AN IRISH SOFTWARE firm has spent €2 million developing software to control video games using body movement via a webcam.

OmniMotion Technology this week released Sumo, a physics-based combat and puzzle game. While it can be played as a handheld game on an iPhone and iPad, the PC and Apple Mac versions can be played "controller-free" in the same manner as Microsoft's Xbox Kinect system. OmniMotion's patented gesture recognition software, Motion Flow, works with any webcam connected to the PC.

Players can use their hands, head or entire body to manipulate objects on-screen.

“Now you don’t have to buy a €150 camera and a €250 games console to get into this,” said Niall Austin, managing director of OmniMotion.

Although the iPad and iPhone versions don’t feature gesture control, OmniMotion says they are the first handheld games to use 50 frames-per-second “bump- map” graphics, which it says delivers “a more immersive, fun playing experience”.

Mr Austin said OmniMotion had spent €2 million on research and development since 2006 and Sumowas the first product released as a result.

Backed by private investors to date, Mr Austin said the company was planning to use Ireland as a test market before bringing Sumoand other titles to Britain. He said the company would release a range of "casual and social" games in coming years. The firm is also looking at developing children's games aimed at helping them develop key motor skills.

“We did an internal Business Expansion Scheme and we had a private investor in the UK in the early days but we bought back most of the equity,” said Mr Austin. He said the company will look for venture capital investment but is currently focusing on rolling out its products.

With a background in providing sports education programmes for governments, employer groups and Olympic bodies, Mr Austin said he was keen to develop something that would get young people active. “I like to call it health by stealth,” he said.

Although OmniMotion is charging for Sumo, Mr Austin said it was looking to work with leading brands who already have an audience and wanted to provided interactive entertainment. It is already working with Big Brotherproducer Endemol, consumer electronics giant Samsung and the European Olympic Committee.

The launch of Sumois being supported by a television advertising campaign featuring Irish boxing champion Bernard Dunne as well as a poster campaign that capitalises on the spherical nature of the game's characters to challenge players with the question "Do You Have The Balls?"