surprised."

Nintendo's NX was announced as being in the works in March, in tandem with the company's declaration that it is to develop mobile games for the very first time. Shortly after the news broke we speculated as to what the NX might be, suggesting it could be both a handheld and home device.

Nintendo NX -- UPDATED 5/19 & 5/21 & 6/1

This is included here, because this is one of the better articles so far hinting at the new Nintendo game platform (A cross between mobile and console). Being something that is a "completely new concept" is interesting for MicroVision watchers.

I have no idea if there actually is any connection, but concepts like this are those that I'm paying attention too.... eventually we will pop up in a portable gaming system that will be wildly popular with the gaming crowd.

At the rate this story seems to be evolving, I expect that future leaks will eventually describe accurately what this is going to be.

Keeps looking better and better.

AT IGN

Several articles today talk about the system being Android Based (Think portable with smartphones and tablets.

"The "dedicated game platform with a brand-new concept” platform was revealed in March during an announcement of Nintendo's plans to create official Nintendo smartphone games. NX’s unveiling during the briefing served to prove that the move into smartphone games wasn’t a sign of lost passion or vision for dedicated game systems.

While details on NX are currently scarce, Iwata previously stated that Nintendo may take a wildly different direction with the new system than with its past platforms."

From Christianity today.  (Visit if you want, but it's online ad Hell.)

This is why a new rumor has been spreading across the Internet. According to a report from Hardcore Gamer, it is possible that Nintendo is delaying the title's release in order to coincide with the launch of the Nintendo NX, the company's next console. 

Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda Wii-U gameplay demo

However, Nintendo has not yet confirmed if the NX is a home console, a new portable device, or a hybrid of the two. The company also recently signed a partnership with DeNA to work on mobile games, fueling speculations that the NX might be a mobile device like a Nintendo-patented tablet or smartphone. 

If this is the case, then the company might release the new game simultaneously on the Wii-U and the NX, in the same way that "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess" was launched for the Gamecube and Wii back in 2006, which was the year of the franchise's 20th anniversary. It is possible that Nintendo is repeating the process for the 30th anniversary. 

5/22/2015
From CrossMap

Each explanation reveals a few more slight details.

"Nintendo is making a transfer to smart devices because it is pessimistic about the future for dedicated video game systems.' I intentionally chose to announce the development of NX so early because I wanted to confirm the fact that we are developing a new dedicated video game platform, that we have never lost passion regarding the future for dedicated video game systems and that we have bright prospects for them..."

5/21/2015 From CrossMap

'Nintendo NX' will not be a replacement for Wii U or the 3DS according to Nintendo CEO, Satoru Iwata.

AMD also announced that they are currently working on a design for a "next-generation console scheduled to be released in 2016". If we'll put two-and-two together it seems like AMD is working on the upcoming Nintendo NX.

Iwata further added that the upcoming 'Nintendo NX' will have a "new membership service that encompasses smart devices and dedicated videogame systems".

This will mean that it will be developed for smartphones and tablets as well as DeNa, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and PC.

What the above is telling me, is that the NX is going to be portable, work with mobile devices, and NOT replace their consoles. That sounds more and more like a potential home for PicoP. At this rate of detail leakage, I'm expecting that we may know just what this is by the end of the summer.

At autoomobile

"Nintendo clarifies that the new console is not made to be a simple replacement for the two consoles. He also added that the new console will be a video game platform that will introduce their fans to a new concept.

They keep emphasizing on the fact that the NX console will introduce us to a brand new concept that was developed after analyzing the different play style of games nowadays."

Complete article @ Gamespot

Nintendo's next dedicated game platform, codenamed NX, is not meant to be a simple "replacement" for the Wii U or 3DS, according to chief executive Satoru Iwata. The English translation of Iwata's remarks from Nintendo's latest earnings report were published today, featuring the new information about NX.

"Though I cannot confirm when it will be launched or any other details of the system, since I have confirmed that it will be 'a dedicated video game platform with a brand new concept,' it should mean that we do not intend it to become a simple 'replacement' for Nintendo 3DS or Wii U," Iwata explained.

