Video game auteur Peter Molyneux, one of gametrailers.com’s ‘Top Ten Game Creators’,  who was responsible for Fusion, Populous, Powermonger, Populous II: Trials of the Olympian Gods, Syndicate, Theme Park, Magic Carpet, Hi-Octane, Genewars,  and Dungeon Keeper is the man behind Milo, the “virtual human” that reacts to a person’s emotions, body movements and voice.

Milo is designed for use with Microsoft’s hands-free new Xbox 360 motion controller called Kinect.

“I want to introduce a new revolution in storytelling,” he said at TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) Global conference in the UK in Oxford.

“Films, TV, even hallowed books, are just rubbish because they don’t involve me,” he said. “It’s a sea of blandness.”

“We’re changing the mind of Milo constantly,” he said.

“No two people’s Milos can be the same – you are actually sculpting a human being. Some of the things you are doing will change the course of his life.”

“After three-quarters of a hour, he recognizes you,” said Mr Molyneux.

“I can promise you that if you are sitting in front of this screen, that is a truly wonderful moment.”

Molyneux said, “His mind is based in the cloud. As millions of people use it, Milo will get smarter.”

Does the new Xbox controller now dubbed “Kinect” represent the future of gaming? This is a motion-sensing, hands-free controller for games and other uses.

The pending release is now November of 2010. In time for Chritmas.

And if you don’t own an Xbox gaming console? Rumor has it that Microsoft will be offering a bundle which will include the newest Elite Xbox 360, as well as the Kinect controller.

Well, XBOX360 has outsold the WII in the US.  Xbox 360′s sales spiked 32 percent for the week of August 23rd through August 29th. Does this bode well as a sign for the Christmas season?

Gaming Hardware sales seen not in a big recession. VGchartz tells the story: http://www.vgchartz.com/chartsindex.php

I am waiting for the hands-free controller…

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.