Microsoft reveals Project Natal, motion camera for Xbox 360

Kudo Tsunoda, The periph's creator came on stage to show off some of the device's features -- your camera will apparently recognize you and automatically log you into Xbox Live. Your avatar will mimic your movements. From there, you can control the dashboard by moving your hands left or right (Minority Report style).
He then showed off a prototype game called Ricochet, a 3D Breakout-esque game. A woman demoed the game, moving her body to knock a ball into targets. As one would assume, the woman performing the demo looks completely ridiculous.
The next demo was Paint Party, a painting application. A man who demoed the title flung paint onto a canvas by flinging his arms in front of the Natal, creating a lovely scenic view. The man changed his tool, and began to make more precise strokes, painting the leaves of a tree. Now he's showing his sillouhette on the canvas -- it's capturing his outline perfectly, even without a pristine white background usually needed for this type of technology to work effectively.
The device will also have voice recognition technology. Microsoft partners are receiving Natal today.







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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Caboose @ Jun 1st 2009 3:03PM
where my flying cars at
Phil Fauble @ Jun 1st 2009 3:48PM
I don't know but I'm sure you can control them with Microsoft's Eyewiimotionplustoy
Badboy1979 @ Jun 1st 2009 4:11PM
Yea, the facial recognition, voice recognition, and object "scanning" really have me interested. Hell, I'd buy it just to be able to control my 360 with my hands and turn it off by sayinig "Goodnight", lol.
I'm really interested in seeing more of that Video chat interface they showed as well.
copa @ Jun 1st 2009 3:04PM
Looks extremely ambitious. This will probably take a couple of iterations, and won't really be working as advertised until the next XBox console.
Christ-ian @ Jun 1st 2009 3:05PM
OOOHH!!! Virtual Kickball!
fuck.... still picked last.
Linkario @ Jun 1st 2009 3:07PM
Hah and that is what they said about the Power Glove. Look how kick ass it turned out.
Jon Acheson @ Jun 1st 2009 3:23PM
The only thing that looked halfway interesting was controlling NXE with it. Apart from that, this is Sony five years ago.
As a game controller, it is useless without games that were created for it. And I didn't see any actual games, just boring demo crap.
Sopharus @ Jun 1st 2009 3:35PM
When I was watching the MS livestream, their spokesperson claimed it would work with every existing and future selling 360. I can't imagine their demo with the "Milo" AI works as advertised, but some of the tech demos on current hardware were still impressive.
chrisnick @ Jun 1st 2009 3:24PM
yeah , this looked like crap until they showed milo.
XGM @ Jun 1st 2009 3:26PM
Agreed. MIT (or someone else) was showing off something like this not too long ago and they were saying that it works, but its far from perfect. Looks pretty cool, but will the novelty wear off, or this is the real thing finally ? I guess we will need to wait.
NoughtSoClever @ Jun 1st 2009 3:29PM
Hey! I love the Power Glove! It's soooo RAD!
Martin @ Jun 1st 2009 4:14PM
"This will probably take a couple of iterations, and won't really be working as advertised until the next XBox console."
No offense, but if Molyneux says it's here, I'll side with him.
jrb @ Jun 1st 2009 5:10PM
this isn't technology that was developed in the last few months. Its been around in one form or another for at least a couple of years. microsoft bought the company that developed it and owned the IP.
i remember a video, that i think was shot at e3 two years ago demonstrating controlling a sword in a 3d space, using cameras that tracked a hand. Natal takes it to the next level with full body tracking, and multi person tracking.. but still... this stuff works, and it works today. Just there aren't any games available for it yet, and you can't buy the hardware.
Kudo Tsunoda's dashboard demo looked clunky, but the other games they showed worked surprisingly well, and tracked the full bodies of the players surprisingly well. Question is, do we have big enough living rooms and bedrooms to make the most of it?
Steven M @ Jun 1st 2009 3:05PM
Damn. This plus MGS, and all the other stuff. Microsoft pretty much has shutout Nintendo and Sony to win this round of the console wars.
ThatPCgameryouhate @ Jun 1st 2009 3:15PM
I wouldn't really call this a shutout, I mean there were some nice games announced, but this isn't that great... unless it works flawlessly- although I have to admit, I didn't believe in online play when it first came out on the Xbox, so I know Microsoft can pull off some nice features. Only time will tell.
atrimus @ Jun 1st 2009 3:21PM
someone made a similarly premature and asinine comment on 1up. you spreading your drivel everywhere StevenM?
Ridgecity @ Jun 1st 2009 3:25PM
actually puts Microsoft back in the race, In a pretty cool way. What I don't like is the focus on sequels, hopefully the camera stuff with the using new stuff mixed with old stuff.
Maverick Saturn @ Jun 1st 2009 3:26PM
Doubt it, bar Left for dead and a few others, most of what was shown was just games that should have already released but got stalled, Kojima's announcement was suprisingly unexciting, I think thats partially because I was only hearing clapping and cheering from mr plank next to him. When I first spotted Kojima, I leaned in to hear that MGS5 was exclusive to xbox or MGS4 + 5 would both be coming to xbox, unfortunatly 4 isn't, though that would have been a major highlight and pissed PS3 fanboys off.
Saying that, Natal looks to be great, but it isn't far off from what Eyetoy has already done, it wouldn't be hard for Sony to upgrade what they have already done with Eyetoy, so I can't say it will change the way I see gaming, but it did however look cool and I will be buying it for my 360. Peter just made me want to :D
Mr Khan @ Jun 1st 2009 6:41PM
To win the console wars, they actually have to, you know, win the console wars.
