Microsoft Intros Motion Sensing "Natal" at E3

[JMcEntegart]

Microsoft has finally confirmed the months of motion sensing rumors attached to its Xbox 360. On day one of E3 yesterday, the Redmond company introduced a little something it likes to call Project Natal and completely stole the show.

Microsoft Intros Motion Sensing "Natal" at E3 : Read more

 

[Tindytim]

A Gimmick, it will have a few good applications, but in the end, most of it's uses will be using some idiotic gimmick to replace buttons with much more inaccurate gestures or sounds.

 

[nukemaster]

Well, its been done(not quite this high tech, but still). Lets just see if they can use it better this time.

 

[apmyhr]

[citation][nom]Tindytim[/nom]A Gimmick, it will have a few good applications, but in the end, most of it's uses will be using some idiotic gimmick to replace buttons with much more inaccurate gestures or sounds.[/citation]
You are short sighted and you obviously missed the presentation. According to Microsoft and that guy from Lionhead, this will usher in a paradigm shift in the way humans experience the world. Natal marks a epochial change in human history!

Haha, but seriously, your probably right. You have to admit though, the technology looks pretty impressive. When I saw the lady scrolling through Netflix instant by hand, I thought I might actually use that. But then I thought deeper about trying to pause, rewind, and stop movies by waving my hands, and how increadibly easy that all is with a real controller.

 

[just_a_thought]

"Good morning Dave ..."

 

[Guest]

Didn't sony try this is that webcam looking thing and it bombed hardcore?

 

[matt2k]

haha, i wonder if they'll start making training programs for this.
like "learn how to fight like jean claude van damme" just do this...
will definitely add a new perspective to interfacing with technology, but its not slated for a 2009 release... i'll stick with mouse and keyboard 😉

 

[seboj]

When it cooks me eggs and toast in the morning, then I'll be impressed.

 

[chripuck]

They'll obviously still have some sort of controller, but it will probably be smaller and fit in the palm of your hand. You at least need buttons to "pull" a trigger on a gun in GoW or switch to a different weapon in Fable.

 

[SpadeM]

The linked video is CGI composite, no real time or real anything (I kind of understand why steven spielberg was there ) but for the sake of the argument let's assume it does and will do all those things. Being a ms xbox accessory it will probably cost a tone at launch, would have a limited game library to work with and will not work as advertised.

I'm not bashing xbox or this concept, I'm just cautious since I've seen this type of wow effect at E3, Computex and CeBit on future products and every time it was a disappointment with the final result.

 

[seboj]

[citation][nom]chripuck[/nom]They'll obviously still have some sort of controller, but it will probably be smaller and fit in the palm of your hand. You at least need buttons to "pull" a trigger on a gun in GoW or switch to a different weapon in Fable.[/citation]

What if they have you squeeze your finger like you were holding an imaginary gun? Or "reach" over your shoulder as if to pull out another weapon? Oh, the possibilities.

Scratch my previous comment. I'll only be impressed if it cooks me bacon along with my eggs and toast.

 

[Tindytim]

[citation][nom]Tindytim[/nom]A Gimmick, it will have a few good applications, but in the end, most of it's uses will be using some idiotic gimmick to replace buttons with much more inaccurate gestures or sounds.[/citation]
Anyone mind explaining why the -1'd me?

I really don't understand how you could refute my logic, unless you go with some "I didn't like your tone" argument.

 

[tayb]

Guys are all missing the point. I can't imagine this is designed to eliminate a controller... yet. What this thing will do is usher in a wave of games that compete with all the crap games the Wii has PLUS Microsoft can ship a controller with their next unit and satisfy the hardcore crowd. Nintenso can't appeal to the hardcore crowd because the hardcore crowd doesn't want to wave a wand around to play games. Microsoft can appeal directly to the Wii fanbase while still maintaining the crowd that it has sold 30 million units to.

 

[Tindytim]

[citation][nom]tayb[/nom]Guys are all missing the point. I can't imagine this is designed to eliminate a controller... yet.[/citation]
I don't think you get the point.

The whole concept of eliminating the controller is a stab at Nintendo for the Wiimote. They aren't getting rid of the 360 controller.

 

[koss64]

When i was watching the presentation yesterday and Natal and Milo came on i was amazed and fightened.Amazed at where Microsoft plans to take the input device and frightened about the concept of where AI can go,can you imagine this thing sensing what mood im in and finding a movie,game or song to cheer me up? Or then it could decide that i should really not be doing anything of that sort and turn itself off and keep doing so until my mood improves?Maybe ive watched the matrix one too many times.Its funny , i was actually serisouly thinking of buying a Wii becuase of the intresting and different control scheme(plus red steel 2 ,punchout and ea active)now i think i deem it wise to wait and see,the SDK's have been distributed afterall.

 

[bourgeoisdude]

I think MS is taking a huge gamble with this. I just don't see it working well enough to be worth it. There is nothing more frustrating than having a game controller that just doesn't quite precise enough(Street Fighter IV anyone?), and I can't see this new "controller" being precise enough to be of use in any hardcore games.

 

[seboj]

and I can't see this new "controller" being precise enough to be of use in any hardcore games.

The idea, currently, is not to replace the controller for hardcore games / gamers. It's to attract those casual gamers that Nintendo is dominating.

In the future, as the tech gets updated and more precise, they'll start integrating it into more blockbuster titles. Maybe around the time of next-gen releases, we'll see heavier use of it. Maybe.

I see the option to use a controller staying around for a long time, however.

 

[apmyhr]

Did anyone see the Tony Hawk skateboard controller? I laughed for 5 minutes because I thought it was a joke. But the preview for it kept going on, as if it were a real product. Did Microsoft actually make a skateboard controller or was that just a really long expensive joke?

 

[Zoonie]

Say what you will about Natal, but that guy Peter Molineux is a bloody hype-pooping machine.

If you know abit about AI programming and saw the press conference with him, talking about the virtual boy, you'd be blind and deaf not to shake your head and laugh in reaction to all the bullshit he said "This is actually not scripted" LOL Peter, LOL!

 

[tenor77]

Wow, so some people need to watch the video. If it pans out it is full motion capture (it can even tell if you have your hand in a fist or if it's open), facial recognition and voice recognition. If it's all true, it's no gimmick and would revolutionize games.

For the Sony fanboi- you can breath easy as that video is a conceptual vision of what can be done with this. They don't have these apps yet.