Microsoft shows off 'the next step in interactive entertainment'.
It's been rumoured forever, but today during Microsoft's pre-E3 media briefing the full-body motion controller for the Xbox 360 was finally revealed. Codenamed Project Natal, the camera and microphone device is able to record full body movement and perform voice recognition.
As opposed to other camera devices, Natal allows for movement within a 3D space and can even respond to a shift of emotion in your face. During the E3 conference a number of tech demos showed what future games might be like, including a fully 3D body controlled version of Breakout and a fun, if somewhat simplistic painting studio.
“The next step in interactive entertainment is to make the controller disappear,” said Steven Spielberg, visionary director and producer. “With ‘Project Natal,’ we’ll see games that bring everyone together through technology that actually recognizes us.”
Other possible future uses include gesture controls in the Xbox 360 dashboard, calling plays in a football game, voice commands during media playback and more. Peter Molyneux, creator of Fable, demonstrated how the device could work with a virtual boy that Lionhead has called Milo.
Project Natal dev kits are now shipping to all major development studios.
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I find it fascinating that Project Natal probably has ramifications that even Molyneux or Spielberg haven't yet invisioned, e.g. remote controlled robots handling nuclear waste that can sense when you're getting tired and tell you to take a break, or the ability just to wave your arm left and right whilst something else does the ironing without having to marry it.
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