Microsoft's Bill Gates has pretty much confirmed that Xbox's Project Natal tech is heading to PC. In an interview with CNET, the Windows man said the peripheral is not just for games, but for "media consumption as a whole." He states that both the Xbox and Windows divisions have latched on to the technology.
Beyond the home media applications, Gates also mentions using it in the office. He doesn't say Office use, but lower case "office." Looks like the era of Minorty Report is upon us. Now all we need are three people who look like shaved cats to lie in tubs of goo all day and we'll be set for the future.
[Via Big Download]
Reader Comments (88)
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:06AM vidguy said
Bill Gates, May 26, 2006: "There's room for innovation here, but moving that controller around -- it's something that's not mainstream for most games," he told the music network. "It's tough because sometimes you move the controller, and you don't [mean] to fly into the ground. You just want to put the controller down," he said. "People aren't that good at totally standing still. Even pilots actually sit in a chair when they do their flying."
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3151063
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http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3151063
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:27AM (Unverified) said
Nice find although this is a little different.
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Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:28AM (Unverified) said
LOL nice vidGuy!
This will be a success for PC.
This will also be an epic FAIL for 360.
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This will be a success for PC.
This will also be an epic FAIL for 360.
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:29AM (Unverified) said
Bill Gates, 7 October 1997: “What I am saying is that I’m optimistic enough to believe that within the next decade, we will see progress to a level that for things like dealing with data in a spreadsheet or text in a word processor, or navigating the Internet, you will find the speech interface has enough accuracy that it becomes a primary way of interacting with the machine.”
He's constantly said the same, and more, about voice recognition, that we'd ALL be speaking to our computers by now and keyboards would be a relic from the past.
Um, no, humans are LAZY and moving our fingers about a bit is much less effort.
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He's constantly said the same, and more, about voice recognition, that we'd ALL be speaking to our computers by now and keyboards would be a relic from the past.
Um, no, humans are LAZY and moving our fingers about a bit is much less effort.
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:34AM JXCGunrunna said
Yea and then Nintendo came along and changed what is considered "Mainstream". Not only that but this could give him a boost to have something over Apple since so many of these people who would use it already have the quadcores and i7s and soon to be i5s. A quadcore should handle the tech to run this with no problem
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Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:37AM JXCGunrunna said
Hey Joystiq, I did not respond to the person you put it under. Just thought I would let you know theres an ongoing problem. still.
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Posted: Jul 15th 2009 11:59AM Pureshooter said
July 15, 2009
Cop: Mr. Gates, come with us. We're here to arrest you for the future crime of forcing motion controllers on the hardcore gamers. We have you surrounded. There is nowhere to run.
Bill:....Everybody runs. (busts through window)
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Cop: Mr. Gates, come with us. We're here to arrest you for the future crime of forcing motion controllers on the hardcore gamers. We have you surrounded. There is nowhere to run.
Bill:....Everybody runs. (busts through window)
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 1:17PM (Unverified) said
Finally someone makes some sense!
I honestly believe Natal will bring a lot of casual (read: Wii owners) gamers to the Xbox-360. And I guess that's what Microsoft wants.
I really don't see how any core game will use Natal as anything more than a gimmick, you know, the games that actually make people prefer the Xbox instead of the Wii.
For gods sake. They're saying that Halo: Reach might use Natal!
I hope I'm wrong, but all I can see is Natal taking Microsoft away from it's core business - the games, and investing in the casual market, flooding the Xbox scene with hundreds of gimmicky/crappy games.
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I honestly believe Natal will bring a lot of casual (read: Wii owners) gamers to the Xbox-360. And I guess that's what Microsoft wants.
I really don't see how any core game will use Natal as anything more than a gimmick, you know, the games that actually make people prefer the Xbox instead of the Wii.
For gods sake. They're saying that Halo: Reach might use Natal!
I hope I'm wrong, but all I can see is Natal taking Microsoft away from it's core business - the games, and investing in the casual market, flooding the Xbox scene with hundreds of gimmicky/crappy games.
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:07AM StormEagle said
Minority Report?
Sign me up!
