Is it September yet?  I’m ready!

Microsoft E3 2009 Press Conference

Posted by Kyle on Wednesday, June 10th

. . . Next up was Halo ODST, which was also playable on the show floor. A heads up display gives you directional information. With a whole lot of fan fare the pistol from Halo 1 makes a return. The trailer has you place explosives and blow up a bridge. Halo ODST drops into stores September 22, 2009 as an Xbox 360 exclusive.

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So Jimmy Fallon played with Project Natal on Late Night last night.  It was cool.  I don’t understand why dodgeball seems to be the demo game of choice, but whatever. 

Xbox 360 “Project Natal” Demonstrated on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Still, to me the key is: what I saw on Late Night, I believe.  I believe our Xbox 360’s will do that in our living rooms less than 6 months from now. It’s when they get to things like Milo that I have to say, “This I’ve got to wait and see for myself.”

E3 2009 - Project Natal - Milo Demo with Peter Molyneux 720p HD

Here’s skateboarder Paul Rodriguez playing a little Natal Dodge ball.

E3 - Paul Rodriguez playing Xbox360 Project Natal

Huh.  Gotta say, this isn’t the crowd I think is going to love Project Natal.  But then, whatever.  Maybe I’m not as brilliant as Microsoft.   . . .

Microsoft’s Xbox Project Natal aimed at new gamers

Microsoft’s Shane Kim, vice president of Xbox operations, told GameIndustry.biz that Microsoft is targeting the untapped gamer market with Project Natal, the Xbox add-on announced last week that allows users to control games with their bodies, sans controller.

That’s in part how Nintendo Wii rocketed to the No. 1 spot in the console market - by getting people interested in video games who wouldn’t necessarily have been. I know several middle-aged empty-nest parents who bought a Wii just to play “Wii Sports” or “Wii Fit.”

“I do think that Natal is going to create enhanced gaming experiences for core gamers, but it really is about the new frontiers,” Kim told GameIndustry.biz.

I really hope Jimmy gets to use the Xbox 360 with Project Natal and show us some of that magic of that product in something other than a YouTube video. 

Xbox 360 Project Natal to guest on Jimmy Fallon

Published: 2 hours ago; 8:38pm PDT

by Marcus Lai

Microsoft Corp. on Wed. said that the Project Natal technology for the Xbox 360 hardware will make a guest appearance on NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Project Natal is a new gesture-based motion controller that was showcased earlier this month at the Electronic Entertainment.

The hardware includes three-dimensional motion tracking, voice recognition, and facial recognition.

Don’t get me wrong, the videos are AWESOME, but I’d really like to see a real person using it in a “live” setting, where it’s harder for them to edit out the times when Project Natal mistakes your ass scratching for a Tarzan impersonation (or whatever). 

Am I the only one who harkens back to things like voice recognition software, that just sounded too cool to be true … and was?  I’d love to see Project Natal be the real thing, but right now I’m still from Missouri  — You’ll have to “show me.”

Can it really work like this? Unbelievably cool!

So that’s how they do it: Two Cameras

I found this quote on a Project Natal Blog:

Schappert did say that Microsoft is not ready to announce a release date just yet, but G4 expects it to be some time later this year. Project Natal is unique for the Xbox 360, as it will do away with the controller, features will include an array microphone, depth camera and an RGB camera.

Multiple microphones, probably PZMs, and two cameras, one solely for depth.

Check out this article from the Seattle Times, on Microsoft’s Natal.

Less than $200?!

I’ll bet that number slips upward, but still…

E3: New info on Microsoft’s Natal — how it works, multiplayer and PC versions

Posted by Brier Dudley

LOS ANGELES — Microsoft’s Project Natal is getting more interesting.

It turns out games are only part of the vision for the motion-sensing Xbox 360 controller that Microsoft unveiled Monday here at the E3 show.

Although Natal is initially going to be a game accessory, Microsoft is thinking about incorporating similar technology into its PC platform so computers could also have advanced gesture controls.

“These are not just the kind of experiences that you’re going to see with the 360,” said Phil Spencer, general manager of Microsoft Game Studios. “It’s a foundational event for the company, to think about how we will evolve our platforms.”

Spencer’s group created a special unit to develop Natal, the code name for the device, l and games that showcase its capabilities.

During an interview at E3, he hinted that the device will cost less than $200 and offered more details about how the device will work and track multiple players at once.

If you haven’t seen the E3 demos of Natal, seek them out. The new motion-sensing, face-identifying, voice-recognizing and scanning “no controller-needed” system is nothing short of revolutionary. The Nintendo engineers must be hanging their heads in shame.

The one drawback to the demos is that the proof-of-concept games are pretty stupid. But they always are.

None of that matters, though, for two reasons:

1. See Milo. It’s called the “Lionhead Demo.” If you’re not gobsmacked, you’re ungobsmackable and no friend of mine.

2. Reverse engineering the games we love. Imagine buying a replica Covenant sword and being able to use it while playing Halo, or not needing a controller at all, as you swipe and stab at the air. It’s possible. The technology is here.

But how much will it cost, and will it ship in our lifetimes? Hard to say.