A Look At the Xbox 360 Project Natal And Just What It Can Do

Chasing down the heels of the Wii’s motion capture technology, Microsoft hope to trump this one better with Xbox 360 Project Natal. Announced during 2009′s E3 conference, this optional accessory for the Xbox 360 is claimed to allow fully controller-free interaction with games, sensing movement and interpreting that as controls within the software.

Xbox 360 Project Natal is alleged to be available round the end of 2010, and Microsoft are hoping that the hardware will become a vital part of all Xbox machines. They also confirm that this innovative technology will stretch the lifespan of the 360 significantly, and is, for all intents and purposes, a next-gen piece of hardware.

The accessory includes a depth sensor joined with an RGB camera, which hands the Xbox 360 Project Natal a 360 degree range of recognition. The hardware is so accurate that even slight facial expressions can be retained and converted on-screen. The range of recognition may also be lengthened or shortened as the player sees fit, with the possibility of picking up surrounding objects such as tables or cupboards.

Aswell as movement, the Xbox 360 Project Natal also has the facility to interpret audio. The multi-array microphone included can be used to register audio and convert vocal recognition on the television. These features blend to offer complete interactivity between player and videogame.

As the technology employed to form both Natal and the titles it will interact with is reasonably unique, Microsoft have stated that current Xbox 360 titles likely won’t support the accessory, and that a brand new range of titles are currently underway. Some technical demos shown at E3 saw Space Invaders Extreme and Paint Party, a game in which pots of paint are manipulated by the player to paint surfaces.

Time will tell as to whether theXbox 360 Project Natal will have the awe Microsoft are wanting. Whilst the technology iscertainly cutting edge and set to beat even the Wii’s calling card, Microsoft should announce more engaging titles to gain increased customer interest. With the right titles joined with it, theXbox 360 Project Natal might truly be the future of videogaming!