Just don't try to tell me I'm about to murder someone.
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Sign me up!
Just don't try to tell me I'm about to murder someone.
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:10AM (Unverified) said
I'm a (twelve year old) pirate, what is this and where can I find a torrent?
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Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:19AM Jerk Face said
Are you seriously twelve? I guess I never even considered the fact that some of the people I have e-conversations with on a daily basis could be unable to get into PG-13 movies on their own. Not that it matters, I suppose, it just never crossed my mind.
And if you're actually asking, Minority Report is a pretty okay sci-fi movie from the early oughts that has some pretty crazy ideas of what the future could be.
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And if you're actually asking, Minority Report is a pretty okay sci-fi movie from the early oughts that has some pretty crazy ideas of what the future could be.
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:26AM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said
Jerkface you CANT be TO surprised that their are 12 year olds on this site.....look at most of the commentary....
Hell I was MORE shocked months back when Sony had that Fat Princess contest on facebook.....it was a LOT of old heads that posted pics on there....some of which HAD to be in their 40's or more....I mean it was Silver haired people on there....nothing wrong with that...but just shocking....hell I know I will be 50 playing games still....lol
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Hell I was MORE shocked months back when Sony had that Fat Princess contest on facebook.....it was a LOT of old heads that posted pics on there....some of which HAD to be in their 40's or more....I mean it was Silver haired people on there....nothing wrong with that...but just shocking....hell I know I will be 50 playing games still....lol
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:36AM (Unverified) said
Jerkface, of course I'm a twelve year old pirate - everybody who owns a PC is.
In all seriousness, I was just playing up on the stereotype :P
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In all seriousness, I was just playing up on the stereotype :P
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:37AM GordoJones88 said
"I'm 12 and get into PG13 movies scot-free.
The PG13 rating isn't restricted."
pwned.
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The PG13 rating isn't restricted."
pwned.
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:46AM Uncle Jesse said
Haha, Gordo, that made me smile.
Take that, ratings!
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Take that, ratings!
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:47AM LaughingTarget said
Not that movie ratings mean anything in the US. They're recommendations and theaters can admit the under age crowd to any restricted film. There are no laws on the subject. Of course, the public boycott and refusal of the MPAA to sell reels to that theater would bury them, but getting in isn't a major feat.
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Posted: Jul 15th 2009 11:11AM Bowser Rogozhin said
Someone's not up on there memes, huh? And on the internet of all places? For shame.
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Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:29AM (Unverified) said
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:37AM Uncle Jesse said
It would just be easier if you saw the movie.
It's a good flick that's definitely worth watching.
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It's a good flick that's definitely worth watching.
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:11AM (Unverified) said
For teh lulz. Modder/Homebrew community is gonna have a field day with this one.
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Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:16AM (Unverified) said
If you play with Tom Cruise, Natal will be Fatal.
...Couldn't help it.
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...Couldn't help it.
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:44AM Uncle Jesse said
I feel the need, the need for speed...
which will be available in 2010 for use with Natal.
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which will be available in 2010 for use with Natal.
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:22AM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said
Well Duh....thing is how long will it take for it to become cheaper than CNN's "Magic Wall" Until that day comes its damn near useless to us....
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Posted: Jul 15th 2009 11:14AM Mr Khan said
Initial cost estimates have ranged from USA Today's calling for $200 (based i think on a loose estimate of the costs of parts involved), to Pachter's estimate of $50 (though he said this would be at a significant loss for MS, but necessary to make Natal competitive)
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Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:29AM ToTheMoon said
Proper voice commands would be a heck of a better way to control the PC. Minority Report controls may look cool but try doing that kind of stuff for more than 15 minutes and let me know how your arms feel. Now trying doing that for 5 hours. Gimmicky at best I say. They have programs out there now that allow you to move your mouse based on your eye movements and though processes (when you have electrodes attached to your head). Move on this instead of this arm flailing thing for the PC...
I'm guessing Bill has come out of retirement to push on the PC world as they need a win after the HD-DVD/RROD debacle. By making it successful on the PC, they will ensure it's success on the XBox which is a sound strategy. Hopefully the voice commands get more fleshed out for the PC.
