Milo and Kate
Encyclopedia
Project Milo was a project in development by Lionhead Studios
for the Xbox 360
video game console. Formerly a secretive project under the early "Dimitri", Project Milo was unveiled at the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in a demonstration for Kinect, as a "controller-free" entertainment initiative for the Xbox 360 based on depth-sensing and pattern recognition technologies. The project was a tech demo
to showcase the capabilities of Kinect and will not be released at retail, despite conflicting reports that the project was an actual game.
)" after Lionhead had finished work on Black & White in 2001. The project was code named Dimitri, after the godson of Lionhead creative director Peter Molyneux
. Details revealed about the project led some to speculate that "Dimitri" had become Fable II, but a 2006 interview with Molyneux confirmed that the projects were separate. For several years the development of Dimitri remained "experimental", resulting in scarce news updates during this phase of development. In later interviews, Molyneux began to refer to the project as "Project X".
During their press briefing at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June 2009, Lionhead's parent company Microsoft unveiled Kinect, then known as Project Natal, during which it featured a presentation clip from Molyneux demonstrating a woman naturally interacting with a virtual character, referred to as "Milo." In an interview with Eurogamer
after the press conference, Molyneux confirmed that the demonstration was of the previously-known "Dimitri," and would be a game developed around Kinect, titled Milo and Kate. In the game, players would interact with a 10-year-old child (Milo or Millie, selected at the start) and a dog named Kate, playing through a story. According to Molyneux, work on the Kinect-specific elements started in December 2008. The game would also feature an in-game store, for purchasing items to enhance gameplay.
Milo has an AI structure that responds to human interactions, such as spoken word, gestures, or predefined actions in dynamic situations. The game relies on a procedural generation
system which is constantly updating a built-in "dictionary" that is capable of matching key words in conversations with inherent voice-acting clips to simulate lifelike conversations. Molyneux claims that the technology for the game was developed while working on Fable
and Black & White.
However, the game was not present at Microsoft's E3 press briefing the following year. Further confusion arose later in the month with a statement by Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg stating that the game was not a product they were planning to bring to market, but was more of an internal tech demo. This was later refuted by Molyneux who stated that he would reveal a more advanced version of Milo during his TEDGlobal talk in Oxford in July 2010. Molyneux went on to hint at difficulties in getting Microsoft to see Milo as a full game. Molyneux said "The biggest challenge for us is convincing people (Microsoft) what we're doing is actually going to work, is going to reach a new audience, is going to be an idea that people love." At the TED
conference in Oxford in July 2010, more footage was shown. Players can make crucial decisions in Milo's life, or smaller ones such as squashing a snail or not. During the conference it was shown that Milo can be taught how to skip stones. The demonstration also indicated that users are only able to talk to Milo when a red microphone image appeared on the screen.
In September 2010, Eurogamer ran a story, citing an unnamed source, stating that work on Milo had been halted, and that the Milo tech would be used in a "Fable themed Kinect game". This story was seemingly backed up by Microsoft's Alex Kipman in a November 2010 interview with Gamesindustry.biz, declaring that Project Milo "was never a product" and "was never announced as a game". However, an interview with the drama director of the game was released in March. It showed part of the creation process that he had to go through and some brief sections of gameplay. Completion of the project was also hinted in the interview.
At the 2011 Game Developer's Conference, Lionhead lead programmer Ben Sugden showcased a new graphics technology used in Project Milo for upcoming Xbox 360 titles. At E3 2011, Fable: The Journey
was announced, which includes elements from Milo, including voice and emotion recognition.
Lionhead Studios
Lionhead Studios is a British computer game development company led by industry veteran Peter Molyneux, and acquired by Microsoft Game Studios in April 2006. Lionhead started as a breakaway from the developer Bullfrog, which was also founded by Molyneux. Lionhead's first game was Black & White, a...
for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
video game console. Formerly a secretive project under the early "Dimitri", Project Milo was unveiled at the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in a demonstration for Kinect, as a "controller-free" entertainment initiative for the Xbox 360 based on depth-sensing and pattern recognition technologies. The project was a tech demo
Tech demo
A tech demo is a prototype, rough example or an otherwise incomplete version of a product, put together with the primary purpose of showcasing the idea, performance, method or the features of the product...
to showcase the capabilities of Kinect and will not be released at retail, despite conflicting reports that the project was an actual game.
