360: Project Natal Fact Sheet

[Bond]

Here is a fact sheet on project Natal released by Microsoft:

Xbox 360
“Project Natal” 101
June 2009

“Project Natal,” pronounced “nuh-tall,” is a code name for a revolutionary new way to play, no controller required. See a ball? Kick it, hit it, trap it or catch it. Unlike 2-D cameras and controllers, “Project Natal” tracks your full body movement in 3-D, while responding to commands, directions, even a difference of emotion in your voice.

When “Project Natal” is ready, it will work with every Xbox 360 console so people who have never picked up a controller can finally join the fun.

See below for “Project Natal” 101, a list of terms and concepts to help explain this transformation in home entertainment.

What is “Project Natal”?

“Project Natal” (pronounced na-tall) is the code name for the new controller-free gaming and entertainment experience from Xbox 360. The name “Project Natal” has several sources. Microsoft Corp. traditionally uses cities as code names. As a result, Alex Kipman, who incubated the project and is from Brazil, chose Natal, a city along the northeastern coast of Brazil, as a tribute to his country. In addition, he knew that Natal also means “to be born” in Latin. Given the new audiences “Project Natal” will bring to Xbox 360, this felt right.

How Will “Project Natal” Change the Way I Play?

• Controller-free gaming and entertainment. “Project Natal” provides a whole new way to play — no controller required. It uses a sensor to track your body movement and recognize your face, even listen to your voice. If you know how to move your hands, shake your hips, or speak, you and your friends will be able to jump instantly into any “Project Natal” experience.

• Full-body play. “Project Natal” provides a new way to play where you use all parts of your body — head, hands, feet and torso. With controller-free gaming you don’t just control the superhero, you are the superhero. Full-body tracking allows the “Project Natal” sensor to capture every move, from head to toe, to give players a full-body gaming experience.

• Personalized play. “Project Natal” provides an in-game experience in which the player’s face and voice are recognized. Greet and speak to characters in the game, or simply step into view of the sensor to log into Xbox LIVE and connect with friends. Only “Project Natal” is smart enough to remember voices and faces. Fun has never been so personalized.

• Off-the-couch play. “Project Natal” provides gameplay that gets you off the couch, on your feet and in the fun. Each “Project Natal” experience is designed to get players moving, laughing, cheering and playing together. “Project Natal” makes social gaming off-the-couch fun.

• Easy-to-play fun. “Project Natal” makes sharing in the fun a snap. Talk or watch a movie in the same living room or on the other side of the world — no headset, no keyboard and no controllers required. It’s just you, your friends, your family and a whole new way to play.

How Does “Project Natal” Work?

• “Project Natal” sensor. “Project Natal” is the world’s first system to combine an RGB camera, depth sensor, multiarray microphone and custom processor running proprietary software that brings “Project Natal” experiences to every Xbox 360 console. The “Project Natal” sensor tracks full-body movement and individual voices, creating controller-free fun and social entertainment available only on Xbox 360.

• RGB camera. “Project Natal” has a video camera that delivers the three basic color components. As part of the “Project Natal” sensor, the RGB camera helps enable facial recognition and more.

• Depth sensor. An infrared projector combined with a monochrome CMOS sensor allows “Project Natal” to see the room in 3-D (as opposed to inferring the room from a 2-D image) under any lighting conditions.

• Multiarray microphone. “Project Natal” has a microphone that will be able to locate voices by sound and extract ambient noise. The multiarray microphone will enable headset-free Xbox LIVE party chat and more.

• Custom processor (running Microsoft proprietary software layer). A proprietary software layer makes the magic of “Project Natal” possible. This layer differentiates “Project Natal” from any other technology on the market through its ability to enable human body recognition and extract other visual noise.

[Bond]

Time Magazine article on Natal: Microsoft Whacks the Wii: A First Look.

[Angrist]

The title doesn't really match their article. They say "it may just be better than the Wii", but in the title they say Microsoft whacks the Wii.

Again, I think it's a great technology, but I don't see it taking off this generation.

[KillerGremlin]

I'm personally surprised at Microsoft's decision to release this for the current Xbox360. The Xbox360 is what, 5 years into this generation? Natal isn't coming out till sometime in 2010, at earliest. There is still a ton of mystery surrounding its release date. Obviously showing this off at this year's E3 was intended to steal Nintendo and Sony's thunder (it did steal Nintendo's, Sony is still pending since their conference hasn't happened yet).

The fact that this will cost something around $200 as an attachment for the 360 seems somewhat pricey in my opinion. If this is intended to lure in the "casual gamers" who have never picked up a controller, I don't think it's going to work when it costs as much as an Xbox360 + 200 dollars.

I posed a theory to Earl that this might be a 200-dollar edition to the 360, or it might get announced at next year's E3 that Project Natal will come standard in a possible new console that Microsoft will unveil sometime in the near future???

It just seems like an odd time to be announcing something that has the potential to knock the Wii off its throne.

[Bond]

Natal:

[Jonbo298]

Orange Ring of Death?