Project Milo cancelled

Although project Milo has been cancelled for a number of years now, with a number of different explanations swirling around the internet as to why. I think its a massive shame that such a good opportunity and such a massive leap forward in modern technology has gone to such blatant waste.


Although primitive at the moment the core idea behind Milo is amazing. The ability to interact with a machine in such a way that it feels as if it real is surely something that needs looking into, especially by any self respecting RPG studio.


On its first reveal at E3 2009, Milo was able to have a full blown conversation with a number of people, make conscious changing decisions, recognize different people, react to different situations and moods, learn new words and use them in conversation, as well as directly interact with player and have an understanding of time and date.


Imagine if this was still under development, the possibilities are what people think of as space age, but are actually very much achievable. Imagine having an xbox avatar that you can treat as a close friend that knows everything about you and helps plan your day for you. An avatar that can teach you stuff and grow old with you. An avatar that will then become friends with your children and your childrens avatars. An avatar that will one day die? 

Milo

"If we look through the game, to 

see the ʻotherʼ God who is the game designer, it is interesting to ask where 

advances in technology will lead in enabling games to be less and less 

dependent on set paths. Will this mean that the more power a designer has to 

open the concept of character more and more, the more it will become open? 

Or will the structures described here still be needed? Will it mean that the 

ʻcoming-of-age-taleʼ, which is so traditionally set to follow the archetype of a 

young boy, will be opened to every contemporary player who will choose their 

gender, along with the way they navigate the world of the game?"

This point really interest me, and is something I have looked into a number of times and is the are that I plan to do my presentation on.

Characterisation is the sum of all the outward qualities: 

Physical appearance, mannerisms, style of speech and gesture, sexuality, age, IQ, occupation, personality, attitudes, values, where he lives, how he lives. 

True Character, lies behind the mask. True character ʻcan only be expressed through choice in dilemma. How the person chooses to act under pressure is who he is - the greater the pressure, the truer and deeper the choice to the characterʼ. 

Whatʼs in a name?

A name can act in a very similar way to a genre. Filling the audience with preconceived ideas that then fill the character with the audiences own individual characteristics that they've created. This can be seen in many films, books and games. For example 'the wanderer" from the fallout series. Just by using the name the wanderer the audience are instantly filled with the image of a loner, a hard man, who knows everything, quietly confident these are all characteristics that are instantly placed in that character subconsciously.

"the signifier is the form that the sign takes"

"the signified is the concept represented by 

the signifier"