A brand-new gesture-based motion control system from Microsoft was unveiled on June 1st at E3. Known, right now, as Project Natal this new XBOX controller makes use of an advanced camera and microphone system to grease the wheels of three-dimensional motion tracking, facial and voice recognition.
The high tech device was used to demonstrate new game experiences, including a facsimile of a virtual character that relayed one’s own movement in action games, interacting with an Artificial Intelligence character by passing real items into the XBOX world. Users have interface options that allow movement through menus with the wave of a hand.
The concern for Project Natal is that this technology will not be inexpensive. Although Microsoft has not released pricing, the company will be unlikely to include Natal in each Xbox 360 sold and keep its current pricing. They do say, however, that the new controller will work with all XBOX360. For peripherals this will likely be an expensive (and essential?) option.
Using the new XBOX Controller
Project Natal hands-free controller and the Playstation Motion Controller both have to battle it out with the Wii Remote, which has gone main stream and made some of the most unlikely people into gamers. The new technologies will make for an interesting competition in the video gaming console wars.
“The only way to bring interactive entertainment to everybody,” Steven Spielberg proclaimed at E3 in Los Angeles, “is to make the technology invisible. Only then can we shine the spotlight where it belongs, which is on you.”
When, in “Back to the Future: Part II”, Marty (Michael J. Fox) demonstrated his skill at Wild Gunman, a video game at Cafe 80′s, one of the two young boys he was showing said, “You have to use your hands? That’s a baby’s game!” Well, now you don’t havt to hold anything when playing, or better put, interacting with the x Box360 using the new xBox controller, referred to as Project Natal.
The handheld controller seems to be the thing that’s holding video games back from realizing their full potential (meaning complete immersion – utter suspension of disbelief). No more fiddling around with buttons and joysticks? That seems unlikely but, look at what a game changer was the WII. The WII redefined the way we play with video games with its physically interactive controllers.
WII brought video gaming to the mainstream, like no other device. This showed that there is a hungry audience from pre-tikes to grayhairs. The new Xbox controller, if it does half of what Microsoft’s marketing division has portrayed, will bring a wide spread buying frenzy to the Christmas season this year. Let this not be more vaporware!
Microsoft’s new xBox controller is a giant leap into the future?
Project Natal – Interactive characters you forget is are just characters.
Milo and Claire are xbox360 characters that can recognize faces and voices and even emotions in us. You interact in their world with no gear attached to you. Amazing if it’s real…
The new Xbox feature does away with handheld controllers altogether. It is really a box that sits on your TV set and reads and reacts to your gestures. With two cameras, a batch of microphones and software all used to gauge depth, movements, even voice tone.
Project Natal, as Microsoft refers to its new controller, will be compatible with all xBox 360 consoles.
PS3 and Wii (with WiiPlus) will be used in more precise gaming development noting the torsional feel of club bend, racket twist or steering wheel inertia. The dynamics of motion involve more than pantomime. Weight, wind resistance and many other factors give the feeling of reality in gaming or at least lend more to the suspension of disbelief.
So, Project Natal will be even more generic motion sensing that the standard WiiMote. It is hard get precise movement without a device. Developers may want that higher level of precision like that with the PS3 and Wii-Plus remotes. For more casual gaming. look for the Natal.
Xbox’s new controller seems like an advanced version of the PS2 eyetoy. Now, by contrast, only Natal offers finger-movement precision and 3D precision. “Head Tracking” – only Natal is capable, right now, of this most precious and desired goal of 3D gaming.
Game play with natural body movements, that is what Microsoft’s new hands-free xBox controller prototype allows. As there is no device to hold (because it combines cameras and face and voice recognition software to let players control), you are free to game in front of a monitor - and it can be quite a workout.
Now sports, fitness and other physically played video games let people go for it in the safe environment of the home. You can’t get away with thumb-flicking any more. Is this your chance to finally lose some weight?
Of course, there is so much more you can do with this controller you won’t have to worry about it becoming a clothes hanger like that treadmill in the corner.
Take a look at this wild video of the new xbox 360 controller:
This controler is something wild…
Microsoft refers to the new controller as a full body motion sensor. Use the xbox for teleconferencing, for the ulimate work-at-home experience. Of course, now you will have to get dressed for work…
The new XBox controller, dubbed “Project Natal”, tramples the WII controllers by use of cameras and a microphone mounted to a sensor bar to detect the user. Get this, it recognizes your movements (of course), speech, and your own face.
Hands-free Xbox Controller
This “play” system has plenty of whoopdeedo, like voice and facial recognition, video chat and speech commands. Air wave: Scroll through your songs or movies with a hand wave, tell it to “Play movie” and “Terminator 2″ starts to play. It’s strange not to hold and work a controller. Hand feel in playing video games plays a big role. My guess is someone will come out with something to hold that can be a car wheel, a sword, a bowling ball or an Uzi just to give you something to hold or swing or throw…
