Microsoft: Project Natal 'obviously' works with people of all ethnicities

by JC Fletcher { Jun 11th 2009 at 10:45AM }

After Bitmob reported that Microsoft's Project Natal had difficulty picking up game consultant N'Gai Croal's movements, an IGN forum user claimed that the issue was related to Croal's skin color, citing a journal article about "near-infrared spectroscopy," which he claims Natal uses. Of course, the article is about detecting the delivery of oxygen to tissue via blood, and we rather hope Project Natal doesn't need to be that granular. In any case, the IGN poster actually admitted to being sensationalist a few posts down, but not before the whole Internet was up in arms.

Microsoft was compelled to respond to this mess, confirming to Eurogamer that "the goal of Project Natal is to break down the barriers for everyone to play, and it will obviously work with people of all shapes and ethnicities at launch." The representative referenced footage of Sugar Ray Leonard trying the device as proof. Unfortunately, that may not be the best evidence, as NeoGAFfers spotted edits in the video -- the in-game footage of Burnout Paradise shown while Willie Gault is playing is identical to that shown during Zachary Levi's play session. Conspiracy? Probably more likely that there was glare on the screen or something during Leonard's actual session.

Tags: ngai-croal, project-natal

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

eNrique @ Jun 11th 2009 10:51AM

I think the game footage was identical because they know it doesn't work quiete well.

*flees

Burns11 @ Jun 11th 2009 10:58AM

I think this might be right on the money, especially seeing as how much of the demos were seemingly faked.

Markez @ Jun 11th 2009 11:01AM

Certainly the clip from the Fallon show didn't seem fake at all. Unless you'd suggest that everybody that played is in on an elaborate farce to make it look like it works?

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Jun 11th 2009 11:02AM

LMAO!!!

need further proof the shit they showed on stage was recorded???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDzXqK4fh-A

that shit he did was janky as hell....then the other things demod were fluid??? I think not

Dave @ Jun 11th 2009 11:05AM

Joystiq and Engadget participated in Natal demos. You think they're in on it?

mattclarkie @ Jun 11th 2009 11:10AM

That has been my theory since E3. Most people have been too fanboy to believe it, but a friend of mine even noticed that in one demo the onscreen actions happened before the player moved, even I had missed that.

Cr4sh Dummy @ Jun 11th 2009 11:11AM

So now this is a conspiracy theory? Awesome! I also heard that Microsoft was working with the US Army to get kids to enlist and go fight.

SteveJ @ Jun 11th 2009 11:12AM

I don't think Engadget is "in on it", I just think they aren't being inquisitive enough, which is nothing new for them. When they like what they see they run with it, no questions asked. What hardware was the demo running on - was it really running on a 360? Why is the room, even the carpet for cripes sake, entirely white - does Natal have the same issues that the EyeToy had in this regardd (requiring a perfect environment in order to work well)? Etc, etc.

baby sea tuna @ Jun 11th 2009 11:26AM

You know what else was faked? The Moon Landing.

Just sayin.

deaftly @ Jun 11th 2009 11:27AM

Love how the sony cronies are preying that this thing doesn't work, you still got your wii mote fellas, calm down.

Markez @ Jun 11th 2009 11:28AM

deaftly's last post was faked

Cellien @ Jun 11th 2009 11:33AM

Gizmodo also said it works very well when they tried it out.

InFaMoUs1- @ Jun 11th 2009 11:50AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU1kR5eHAiY

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Jun 11th 2009 11:52AM

@Deaftly who is hoping it doesnt work??

I HOPE it does what they say it does else it woul mean MS is REALLY behind....as the PSEye already does all but the 3D and heat sensing....and something tells me that could be easily rectified....

Metal Gear!? @ Jun 11th 2009 12:05PM

Dude, it was totally because of his hair!

aristokrat @ Jun 11th 2009 12:16PM

Steve, so you're trying to say that Engadget should have torn them apart for letting them take part in a tech demo of future technology. Everyone I've heard talk about it says that it works pretty well, but even Microsoft isn't saying it's perfect yet, or they'd release it tomorrow. Unfortunately, MS can't show a this is how far we've come video, because then everyone will tear them down, so they are forced to exaggerate to avoid stupid fanboy backlash.

mattclarkie @ Jun 11th 2009 2:01PM

Because I'm not willing to swallow this without questions I am suddenly a Sony/PS3 fanboy. Well I have a Sony TV and walkman and a PS3, but I also have 3 Xbox 360 and about 60 360 games. So you make your mind up.

Inect @ Jun 11th 2009 2:47PM

Microsoft was in on 911!!!

eNrique @ Jun 11th 2009 3:22PM

Marquez;
Sounds pretty much like microsoft for me.

LameDuck @ Jun 11th 2009 4:56PM

Toasting in a shitty thread.

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Jun 11th 2009 10:51AM

WTF?!?

Wiizer @ Jun 11th 2009 11:35AM

George Bush doesn't care about black people.

