Xbox 360 Sensor Takes Gaming To the Next Level
A day after Microsoft’s keynote address at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, attendees and the tech media are still buzzing about the company’s latest innovation, a controller-less system for interacting with games and other features on the Xbox 360.
The new technology, dubbed Project Natal, is contained in an external peripheral loaded with a motion-sensing RGB camera, a depth sensor, and a multi-array microphone. The hardware is connected to a processor stocked with proprietary software to capture and interpret both movement and vocal commands, which are then fed into the Xbox 360.
One of the most compelling aspects of Microsoft’s new tool is that it can easily be added to existing Xbox consoles, minimizing the cost to current 360 owners who want to add the full-motion experience. To facilitate adoption of the technology, Microsoft also released the software developers’ kit for Project Natal, so motion capability can be added not only to future games, but to existing games as well. The Next Level in Gaming
Zippy Aima, an industry analyst for digital media at ABI Research, said Project Natal represents a significant advance in gaming.
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“I think that Nintendo had already raised the bar with Wii,” Aima said, “which obviously has enjoyed significant success in the market. With Project Natal’s announcement, Microsoft is taking that gaming technology to the next level.”
Despite the stir caused by Monday’s announcement, numerous questions remain to be answered. For instance, there is no specific word yet on when the Project Natal hardware will be generally available, or how much it will cost.
There is also some question about how well the hardware will respond to faster or more intricate game play. The two software demos offered by Microsoft to showcase the hardware — Ricochet and Paint Party — both used fairly basic motions. Contemporary games, however, require much more involved movements. It will be interesting to see how long it takes Project Natal to get up to speed.
A Wii Killer?
The more pressing question for Microsoft is whether eliminating the controller will enable it to catch up to Nintendo’s enormously popular Wii. Aima was uncertain that this latest announcement would be enough.
“In terms of popularity,” Aima said, “I think that the Project Natal hardware will certainly appeal to tech-savvy consumers and gamers. The technology boasts really cool features. However, I think it is bit early to predict if it will overtake the Wii. Its success will depend on pricing and user experience.”
The new technology has certainly captured the imagination of film producer Steven Spielberg, who helped introduce it at E3 and gave it a glowing assessment in an interview with the BBC. His enthusiasm is understandable: Spielberg was at the helm of the 2002 film Minority Report, in which protagonist Tom Cruise made extensive use of motion-controlled computer screens.
“There is technology now that recognizes not just your thumb, it recognizes your entire person,” Spielberg said. “The technology knows who you are.”
Analogizing Project Natal to advances in film technology, Spielberg said it is “a window into what the future holds.”