Finally, I don't think I want a camera watching me all time time while I'm working in the office. You have to know that there will be a backdoor for the PC version.. Not a fan of this.. okay for a console though as you are only playing games/watching movies.
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I'm guessing Bill has come out of retirement to push on the PC world as they need a win after the HD-DVD/RROD debacle. By making it successful on the PC, they will ensure it's success on the XBox which is a sound strategy. Hopefully the voice commands get more fleshed out for the PC.
Finally, I don't think I want a camera watching me all time time while I'm working in the office. You have to know that there will be a backdoor for the PC version.. Not a fan of this.. okay for a console though as you are only playing games/watching movies.
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 10:43AM (Unverified) said
Yes, because Microsoft are going to release a major piece of hardware/software they've developed onto their biggest competitors platform. Smart thinking.
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Posted: Jul 15th 2009 11:00AM TheDarkWayne said
Releasing Natal would for Mac would be like releasing Halo Reach for PS3. As the great Christian Bale once said "Just think for one fucking second!"
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Posted: Jul 15th 2009 12:03PM (Unverified) said
[tre]
+1 fo switching over to the more supperior machine.
espesially if since you "make movies" and "write books"
also macs are great for music making.
everyone i know has lefted pc and switched to mac since the mac is more user friendly (this is my oppinion), you have control over your computer unlike pc where half the time you have hackers running your pc.
no im not an apple fanboy im still running on windows 7beta (which sucks) and cant wait to convert over to a mac!!
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+1 fo switching over to the more supperior machine.
espesially if since you "make movies" and "write books"
also macs are great for music making.
everyone i know has lefted pc and switched to mac since the mac is more user friendly (this is my oppinion), you have control over your computer unlike pc where half the time you have hackers running your pc.
no im not an apple fanboy im still running on windows 7beta (which sucks) and cant wait to convert over to a mac!!
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 1:04PM jackal said
Str84rumbk,
"you have control over your computer unlike pc where half the time you have hackers running your pc". I'll stop you right there. The only time such a situation would arise is if you were so incompetent as to A) not have a firewall, B) not have a decent anti-virus solution, C) visited sites known for compromising the integrity of unprotected systems (say, porn sites that tried automatically running scripts to let someone else into your system), and D) downloaded email attachments from addresses you've never seen before. As a substitute in sex ed once so eloquently said, "If you knowingly sleep around without wearing a rubber, it'd be your own damn fault for getting the clap."
I know Windows is a popular punching bag for its various issues (some quite legitimate) and while Microsoft does try to address them (albeit much later than it should), what the company can't do is protect their operating system from the dumbass sitting behind the keyboard who, by all rights, shouldn't be allowed to touch anything more sophisticated than a light switch. I wonder if Apple's new marketing campaign could be, "Apple computers: protecting idiots from themselves since _____ (either when the company was first founded or when Jobs came back to the helm)".
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"you have control over your computer unlike pc where half the time you have hackers running your pc". I'll stop you right there. The only time such a situation would arise is if you were so incompetent as to A) not have a firewall, B) not have a decent anti-virus solution, C) visited sites known for compromising the integrity of unprotected systems (say, porn sites that tried automatically running scripts to let someone else into your system), and D) downloaded email attachments from addresses you've never seen before. As a substitute in sex ed once so eloquently said, "If you knowingly sleep around without wearing a rubber, it'd be your own damn fault for getting the clap."
I know Windows is a popular punching bag for its various issues (some quite legitimate) and while Microsoft does try to address them (albeit much later than it should), what the company can't do is protect their operating system from the dumbass sitting behind the keyboard who, by all rights, shouldn't be allowed to touch anything more sophisticated than a light switch. I wonder if Apple's new marketing campaign could be, "Apple computers: protecting idiots from themselves since _____ (either when the company was first founded or when Jobs came back to the helm)".
Posted: Jul 15th 2009 1:28PM TheDarkWayne said
macs are only more user friendly for retarded people
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Posted: Jul 15th 2009 1:33PM (Unverified) said
Ease up Dark Wayne, not every Mac user is a retard.
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