Iwata also pointed out that the manner and situations in which people play home consoles and handheld devices have recently become "rather different, especially between Japan and overseas." The executive teased that the NX, in a bid to appeal to the widest possible audience, will offer a "brand new concept."

"Since we are always thinking about how to create a new platform that will be accepted by as many people around the world as possible, we would like to offer to them 'a dedicated video game platform with a brand new concept' by taking into consideration various factors, including the playing environments that differ by country," he explained. "This is all that I can confirm today."

Another article at NintendoEnthusiast

Concurrent Projector Camera for Gaming

Patently Mobile

This is a snippet. Go to Patently Mobile for Full article

The Chessboard Example

Getting to the heart of the invention, Microsoft provides us with a simple example of a multi-site video communication having two sites share a surface regarding a virtual chessboard that is concurrently displayed to players at two remote locations.

Alternately, a real chessboard can be included in the first of the two locations, with virtual chess pieces being projected onto both the real board, and onto a virtual copy of the chess board at the second location captured by the camera of the Concurrent Projector-Camera at the first location.

For purposes of explanation, assuming the use of a virtual chessboard and pieces in both locations, each player will see a projection of the chess set and the other players interaction with that projected chess set (captured by a local camera associated with each player) without any "visual echo" resulting from either players interaction with the projected chess set. A simple example of this type of use of the Concurrent Projector-Camera is illustrated by FIG. 2 above.

In particular, Microsoft's patent FIG. 2 shows two Concurrent Projector-Cameras (#205 and #210) at separate locations (i.e., "location 1" and "location 2"). Each Concurrent Projector-Camera is projecting a virtual copy of the same chess set (#220 and #225, respectively) into the shared workspace in each of location 1 and location 2.

However, in addition to the projected chess set being projected into each workspace, the Concurrent Projector-Camera 210 in location 2 is also projecting a real-time video of a first user's hand #235 captured by the camera of the Concurrent Projector-Camera #205 from the first user's actual hand as it interacts with the projected chess set in location 1. Similarly, the Concurrent Projector-Camera in location 1 is also projecting a real-time video of a second user's hand #245 captured by the camera of the Concurrent Projector-Camera #210 from the second user's actual hand #240 as it interacts with the projected chess set in location 2.

Watching Nintendo

Not sure what's here, but this is interesting. Hearing that they would be going completely mobile with gaming was very intriguing (but not post-worthy) That they would come up with a whole new console (and that they hint at merging console & mobile) that's really interesting.

If they are planning an arrival on the market in 2016 -- we could get more hints and an announcement/reveal soon. (Apple Watch took six months.)

Yesterday at a Game Stop, I spoke to one of the employees and mentioned being able to play games from a portable console projecting on the wall. He instantly said "I'd pay a thousand bucks for that!"

Portable gaming is going to be bit. We'll watch this.

Techradar

That piece of hardware is codenamed the "NX" according Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata, who underlined the fact that Nintendo is still in the dedicated console market, despite it branching out into mobile.

"Because now we have decided on how we will make use of smart device, we have come to hold an even stronger passion and vision for the dedicated video game system business than before."

Iwata added: "Let me confirm that Nintendo is currently developing a dedicated game platform with a brand new concept under the development codename 'NX'"

Wired

Since then, Nintendo refuses to say even a little bit more about NX, other than the fact that it is built around “a brand-new concept.” From the company that brought us the Virtual Boy, this tells us absolutely nothing. So of course, in the absence of information, there’s been tons of speculation as to what it might be.

We actually do have more information, though, that can guide us in the right direction.

Historically, Nintendo’s handheld and home console development teams were always separate, creating totally different types of game machine. The fact that the home and portable machines were such different pieces of technology had recently begun to prove very frustrating to Nintendo. Iwata said in a presentation to investors in March 2014 that while Nintendo wanted to port Wii games to the Nintendo 3DS, or bring Nintendo 3DS titles to the Wii U, it found that because the architectures were so different, it required “a huge amount of effort.”

