Project Natal: Grasping the non-existent controller

SSince announcing Project Natal in E3 2009, Microsoft has put their new motion camera into the spotlight. Various industry professionals have given their take on the device, but like they say, talk is cheap. The E3 presentation was a huge success, there were a few demos here and there, but we really haven’t seen much out of Natal. Other than the “controller-free gaming experience” that Microsoft promises, what do we know about Project Natal so far?

 

Since announcing Project Natal in E3 2009, Microsoft has put their new motion camera into the spotlight. Various industry professionals have given their take on the device, but like they say, talk is cheap. The E3 presentation was a huge success, there were a few demos here and there, but we really haven’t seen much out of Natal. Other than the “controller-free gaming experience” that Microsoft promises, what do we know about Project Natal so far?

 

 

From the Home Team

 

 

Looking back at E3, we know how it got its name – Natal is a City in Brazil where its lead developer Alex Kipman came from. That, and because the word relates to birth, which Microsoft sees as a birth of a new gaming age. As Microsoft Xbox senior president Don Mattrick would describe it, it’s the “ticket to the coolest party“. If you ask Aaron Greenberg, it won’t just sell millions, but “millions and millions” and that it’ll make 2010 the biggest year in Xbox’s history.

 

Not to go completely techie on the subject, but the motion camera’s depth sensor is equipped with an infrared projector combined with a CMOS sensor. With this, the device can see in 3D provided that there’s ambient lighting, though project director Kudo Tsunoda assured that lighting is a non-issue. At the very least, a dimly-lit room would suffice.

 

The lead director, Alex Kipman, also assured skeptics that “Our IR does not pulse and it is not based on a TOF system.” The device can recognize faces, voices, and gestures from a distance of six feet, thanks to its RGB camera, depth sensor and multi-array microphone running proprietary software.

 

As far as games are concerned, Activision Blizzard, Bethesda Softworks, Capcom, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Konami, MTV Games, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ Inc. and Ubisoft have all signed-up for the ride. There have been numerous worries that the new motion camera would simply be one for the casual gamer market, but there been multiple assurances that even the core gamers would still enjoy the experience.

 

 

From the Away Team

 

 

According to David Cage, Quantic Dream big boss and developer to the PS3-exclusive Heavy Rain, Microsoft’s E3 presentation was misleading, “a little bit lying“, to be exact. To sum it up in one parody, Sony gave their thoughts on the competition through the ad above featuring their VP-of-pretty-much-anything, Kevin Butler.

 

SCEA’s Rob Dyer also spoke up against Natal, saying that it’s easier to code for their PlayStation Move. This, however, is something that third party developers could say about the PS3 compared the Xbox 360.

 

Nintendo, on the other hand, was reportedly the first to have been presented with the technology that would later be known as Project Natal. CEO Satoru Iwata was impressed with what he saw, the report went, but turned it down because he did not believe it was sellable at a budget-friendly Nintendo price point.

 

 

As it is, there are great expectations for Project Natal. Microsoft’s promise is enticing, and if executed as planned, there may be a lot of truth to their heavy claims about the new device. We’ll know more on June 13th, when Microsoft holds the “World Premiere ‘Project Natal’ for the Xbox 360 Experience” event at the Galen Center in LA.