Haven't been doing that since 2007, they haven't.
jam @ Jun 1st 2009 3:05PM
If this thing does what its supposed to do, i feel bad for Nintendo. my poor Nintendo Wii...
CTC XBL-supapaypamawio PSN-ctclaw @ Jun 1st 2009 3:13PM
The head dudes jab at waggling was pretty funny haha.
Ridgecity @ Jun 1st 2009 3:23PM
At least they finally accept the truth, with the right developer kis this will be awesome, right now it seems it's too early and even if it show really good movements it's mostly basic stuff wagging around your arms, maybe this coupled with something like the Wiimote plus would be the best of both worlds.
TwEE @ Jun 1st 2009 5:30PM
"If this thing does what its supposed to do, i feel bad for Nintendo." How so?
tmacairjordan87 @ Jun 1st 2009 3:06PM
I love it using the menus and saying play movie and all that stuff, but no one will ever...EVER see me hopping and dancing around like an idiot playing those motion only games. Thankfully they're not abandoning real games.
Michael S @ Jun 1st 2009 3:08PM
meh, its only good for "some" kinds of titles like with the Wii. Punchout or arcade type game is great but other than that not that interested.
tmacairjordan87 @ Jun 1st 2009 3:09PM
Yeah I didn't see anyone playing Splinter Cell with that motion camera, which is my point why I hate these types of things. The technology is still too young and all they work for are stupid casual games.
jam @ Jun 1st 2009 3:07PM
ok, i feel sorry for Nintendo. my poor, poor, poor nintendo wii...
evilspoons @ Jun 1st 2009 3:07PM
"Natal"? Really? LIke as in the adjective describing "birth"? For me that conjures up visions of hospitals and wailing children and disgusting-looking things like umbilical cord and placentae.
Michelobius @ Jun 1st 2009 3:26PM
It's pronounced nuh-TAHL, not NAY-tul. Sounds exotic.
Carrie @ Jun 1st 2009 3:28PM
It's pronounced "Na-tahl", like Rafael Nadal only with a T.
dantebk @ Jun 1st 2009 3:07PM
I think I used to own that rug. That's totally my old IKEA rug. I'm not joking. Weird.
Jack Tretton @ Jun 1st 2009 3:07PM
The world of Minority Report is here... and so is Paint Party.
Rocko @ Jun 1st 2009 3:07PM
The new Tony Hawk should implement this with their new "board"
Ridgecity @ Jun 1st 2009 3:27PM
probably only Molyneux and Microsoft teams are making stuff already.
Actually it says DEVELOPER PARTNERS are getting their kits TODAY.
required @ Jun 1st 2009 3:08PM
Is this like Sony's EyeToy?
james @ Jun 1st 2009 3:14PM
looks like a next generation eyetoy, with more emphasis on body part recognition, and depth sensing.
required @ Jun 1st 2009 3:34PM
I don't think it looks newer, looks a lot like sony's playstation eye. Even the games they are showing look a lot like what is currently available for the ps3 eye.
KarlW @ Jun 1st 2009 3:59PM
The PS Eye can do all kinds of awesome object recognition stuff that Sony just don't use. I remember when they were talking about it back when they announced the PS3 for the first time, and the dude was pouring cups of water on screen with a plastic cup. I suppose it's hard to turn stuff like that in to games.
This seems to have much better 3rd party support though. The PS Eye, like the Eyetoy, seems to be limited to SCE games.
Jimbotron @ Jun 1st 2009 4:23PM
Isn't the Xbox Live Vision camera like the EyeToy?
deaftly @ Jun 1st 2009 5:56PM
This is like the EyeToy, but this one looks like it actually works.
Jason @ Jun 1st 2009 6:02PM
No, not in the sense that this thing can natively track multiple objects/people in 3D, in real time, probably explaining why two cameras appear to be present on the device.
Plus, have you ever seen an eye toy game that maps your exact movements to an on-screen character?
required @ Jun 1st 2009 6:41PM
jason, goto:youtube & enter playstation eye into the search field. you'll get results showing multiplayer titles tracking multiple objects and people in 3D in real time. You can also go back in time and look at what was done with the eyetoy for the ps2 by searching eyetoy. Titles that mapped your movements to an on-screen character.
Drago Dracini @ Jun 1st 2009 3:08PM
coming soon, the first adult game of xbox 360., "circle jerk"
Archon (PSN: Archonik, XBL: DarkARHN) @ Jun 1st 2009 3:09PM
Ok. Tried Singstar's voice control to control the game... It really is faster to use the controller. So I am not a fan of the menu's browsking. I liked the full body recognition though. Hope it won't become a gimmick like the PS Eye games...
tmontana213 @ Jun 1st 2009 3:09PM
Watching the demo now and I'm not that impressed. It has potental, but I think it'll take awhile before the technology get perfected. Hurray for painting! lol
Caboose @ Jun 1st 2009 3:13PM
i agree.. but if microsoft does it right, has tons of potential.
all about what can developers come up with.. and what kinda of content that can create.
Jason Statham (Aka Vegeta) @ Jun 1st 2009 3:12PM
I hate to say it, but I think Microsoft just bitched slapped Nintendo.
ice~ @ Jun 1st 2009 3:21PM
with their penis, via Natal...
Jonathon @ Jun 1st 2009 3:13PM
This thing actually makes playing the Wii look cool.
KEENMACHlNE @ Jun 1st 2009 3:16PM
And trolls said you have to "flail around like a retard" to play Wii..