Nintendo going Mobile

The Big Screen in your Pocket.

Everyone wants a Big Screen Phone. Not everyone knows they'll soon be able to have it.

Who wants PicoP already? Not so many, but that's because they don't know that it exists yet.

What everyone -- EVERYONE who has a smart phone already wants is a bigger screen. Currently, larger screens come with a disadvantage -- a larger physical size. but that's about to change.

• Very few people actually know about PicoP -- so far, 
• but that should change hugely very soon as products are released. They don't KNOW they want PicoP -- so why should we be sure they do?
•  EVERYONE wants a bigger screen on their portable device
•  (usually a phone), but not everyone wants to carry one. This is a screen that can be huge use factor -- with a small physical form factor.
• People like to look at pictures more than they like to take them. 
• They like to share them even more. PicoP is an outstanding way to SHARE pictures. 
• PicoP SERIOUSLY enhances the favorite activities of Smart Phones and all portable electronics: 
• WATCHING VIDEO
• TAKING PICTURES
• PLAYING GAMES

Two Months with Phablet

However, analysts point to the growing popularity of ‘phablets’ (a horrible word to describe something between a phone and a tablet). In parts of Asia, they’re more popular than laptops and tablets combined, and even Apple is rumoured to be working on a larger-screen iPhone.

Phablets in Asia

• "Speaking to the Guardian in September, IDC reported that a total of 25.2m ‘phablets’ had shipped in the Asia-Pacific region, excluding Japan. This figure was actually higher than both mobile PC and tablet shipments. Furthermore, the Guardian indicated that large-screened smartphones accounted for more than 30% of all smartphone sales in India."
• With Samsung accounting for 60% of all smartphone sales in South Korea, it might come as little surprise that Flurry Analytics recently determined that a whopping 41 percent of smartphone sales are for devices that are 5-inches or larger. After all, both the Galaxy S4 and Note 3 hit or exceed this size barrier.
• In Southeast Asia – and particularly in South Korea – the mobile gaming industry is huge. According to Flurry Analytics, the most popular app store in South Korea is SK Planet’s T Store. In cooperation with Flurry, the T Store reported that a staggering 68% of its revenue from apps and other digital content comes from gaming.

Why your next phone should be a Phablet (Huffington Post)

• "Phablets are getting bigger. The implication is that bigger is better if a customer can do more on a single device and not worry about having a laptop and tablet nearby. 

• "Smartphone behaviour has shifted away from voice towards browsing, reading, writing, purchasing, gaming and consuming apps, audio and video."

At Inquisitir.com

• "When Jobs was asked why Apple simply didn’t increase the iPhone screen size, and thus the potential size of the internal antenna, Jobs responded in 2010 that no one would buy such an iPhone since “you can’t get your hand around it.” Samsung even made fun of this fact by releasing an ad saying, “No one is going to buy a big phone. Guess who surprised themselves and changed their minds.”

An "Apple-style" fix to fitting a large screen in a small phone? Well, that would be PicoP. 

Windows 10 event --- HoloLens -- UPDATING....

There is no certainty that we're in here, but it looks very promising. In any case the inventor is well familiar with PicoP. I'm still working to figure this out.

Patents listed below merely seem to be related, and possibly are we don't KNOW anything yet.

WIBU -- Hands on with Hololens



Interview with Inventor --- Kipman... this is good

Kipman Inventions with PicoP  <--- all mention Microvision's PicoP display. Before you get TOO excited, they also mention other display systems -- as shown just below.

