Microsoft Unveils Project Natal for Xbox: Handsfree Controller Gaming

project-natal

Modders might find the latest news a little disappointing though they would be damn excited themselves, about Microsoft’s Project Natal. If Project Natal works the way it is intended to, there would be no need to use controllers anymore and a major chunk of modding would be negated.

On a more serious note, Project Natal for the Xbox 360 enables players to use body movements to control the gameplay and characters. The technology involves a box under the display/TV which comes with an advanced motion detector, a depth sensor, a microphone and of course a camera. It recognizes full body movements including the ones by toes and fingers and thus lets you play games without ever having to use wires, controllers and joysticks.

The Project Natal even negates the need to login as it recognizes the person in front of it and automatically logs them in. This could pave way to a completely new and advanced form of interactive playing and may have far reaching positive consequences in the world of gaming. Project Natal is has been developed and marketed by Microsoft and was launched by Steven Spielberg at the E3 convention.

Microsoft in its promotional page states that this is the introduction of a c9ontroller-free gaming and entertainment and that no strings (or controllers) are attached. The project is intended to break barriers, remove gadget-phobia, and help stimulate Xbox sales evermore. It certainly seems like a promising new development in the field of gaming, though people may find it hard to do away with controllers just like many found it difficult to do away with keypads when touchscreen came in.

Thanks Tamir for the info!