We weren't allowed to take photos, but I can confirm it looks a lot like this
Since Nintendo’s launch of the Wii in 2006, both Sony and Microsoft have been scrabbling around to get their hands on a new ‘hands off’ gaming experience. Personally I’m still satisfied with a SNES with its figure of eight controller and a pre-loved copy of Super Mario Kart … but hey, this is the future I’m told … and who am I to stand in the way?
So what can I tell you about Microsoft’s codenamed ‘Project Natal’? Well, it’s Microsoft we’re talking about here, so not a great deal. There is no name for this system, no release date (although it looks like being pre-Christmas this year), no confirmed games and we weren’t allowed to take any photos of it (although I can confirm it looks a lot like the pic in this article) …
But we were allowed to have a go.
Natal gets you reaching for the places other games systems have yet to challenge
So, how does it play?
It’s a lot of fun. As soon as you walk in front of the screen, your lifelike avatar appears and copies everything you do … when you clap your hands, it claps its hands, when you stack it because you’re awful at the game, it stacks it too … it’s scarily good. The system is intuitive and takes about three seconds to get the hang of … and once your slapping, heading and kicking balls around the cyber-court, you don’t want to stop.
At the end of the game, you are treated to a photo sideshow of you and your partner in a range of suitably silly poses that I was reliably informed on the full version you will be able to instantly upload to social networks to celebrate and shame your friends with in equal measure.
... and leaves you feeling good!
It won’t replace the controller quite yet, but this movement technology promises to take what the Wii currently does to a new level and will lend itself effortlessly to sports and action games … you know what, I might even think about doing a part exchange on that Super Nintendo before too long.
It’s early days still, but with voice recognition (which we didn’t get to play with on this game) and all the other goodies that the Xbox already offers, ‘Project Natal’ (whatever it finally gets called) looks likely to be a massive hit when it hits the streets as a USB add on to your existing system later in the year.
The future’s bright, the future’s wireless (isn’t that somebody else’s line?).
wow i can’t wait supposly it comes out on november of this year and i can’t wait to get my hands on it. all the other people that have playstation or wi, are going to be jelouse cause aint nobody come up with an i dea like this one….
thanks for more info ppl….
hay whats the price going to be though????
I believe myself an expert xbox 360 gamer but I believe I am smarter from your entry
^ fantastic idea I think I would love a game where you could could walk around in and talk and stuff brilliant.
I think this game add on will be one of the greatest things that has bean made so far. I hate the Wii personaly because it doesnt involve enough movement or skill in games. I figured a way to cheat in all the games i played on it with in 2 minuts of playing. so in contrast with out a controler in hand I don’t believe there will be a way to cheat in a game besides being fit or not. So I take this new technology into a chalange and I hope they make a game like Oblevion or world of worcraft so that the person can run around as a free rome and gain quests or objectives for things to do. A game as living life but in a fighting world to level up and gain experience and battle people to become stronger and fight monsters and fight along side with friends on a bata surver or something like that(a whole new world) That is the best kind of game and I hope this happens because people like me are waiting for something like that to come out.
You guys think that effectively tracking multiple points on a persons body in 3D space and converting those movements to an avatar is no big deal?? What are you guys smokin? either you don’t understand the underlying technology, or you’re a troll. If the only thing Natal does is track movement in 3D space, then it will still be a hit.
The game is not important, it is the implementation of the 3D motion capture system that their demonstrating. Games will come at E3.
This is a joke, right?
You mean you got a few minutes with the same crappy breakout game they’ve been showing for a year, it froze up between games, you couldn’t do anything to actually TRY the supposed voice recognition, and yet you somehow conclude that it “looks likely to be a massive hit”?
ROTFL!
Let me guess, “beehivecity” = “i love bees” = thinly disguised MS marketing.
yet…another dodge ball trash game:/
how many months left? 5 or 6 months before they can make Natal do all those things they said it could it in the video.
Everyone who tried Natal was very happy with it. Do you think that this device can REALLY be used for GREAT games? Did your version of Natal lagged too much? I heard that newer versions had a better latency.
Why do people who are not interested in Natal get an oportunity to use it.
you are nothing but a poser.
Good to hear
there are gamers out there that see a world with both motion and non-motion controllers. Sometimes I really wanna jump around like an idiot… or have my guitar hero avatar do kicks and knee slides that I do while playing guitar hero lolz
Thanks, we test drove the system today (19th May) in London, it was a very smooth ride
Good Article
Just wanted to know on which date did you used natal? Being that the later prototype builds have said to have great improvements, such as being more responsive. Did you notice a huge improvement over the device demonstrated at E3 2009?
Thanks