From a patent. I've seen this particular paragraph in several similar patents:

"Microdisplay 120 projects an image through lens 122. There are different image generation technologies that can be used to implement microdisplay 120. For example, microdisplay 120 can be implemented in using a transmissive projection technology where the light source is modulated by optically active material, backlit with white light. These technologies are usually implemented using LCD type displays with powerful backlights and high optical energy densities. Microdisplay 120can also be implemented using a reflective technology for which external light is reflected and modulated by an optically active material. The illumination is forward lit by either a white source or RGB source, depending on the technology. Digital light processing (DLP), liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) and MIRASOL® (a display technology from QUALCOMM, INC.) are all examples of reflective technologies which are efficient as most energy is reflected away from the modulated structure. Additionally, microdisplay 120 can be implemented using an emissive technology where light is generated by the display. For example, a PicoP™-display engine (available from MICROVISION, INC.) emits a laser signal with a micro mirror steering either onto a tiny screen that acts as a transmissive element or beamed directly into the eye (e.g., laser)."

What I would call a strong connection between Microvision and Hololens coming from a LinkedIn Profile: I won't post the person's name, or any more detail than this, but this was from a single profile, and copied consecutive lines...

*****

Senior Hardware Engineer - HoloLens

Microsoft

July 2014 – Present (7 months)Redmond, WA

Senior HW Program Manager - HoloLens

Microsoft

May 2013 – June 2014 (1 year 2 months)Redmond, WA

Senior Staff Engineer, Systems

Microvision

July 2011 – April 2013 (1 year 10 months)Redmond, WA

• Currently leading a cross-functional team in the design and development of the 3rd generation PicoP® system, including system requirements, product definition and program schedule.
• Forming relationships with new suppliers and customers through technical engagement around next generation products.

*****

Microsoft Hololense Site & video

Related article on Business Insider

In Time Magazine

Related article from Forbes

"Interesting gaming image that show a potential "expanded living room."

Well, followers of Microvision know how this can happen.

Our Second totally new product... bringing the experience into the room. Place your digital content into your world. We're not talking Virtual reality. we're talking beyond digital borders.. beyond screens Windows holographic.

Beyond the screen ... windows holographic... more immersive ways to play...

"from the little screens to the big screens... to no screens at all."

Hololense  available in the windows 10 timeframe ..... 





Near Eye displays summary


Microsoft Head mounted display patent that mentions MVIS

A patent from 2012...

"....That said, we're unreasonably excited that a new Microsoft patent for a "laser-scanning virtual image display" could actually point to plans for the company to jump into the world of virtual reality gaming..."

Another Patent ...... 

REFERENCED BY

Citing Patent	Filing date	Publication date	Applicant	Title
US7053519 *	Mar 29, 2002	May 30, 2006	Microsoft Corporation	Electrostatic bimorph actuator
US7888626	May 23, 2006	Feb 15, 2011	Qinetiq Limited	Coded aperture imaging system having adjustable imaging performance with a reconfigurable coded aperture mask
US7923677	Feb 6, 2007	Apr 12, 2011	Qinetiq Limited	Coded aperture imager comprising a coded diffractive mask
US7969639	Feb 6, 2007	Jun 28, 2011	Qinetiq Limited	Optical modulator
US7978189 *	Oct 1, 2010	Jul 12, 2011	Microvision, Inc.	Integrated photonics module and devices using integrated photonics modules
US7986315	Oct 1, 2010	Jul 26, 2011	Microvision, Inc.	Integrated photonics module and devices using integrated photonics modules
US8017899	Feb 6, 2007	Sep 13, 2011	Qinetiq Limited	Coded aperture imaging using successive imaging of a reference object at different positions
US8035085	Feb 6, 2007	Oct 11, 2011	Qinetiq Limited	Coded aperture imaging system
US8068680	Feb 6, 2007	Nov 29, 2011	Qinetiq Limited	Processing methods for coded aperture imaging
US8073268	Feb 6, 2007	Dec 6, 2011	Qinetiq Limited	Method and apparatus for coded aperture imaging
US8089672 *	Dec 19, 2008	Jan 3, 2012	Asml Netherlands B.V.	Array element device control method and apparatus
US8229165	Jul 27, 2007	Jul 24, 2012	Qinetiq Limited	Processing method for coded aperture sensor
US8355013	Jun 10, 2011	Jan 15, 2013	Microvision, Inc.	Integrated photonics module and devices using integrated photonics modules

Microvision Nomad on YouTube