Xbox's 'realistic avatars' sneaked into public domain. Did you notice?

Turns out they don't look so different after all

Words: on August 25, 2010

After all the speculation as to what the new 'realistically-proportioned' Xbox avatars would look like, it turns out they've been in plain view all along. Rare has quietly slipped a note into their blog that the Kinect Sports screenshots contain the new avatars. So, take a look - are they that much different?


Above: Now we look closer, these are clearly more realistically proportioned... heads aside, of course

The way that rare has got round the 'uncanny valley' problem of having realistic human proportions on a very cartoonified version of a human's features is simple. They've kept the head big. The only problem people had with the avatars when using Kinect was hand-eye co-ordination troubles due to the avatars' stumpy appendages being nothing like real limbs. A realistic body with a massive head is apparently all fine. Unless all their beta testers had inflated egos which meant that was realistic too. Har har.


Above: We just assumed Kinect Sports had more realistic bodies like some Wii games give Miis proper legs

Thank goodness they didn't end up looking like our artist's impression. That thing was hella scary.

25 Aug, 2010

Source: RareWareArchives

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14 Comments
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  • philipshaw

    philipshaw  - 1 year, 8 months ago  - Report

    Still going to mean Kinect is rubs
  • Genericpenisjoketista

    Genericpenisjoketista  - 1 year, 8 months ago  - Report

    Hopefully they keep updating the avatars slightly, as time goes on, until the point that they (while still retaining the cartoony look) can look realistic and appealing. Maybe we'll get Avatars that look... oh, I don't know... a little different from each other?
    And please, nothing uncanny valley-like, like Home. -shudders-
  • ThePrivateer

    ThePrivateer  - 1 year, 8 months ago  - Report

    Please... Never use the word "hella" again!
  • Grif

    Grif  - 1 year, 8 months ago  - Report

    I wouldn't notice it without a comparison.
  • Spybreak8

    Spybreak8  - 1 year, 8 months ago  - Report

    From a game studio perspective, avatars are great because half the game is already modeled lol. Eh I didn't mind or see much difference then and now.
  • ZiegZeon

    ZiegZeon  - 1 year, 8 months ago  - Report

    I am no fan of what shall dub the Egonauts
  • sixboxes

    sixboxes  - 1 year, 8 months ago  - Report

    goes to show that "more realistic" and "realistic" are not synonyms.
    But just think, if it wasn't for avatars, then motion control would be the dumbest thing for the 360 to pilfer from the Wii.
  • sleepy92ismypsn

    sleepy92ismypsn  - 1 year, 8 months ago  - Report

    They still look retarded.
  • LarzimusPrime

    LarzimusPrime  - 1 year, 8 months ago  - Report

    Will some of the Clothing be redisigned, as they where made for the other Avatars???
  • crumbdunky

    crumbdunky  - 1 year, 8 months ago  - Report

    I despise MS avatars and they are the thing that annoys me most about my 360. Sometimes i won't turn it on just because I hate mine that much and it reminds me of feeling stupid as a grown man with kiddies dressing up a virtual dolly I NEVER wanted to make in teh sodding first place. Longer legs? Deeper graves and I'll be interested , hell, I'll dig the buggers.
  • Fiirestorm21

    Fiirestorm21  - 1 year, 8 months ago  - Report

    DarkTone, on the surface no, but it does apparently affect people's ability to play Kinect. Specifically as the article says their hand-eye coordination and I would guess some depth perception. Because avatars before had shorter/longer limbs, when your avatar did something in a Kinect game, it would throw off your judgment of, "Okay, I need to stretch my hand out this far in order to hit the ball." Or whatever.
  • TheSpanishAnnounceTable

    TheSpanishAnnounceTable  - 1 year, 8 months ago  - Report

    Ummmm "new"?? GOD NO! These are exactly the bloody same apart from the fact they're bodies have been revamped Ever so slightly. Im official DONE with caring about Rare OR Kinect
  • DarkTone

    DarkTone  - 1 year, 8 months ago  - Report

    Barely.

    Is realism that important to game avatars?
  • ThatGuyFromTV

    ThatGuyFromTV  - 1 year, 8 months ago  - Report

    Considering they had to point it out, I would say that, no, they aren't much different.
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