Someone, I don't know who, really wants me to play Second Life. But I won't give in. That game so ugly, it be exiled from Uncanny Valley! Mmhmm.
I think I've mentioned here before, my dream of a marionette-type MMO peripheral that allows realtime avatar manipulation via some sort of puppet or controller.
My idea was a physical item of some sort, like a little lay figure connected with firewire or USB, but it sounds like Second Life is implementing some method of doing this via regular control schemes.
Linden Labs announced today at SIGGRAPH that they will soon be releasing a new technology they are billing as Expressive Puppeteering. The result of which will allow anyone to manipulate avatar motions in real time, and presumably capture motions for later playback. It sounds like an in world version of Poser. The part that sounds really cool is that it will allow real time manipulations. So, you should be able to grab your av's arm and wave goodbye to friends, and be even more expressive to enemies.
Ooh, I think that means you can make naughty gestures! Titter!
Expressive Puppeteering [Second Life Insider]
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