Development
The project began as work on an "emotional AI (artificial intelligenceGame artificial intelligence
Game artificial intelligence refers to techniques used in computer and video games to produce the illusion of intelligence in the behavior of non-player characters . The techniques used typically draw upon existing methods from the field of artificial intelligence...
)" after Lionhead had finished work on Black & White in 2001. The project was code named Dimitri, after the godson of Lionhead creative director Peter Molyneux
Peter Molyneux
Peter Douglas Molyneux OBE is an English computer game designer and game programmer. He created the God games Dungeon Keeper, Populous, and Black & White, among others, as well as business simulation games such as Theme Park and more recently, the RPG series Fable.Despite the success of his games,...
. Details revealed about the project led some to speculate that "Dimitri" had become Fable II, but a 2006 interview with Molyneux confirmed that the projects were separate. For several years the development of Dimitri remained "experimental", resulting in scarce news updates during this phase of development. In later interviews, Molyneux began to refer to the project as "Project X".
During their press briefing at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June 2009, Lionhead's parent company Microsoft unveiled Kinect, then known as Project Natal, during which it featured a presentation clip from Molyneux demonstrating a woman naturally interacting with a virtual character, referred to as "Milo." In an interview with Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
after the press conference, Molyneux confirmed that the demonstration was of the previously-known "Dimitri," and would be a game developed around Kinect, titled Milo and Kate. In the game, players would interact with a 10-year-old child (Milo or Millie, selected at the start) and a dog named Kate, playing through a story. According to Molyneux, work on the Kinect-specific elements started in December 2008. The game would also feature an in-game store, for purchasing items to enhance gameplay.
Milo has an AI structure that responds to human interactions, such as spoken word, gestures, or predefined actions in dynamic situations. The game relies on a procedural generation
Procedural generation
Procedural generation is a widely used term in the production of media; it refers to content generated algorithmically rather than manually. Often, this means creating content on the fly rather than prior to distribution...
system which is constantly updating a built-in "dictionary" that is capable of matching key words in conversations with inherent voice-acting clips to simulate lifelike conversations. Molyneux claims that the technology for the game was developed while working on Fable
Fable (video game)
Fable is an action role-playing video game in the Fable series. It was developed for Xbox, Mac OS X, and Windows platforms, by Big Blue Box, a satellite developer of Lionhead Studios, and was published by Microsoft. The game shipped for Xbox on October 14, 2003...
and Black & White.
However, the game was not present at Microsoft's E3 press briefing the following year. Further confusion arose later in the month with a statement by Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg stating that the game was not a product they were planning to bring to market, but was more of an internal tech demo. This was later refuted by Molyneux who stated that he would reveal a more advanced version of Milo during his TEDGlobal talk in Oxford in July 2010. Molyneux went on to hint at difficulties in getting Microsoft to see Milo as a full game. Molyneux said "The biggest challenge for us is convincing people (Microsoft) what we're doing is actually going to work, is going to reach a new audience, is going to be an idea that people love." At the TED
TED (conference)
TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
conference in Oxford in July 2010, more footage was shown. Players can make crucial decisions in Milo's life, or smaller ones such as squashing a snail or not. During the conference it was shown that Milo can be taught how to skip stones. The demonstration also indicated that users are only able to talk to Milo when a red microphone image appeared on the screen.
In September 2010, Eurogamer ran a story, citing an unnamed source, stating that work on Milo had been halted, and that the Milo tech would be used in a "Fable themed Kinect game". This story was seemingly backed up by Microsoft's Alex Kipman in a November 2010 interview with Gamesindustry.biz, declaring that Project Milo "was never a product" and "was never announced as a game". However, an interview with the drama director of the game was released in March. It showed part of the creation process that he had to go through and some brief sections of gameplay. Completion of the project was also hinted in the interview.
At the 2011 Game Developer's Conference, Lionhead lead programmer Ben Sugden showcased a new graphics technology used in Project Milo for upcoming Xbox 360 titles. At E3 2011, Fable: The Journey
Fable: The Journey
Fable: The Journey is the fourth video game in the Fable series, developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Microsoft Studios for Xbox 360, as an exclusive Kinect title. It was announced at the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo, with a debut trailer and demo shown...
was announced, which includes elements from Milo, including voice and emotion recognition.