Following hot on the heels of the Wii’s motion sensing technology, Microsoft hope to take this one better with Xbox 360 Project Natal. Unveiled during 2009′s E3 meeting, this add-on accessory for the Xbox 360 is alleged to allow completely controller-free play with games, sensing movement and translating that as controls within the software.
Xbox 360 Project Natal is alleged to be available round the end of 2010, and Microsoft are hoping that the accessory will become an essential component of all existing Xbox consoles. They also state that this innovative technology will stretch the lifespan of the 360 significantly, and is, for all intents and purposes, a next-gen piece of hardware.
The accessory contains a depth sensor joined with an RGB camera, which hands the Xbox 360 Project Natal a 360 degree range of recognition. The hardware is so cutting edge that even tiny facial expressions can get retained and displayed on-screen. The depth of recognition may also be lengthened or shortened as the user wishes, with the possibility of registering surrounding objects like tables or cupboards.
Aswell as movement, the Xbox 360 Project Natal also boasts the power to translate audio. The multi-array microphone within can be employed to register audio and relay vocal recognition on the television. These features combine to provide total interactivity between user and videogame.
As the software used to make both Natal and the games it will interact with is quite unique, Microsoft have said that existing Xbox 360 games likely won’t support the hardware, and that a fresh range of games are currently underway. Some tech demos demonstrated at E3 saw Space Invaders Extreme and Paint Party, a game in which pots of paint are manipulated by the user to color surfaces.
Time will tell as to if theXbox 360 Project Natal will have the impact Microsoft are wanting. While the specs are clearly cutting edge and set to trump even the Wii’s calling card, Microsoft need to announce more interesting titles to capture heightened public interest. With the right games joined with it, theXbox 360 Project Natal could truly be the future of gaming!
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