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Jun 11th 2009 12:12PM

dont start with the Kanye stuff....then someone is going to bring this up....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEbkCo5oZJ8

waves @ Jun 11th 2009 12:23PM

I've been getting into a new show called Better off Ted on ABC. They recently had an episode where the R&D company they work for replaced all the motion sensors (for lights, doors, bathroom sinks, etc) with a cheaper technology. The only problem was it couldn't recognize any of the black scientists working there. The company tried to solve the problem by hiring minimum wage white people to follow the black scientists around. It gets even crazier from there, but this reminded me of it.

smcn @ Jun 11th 2009 12:25PM

Ted: The system doesn't see black people?
Veronica: I know. Weird, huh?
Ted: That's more than weird, Veronica. That's basically, well... racist.
Veronica: The company's position is that it's actually the opposite of racist, because it's not targeting black people. It's just ignoring them. They insist the worst people can call it is "indifferent."
Ted: Well, they know it has to be fixed, right? Please... at least say they know that.
Veronica: Of course they do, and they're working on it. In the meantime they'd like everyone to celebrate the fact that it sees Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Jews.

Sturat @ Jun 11th 2009 7:06PM

I'm a lot more concerned that motion-sensitive games won't be playable by people with physical disabilities. Traditional joystick controls will always be the most adaptable.

The facial recognition will probably work pretty badly regardless of race.

Satt @ Jun 11th 2009 10:51AM

Anyone else worried about getting cancer from this thing?

JXCgunrunna @ Jun 11th 2009 10:54AM

Yea but im more afraid i might get cooties from it... there are even roomers that it can create monsters under the beds of little children.

Cr4sh Dummy @ Jun 11th 2009 10:59AM

I hear you, I definitely don't want to get radiation poisoning from a toy!

redjack @ Jun 11th 2009 11:29AM

You'll be fine. Planes fly overhead all the time bouncing infrared off of the ground and even freaking laser beams!

And while that sounded childish its completely true.

Chad Vanderbilt (Moptimus in Disguise) @ Jun 11th 2009 11:45AM

Actually, Im more worried about it stealing my soul. They say cameras have a tendency to do that, you know.

redjack @ Jun 11th 2009 11:52AM

Actually an anthropologist major I used to know did a stint in Africa and the tribes he spent time with weren't afraid of their souls being stolen. They think Americans are cannibals and we take their pictures to put into catalogs so we can choose a tasty morsel to eat and then kidnap them for said eating.

redjack @ Jun 11th 2009 11:57AM

Anthropologist major? Anthropology major.

aristokrat @ Jun 11th 2009 12:19PM

No, no. He studies anthropologists, a strange subset of H. sapiens that dresses frequently in tan multi-pocketed vests and bothers normal people on other continents about their day-to-day lives.

MarioSpitza @ Jun 12th 2009 10:22AM

"They think Americans are cannibals and we take their pictures to put into catalogs so we can choose a tasty morsel to eat and then kidnap them for said eating."

That's a rather strange belief.

You know, I may say something a bit controversial, but from my knowledge, tribes tends to be extremely isolated, and common tribal beliefs tend to stay for a long time. It may be possible that this is a belief stemming from the 1700-1800s when, you know, African slavery by Europeans/Americans were common.

doug @ Jun 11th 2009 10:54AM

im bored with natal already, i dont want to flail about in front of my tv, MS what the shit are you doing?

vidGuy @ Jun 11th 2009 10:55AM

Same here. The only thing I could think of when they showed it on Jimmy Fallon was, "and they called Wii a gimmick!?"

Rhamsey @ Jun 11th 2009 11:05AM

i dont care about the wii like games either, but milo and other projects like that (if they work) will be really cool. and ill be looking forward to that.

samfish @ Jun 11th 2009 11:14AM

"but milo and other projects like that (if they work) will be really cool. and ill be looking forward to that."

I don't see how Milo would possibly be a fun game. I don't like talking to NPCs n games already. Them trying to actually converse with me would be even worse.

...but just imagine if the porn industry starts making games for Natal!

Dirty @ Jun 11th 2009 11:38AM

I liked Milo the first time.... when it was called seaman.

Chad Vanderbilt (Moptimus in Disguise) @ Jun 11th 2009 11:51AM

you mean Hey You, Pikachu! right Dirty?

WINterfang @ Jun 11th 2009 12:23PM

Seaman was the original hey you pikachu!

Don't you ever dare to compare them.

Saria the Cat @ Jun 11th 2009 3:05PM

@samfish: If you don't like talking to NPCs, you've obviously not played enough Baldur's Gate! :)

As for Project Natal, if it doesn't excite you, don't get all up in arms about it --- it's not like "hardcore games" are just going to go out the window any time soon. I'm remaining cautiously optimistic. Competition between companies is good for the consumer, especially if it drives them to innovate, which is what I'm hoping MS is doing.

vidGuy @ Jun 11th 2009 10:54AM

I think it's more about lighting than skin color. Obviously with any camera lighting is going to be an issue. Just as you need to play Wii a certain distance from the TV, you'll have to make sure the lighting is just right to play Natal.

Debikul @ Jun 11th 2009 10:57AM

I'm glad someone knows so much about this such as yourself. I mean, I would think that with your hands-on time with it you would know right? Right? I would think that you tested the tech at different lighting conditions before you came to your statement as fact right? Right?

vidGuy @ Jun 11th 2009 11:05AM

Exactly. I mean, how do you know I'm not one of the Natal developers? Hmm? ;p

samfish @ Jun 11th 2009 11:06AM

Uhh...he's right, though. Lighting was/is an issue with the Eyetoy and any other camera based tech.
Nothing we know about Natal thus far suggests dim lighting or darkness won't be an issue for it, so it's a reasonable assumption to make.

But hey, who am I to stop your fanboyism from blinding you to such realities?