Games on Windows are nothing new but a new game by Side-Kick called Top Smash Tennis promises to bring a new level of interactivity to Windows 8 games. Integrating “Extreme Reality Technology,” it uses the standard webcam on nearly any Windows 8 device to play and control the game. A player uses the full motion of his body to control the activity of the game. Gone are the needs for a keyboard, mouse, or joystick… And best of all, it is available starting today, July 16th.
Guy Ben-Dov, founder and CEO of Side-Kick Games likens the feel of the experience of playing Top Smash Tennis to the user physically playing the game; performing real backhands, forehands, smashes, and serves.
Side-Kick is one of the largest game development studios based in Israel. Extreme Reality (XTR3D) is the only company that brings full-body 3D motion to any device or OS using a standard 2D camera. The two companies merged their expertise and technologies to create Top Smash Tennis.
Top Smash Tennis recreates a realistic tennis game where the user battles it out with a virtual opponent, and just like a real game, the longer you play the speed and intensity of the game increases. The Extreme Reality technology uses a 2D image, captured by any Windows 8 devices camera, and turns it into a 3D model. The video below briefly shows how the first-time setup is accomplished and then the user actually plays the game moving his arms as if he is holding tennis racket. I do wish they would have shown a demo using a smartphone to play the game.
Sarit Firon, CEO of Extreme Reality says, “Top Smash Tennis is paving the way for what we expect to be a tsunami of motion-controlled games that can be played on any device and in any location a user wants to play. Until now, motion controlled games have been tied to the console platforms such as Xbox, PlayStation and Wii. Now, just as users are migrating from console-based to mobile-based games, Extreme Reality has the critical software ingredient that allows any developer to create a full-body motion game that requires no additional hardware than the smartphone, tablet or PC people already own. This gives tremendous new freedom to the developer and the gamer.”
Top Smash Tennis itself is available free, but there are various in-app purchases, all can be found at the Win8 game store. Let us know in the comments if you download this game app, and what you think about the game play.
FIRST WINDOWS 8 GAME TO USE A PLAYER’S FULL BODY MOTION TO CONTROL THE GAME LAUNCHES TODAY
Side-Kick’s “Top Smash Tennis” Integrates Extreme Reality Technology to Enable a New Gaming Experience Using the Standard Webcam on Any Windows 8 Device
Herzelia, Israel – July 16, 2013 – Extreme Reality (XTR3D), the only company to bring full-body 3D motion controlled gaming to any device via a standard webcam, and Side-Kick Games, one of the largest and most experienced game development studios in Israel, today announced the launch of Side-Kick’s Top Smash Tennis, the first full-body motion enabled Windows 8 game. Powered by Extreme Reality’s Extreme Motion technology, Top Smash Tennis unchains the user from touching a keyboard, mouse or joystick by controlling the game via the user’s body gestures and a standard 2D webcam.
“Top Smash Tennis offers Windows 8 users an entirely new and exhilarating way to interact with PC games,” said Guy Ben-Dov, founder and CEO of Side-Kick Games. “With the integration of the Extreme Motion SDK, users feel like they are actually playing tennis by performing real forehands, backhands, smashes and serves.”
Top Smash Tennis creates a realistic tennis game simulation where a player competes against a virtual opponent. As the game progresses, the game speed and the play of the opponent increase in intensity. The Extreme Reality technology mimics a player’s body movement and arm swings by converting the 2D image, captured by any Windows 8 device’s camera, into a 3D body model.
“Top Smash Tennis is paving the way for what we expect to be a tsunami of motion controlled games that can be played on any device and in any location a user wants to play,” said Sarit Firon, CEO of Extreme Reality. “Until now, motion controlled games have been tied to the console platforms such as Xbox, PlayStation and Wii. Now, just as users are migrating from console-based to mobile-based games, Extreme Reality has the critical software ingredient that allows any developer to create a full-body motion game that requires no additional hardware than the smartphone, tablet or PC people already own. This gives tremendous new freedom to the developer and the gamer.”
Top Smash Tennis will be available for free, with various in-app purchases, via download from the Win8 game store. A video demonstration of Top Smash Tennis is available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otnjviAPRVA.
About Extreme Reality (XTR3D)
Extreme Reality (XTR3D) is the only company to bring full-body 3D motion control to any device and operating system via a standard 2D camera. Offered as a software development kit (SDK), the company’s Extreme Motion product enables developers to create applications and games that break the physical barriers of hardware and environment required by today’s 3D cameras. With 13 patents granted worldwide, the Extreme Motion technology recognizes and tracks the three dimensions of a user’s skeletal joints and then converts the joints movement into a continuous dynamic motion. Extreme Reality was founded in 2005 and is based in Herzelia, Israel. For more information please visit http://www.xtr3d.com/ or join the conversation and like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @ExtremeReality1.
About Side-Kick Games
Side-Kick is one of the largest and most experienced game development studios in Israel. Side-Kick’s expertise range from complete games and working prototypes to production and development services for various platforms and needs. Side-Kick’s know-how covers new interface technologies, mobile, next-gen depth cameras, and a variety of middleware and webcam based interfaces. The result is games that really push the limits of what new platforms can deliver in terms of fun, intuitive, natural feeling gameplay that delivers on all levels.
[/toggle_item]