Microsoft's New Xbox Motion Sensor Blows Wii Away Wednesday, June 03, 2009 By Clayton Morris
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The Project Natal sensor for the Xbox 360, which tracks and listens to players without the need for a controller. LOS ANGELES — Go ahead and look in the mirror. You're looking at the latest game controller for Microsoft's Xbox 360.
That's right, it's you! Microsoft took the idea of the Nintendo Wii motion controller five steps further by allowing us to control our games with our bodies — there's nothing you have to hold.
It's called "Project Natal," which sounds like a top-secret government operation, or a new energy drink. Microsoft is known for changing the name of its products before they launch, and I sure hope it does in this case.
But despite the funky name, I had to pick my jaw up off the floor after seeing the demo during the Microsoft press conference on Monday at the E3 gaming convention in Los Angeles.
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When you consider the underwhelming reception given to Windows Vista, the Surface interactive table, the Zune portable media player and Windows Mobile, it's not a stretch to say that Natal could be Microsoft's home run of the decade.
Natal uses cameras and a microphone mounted to a Wii-style sensor bar to detect the user. It recognizes movements, talking, and can even tell the difference between me and my grandma, and not just because she's better looking.
The system has plenty of goodies, such as voice and face recognition, video chatting and speech commands. After scrolling through your movies with a mid-air hand wave, just call out "Play movie!" and "Steel Magnolias" will start rolling. Love racing games? Why not grip an imaginary steering wheel and burn rubber?
Don't worry about buying a whole new console — Natal is an add-on accessory for all existing Xbox 360s. That's great news for gamers who are tired of shelling out big bucks every five years for a whole new system.
Of course, everything looks great on stage at a well-produced Hollywood-style event. The real test will come in your living room when Uncle Chester has to catch an imaginary fish with his imaginary rod at the next family gathering.
Related StoriesSurviving Beatles Unveil 'Rock Band' Game Reports: Sony to Unveil Smaller, Lighter PlayStation Portable Microsoft Adds Motion Sensor, Twitter, Facebook to Xbox 360 Video-Game Confab Aims to Bring Glitz Back VideoLive From E3 If it's done right, every family will want this. If it's done wrong, you'll be dusting off your Wii bowling shoes and it will be a big embarrassment for Microsoft. But it certainly seems like Natal's got tons of potential.
It may be fun to play virtual horseshoes or lawn darts with your 5-year-old, but what's in it for hardcore gamers?
Microsoft Corporate Vice President John Schappert, who led the keynote address, told me that he's excited to see what happens now that developers are able to get their hands on the development kit for Natal.
Will we see "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare" and "Halo" using this new controller-free technology? Schappert says that's what Microsoft is hoping for.
So that means you could be diving behind your couch to avoid an incoming grenade attack. Or jumping off the coffee table to ambush a Nazi in "Saboteur."
I recommend stretching first and wearing sweatpants.
Could care less. The wii isn't a gaming system and I play video games to relax, not to get up and move around. This gimmick means nothing to me. I def wont be buying it. or any game that uses it.
"The medium for the bad news was ESPN, which figured. The network represents much of what is loud, obnoxious and empty in sports today."
i'm the opposite. i'm absolutely getting it. i love the potential. the wii was difficult that you HAD to use motion. xbox will still have games that are only joystiq but when in the mood to move in some of these games, why not have that option? not only that, but it interacts with the entire system and replaces a remote control for most of the xbox for other things too. it'll work with netflix, with facebook, etc. it's a great addition.
speaking of xbox, new app free for gold live members is espn360. you can watch all the live sporting events and it has its own features on top of that. if only nfl would get on board with that so we can watch our browns games!
Quote: Could care less. The wii isn't a gaming system and I play video games to relax, not to get up and move around. This gimmick means nothing to me. I def wont be buying it. or any game that uses it.
I think that you're missing the potential here.
This means not having to go buy separate new controllers for different games (like a racing wheel for a race game, or a joystick for a flight sim). The tech will no doubt start on XBox only, but there is no way that this doesn't transition to the PC, which unleashes a whole new world of user interfaces.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
I'd say, "too late to the party" on this idea. Maybe if they came out with this while the Wii was still a tough find. Now? All the people that bought Wii's aren't buying new machines to continue the non-controller craze (cause most weren't gamers to begin with). And the people with 360's....are the people that shunned the Wii for "real gaming". So who do they think will buy this way after the non-controller gaming craze is over?
I'm guessing this will go over as well as the Nintendo Virtua Boy and Sega CD (with 32X add-on - which I bought ).
Maybe if it wasn't 2 years late....maybe. Right now? Boooooring.
“...Iguodala to Curry, back to Iguodala, up for the layup! Oh! Blocked by James! LeBron James with the rejection!”
As an avid golfer I'm picturing the possibility of playing the newest Tiger Woods golf when they add this feature. I enjoy it on the Wii now but add in the idea of it reading your whole body with the graphics of the XBOX and I'm ready to buy it now.
Quote: The tech will no doubt start on XBox only, but there is no way that this doesn't transition to the PC, which unleashes a whole new world of user interfaces.
The technology is completely in place now to make it happen in the commercial space. The gestures to do things you see every day in smart phones and tablets.... now you have a spacial recognition system to team with it.
The only thing preventing this from being a reality by next year is development resources and the price tag (and of course whether or not MS wants it on the PC this soon).
Heck the only thing missing now to make it complete is a holographic display.... and how hard can it be to build that?
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
Quote: This means not having to go buy separate new controllers for different games (like a racing wheel for a race game, or a joystick for a flight sim).
Yeah, but the point of having a steering wheel, is to drive the game as if you were in a car ... not to wave your arms around until you veer left.
A lot of games are dependant on joystick accuracy (like a driving sim) ... something that's going to be very hard to duplicate with spacial recognition.
Quote: This means not having to go buy separate new controllers for different games (like a racing wheel for a race game, or a joystick for a flight sim).
Yeah, but the point of having a steering wheel, is to drive the game as if you were in a car ... not to wave your arms around until you veer left.
A lot of games are dependant on joystick accuracy (like a driving sim) ... something that's going to be very hard to duplicate with spacial recognition.
Which is why XBox is smart to have it as an add-on to the 360 rather than a separate system.
Quote: This means not having to go buy separate new controllers for different games (like a racing wheel for a race game, or a joystick for a flight sim).
Yeah, but the point of having a steering wheel, is to drive the game as if you were in a car ... not to wave your arms around until you veer left.
A lot of games are dependant on joystick accuracy (like a driving sim) ... something that's going to be very hard to duplicate with spacial recognition.
very true but we also see that there is a great potential for games that our outside of our conventional gaming. games like DDR, guitar hero, and wii fit break from that mold. the point is that potential is there while still appealing to hardcore gamers. something 3rd party wii developers has a lot of difficulty with. i was following microsoft's E3 stuff and they showed for kinect a yoga game and a DDR type game that teaches you to do dance moves. there is great potential in that alone. you would thing these games would be multiples better than fitness videos given the level of involvement. aside from that, the only limit is developers' imaginations and you never lost the controller if you wanted to keep it for other games.
FAIL indeed. It's hard to see, but the video is prerecorded. The arm of the video game character moves before the arm of the guy giving the demo. Oops.
They cut and pasted that together, and you can't see the guy controlling it, he's off to the side, but with the other demos you can clearly see the people and the video reacting.
The Kinect demo starts around 5:00, the Star Wars segment starts around 7:00
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
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