Microsoft is allegedly purchasing Israeli company 3DV, a group involved in developing motion capture technology.
There has been speculation for weeks about Microsoft’s interest in purchasing the firm, whose ZCam product is allegedly more accurate at interpreting motions than both the Sony Eye Toy and the Nintendo Wii Remote. The camera has the ability to determine the depth and distance of its target, which increase the range of motion its able to perceive.
Elron Electronics, 3DV’s holding company announced yesterday that it had “entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of substantially all of its assets to a third party.” While Microsoft has remained silent on the issue, it’s believed it is purchasing the company for roughly $35 million. The deal hasn’t been fully worked out yet though, so there is still the chance it may fall through.
It seems likely that if Microsoft is spending this kind of cash on the deal, it will be making a concentrated push at the casual market with the technology sometime in the near future. What this news means for the current Xbox Live Vision camera is unknown. Exactly how soon we’ll be playing Xii Healthy on the 360 also remains to be seen.
Source: EDGE-Online
Published: Mar 31, 2009 02:00 pm