That was quick: Avatar machinima (sort of)

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 21st 2008 at 11:20AM }

The NXE just launched earlier this week, and already we have some of the first videos of people using Avatars to craft machinima. Okay, so maybe it isn't so much machinima as it is an amusing use of the limited control players have over Avatars, but it's funny so bear with us. Sure, you might have played around with your Avatar. You might have twirled its head around until it got dizzy. Maybe you figured out that you can slam its face into the screen if you zoom in close enough while taking your gamer picture. But, did you know that your Avatar can sing and dance? It's true. Just check out the video above (and another embedded after the break) and see for yourself.

[Via Major Nelson's Twitter]

Tags: avatars, machinima, new-xbox-experience, nxe

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Morriscey @ Nov 21st 2008 11:27AM

Whats the name of the song in the first vid?

shane86 @ Nov 21st 2008 11:40AM

Justice - Genesis

Momer @ Nov 21st 2008 5:07PM

I fucking love Justice. Have all of their EP's, album, remixes and live sets. Get their album † (cross symbol). It's epic.

Morriscey @ Nov 21st 2008 5:22PM

Right on, thanks guys

joker ant @ Nov 21st 2008 11:28AM

Laughs-a-million. Love it!

sure... @ Nov 21st 2008 11:31AM

What's the song in the second video?

DudeRed @ Nov 21st 2008 11:39AM

I don't remember the title of the song but I am pretty sure that is Daft Punk.

DudeRed @ Nov 21st 2008 11:41AM

"Something About Us" by Daft Punk

Disco Ball @ Nov 21st 2008 11:31AM

And we all thought those who made the Bike Hero video had to much time on their hands, there is no way these people got paid!

DragonAce05 @ Nov 21st 2008 11:34AM

clever. i lol'd. i want someone to try and do one to that daft punk song that kanye west sampled.

therpham @ Nov 21st 2008 11:56AM

The fact that that's the only way some people know that song makes me sad.

modok @ Nov 21st 2008 12:12PM

well they also play the original daft punk version during a NYSC promo vid they play in teh gym...just to be fair...

Momer @ Nov 21st 2008 5:08PM

I also find it sad that people only know Stronger but not HBFS. Although Daft Punk doesn't seem to mind: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4c98v_kanye-west-daft-punk-stronger-live_music

tojfs7931 @ Nov 21st 2008 11:40AM

Wow. Some guy's avatar shaking his head around the screen. People really need to get lives.

MDJ2010 @ Nov 21st 2008 4:06PM

Some people really need to get a sense of humour, jesus!

etothemax @ Nov 21st 2008 11:52AM

How does he make the mouth move?

AlpahGeeeK @ Nov 21st 2008 11:56AM

Press the right thumb-stick.

Fist of Konshu @ Nov 21st 2008 12:00PM

Am I the only one that thinks the mouth movement looks a lot like the animation from the claymation holiday specials. It almost looks like you could drop one of these characters into those specials.

ryan @ Nov 21st 2008 2:12PM

Yeah, they do. I'm a sucker for all those crappy holiday claymations. Always bring up the warmest fuzziest memories.

TurboFool @ Nov 21st 2008 12:01PM

Very clever stuff. I'd like to see them release an update that allows us more control over them. Considering how clever people have gotten already, and how popular this machinima stuff is, why not give us more control over our Avatars? Make it an advanced mode where all the buttons and sticks map to various body parts and such and see what people can do with it. Even include a recording mode. It could get really entertaining. User-generated content is the future, and sadly Sony's been doing a slightly better job embracing it so far. Here's a great opportunity for Microsoft to counter that. Especially if you can combine it with the parties.

Chris @ Nov 21st 2008 12:40PM

i agree more control would be good, atleast in some spaces, but then again their currently more designed to be 3d gamerpics in the dash, and then playable characters in the actual games... and they do both of those pretty darn good.

DBoyFlex @ Nov 21st 2008 12:53PM

Just like they have photo party, imagine avatar party. You can play music and then map various controls to the controller and have a dance party. That would be kinda cool to see what 8 people could choreograph. That would be quite amusing.

Odog4ever @ Nov 21st 2008 1:33PM

@ DBoyFlex

Yeah I was just think they should have a "sandbox" app were you or you and a party could go and do all kind of crazy stuff. You could set up props and stuff almost like a super nerfed version of LBP or Pain maybe?
Any free app that would let you "play" around with you avatar outside of retail games would be welcome.

Blaze463 @ Nov 21st 2008 8:27PM

At the person above me: It's called PlayStation HOME.

TurboFool @ Nov 21st 2008 10:49PM

To the person above me: I wasn't aware PlayStation Home was available for the Xbox 360.

guttertalk @ Nov 21st 2008 12:01PM

Great. A bunch of Night at the Roxbury videos.

Deezul @ Nov 21st 2008 12:34PM

No burgandy or dark blue suits... yet.

robert @ Nov 21st 2008 12:53PM

that was pretty much my first thought too

Perno @ Nov 21st 2008 12:36PM

Another one - if you hold down the R or L trigger to spin your avatar, you can make him/her dizzy. Your welcome.

sure... @ Nov 21st 2008 12:39PM

@therpham,

Wow, so because one might not be familiar with Daft punks music really makes you sad? I suppose that could apply to everyone then; as in It make me sad that most people weren't familiar with Chopin before the Halo "Believe" adds.

Get over yourself already, Daft punk isn't all that to everyone. Besides, if you can hear it on the radio 99.9% of the time it's garbage anyway. I'll take Chiba Mato over daft any day of the week but it doesn't make me "sad" that most people don't know who they are.

Sheesh

robert @ Nov 21st 2008 12:51PM

cibo matto

Deezul @ Nov 21st 2008 1:28PM

Who has the new Garbage radio station? Is it a bonus channel on Sirius XM for the release of a new album? Oh you meant the generic "garbage"

CougRon @ Nov 21st 2008 1:16PM

I was just thinking the other day how it would be nice to see the other Avatars in your party moving and making gestures as controlled by their users.

That might be too much for the Dashboard itself, so maybe microsoft can make use of their new app abilities and have an AvatarParty app where you can control the gestures of your avatars more and see actions taken by others in your party. There could even be sets of actions to increase the possibilities, overcoming the limited controls to some degree. For instance with one set moving the right thumbstick the hands wave and make 'happy' gestures, with another the right thumbstick will make angry or rude gestures.