Posts tagged with project-natal

Project Natal to launch earlier than expected

Posted on November 11, 2009 9:40 AM

Word has it that Microsoft's Project Natal will be rolling out earlier than expected, where 5 million manufactured Natals would be prepared for a worldwide launch in November 2010, where some of them will be standalone releases while others will come in Xbox 360 bundles. The price could be the sore thumb here, where numerous meetings among Microsoft executives have not decided on a concrete price point just yet, leaving it to hover between $50 and $80 alongside 14 bundled games. How much are you willing to fork out for Project Natal when it arrives?

Microsoft demonstrates glass interface

Posted on November 6, 2009 11:13 AM

Microsoft chief research officer Craig Mundie recently demonstrated an extremely interesting concept that could be part of a future computing interface during his college tour. While this concept supports the use of pens for precise input, the transparent glass display is also more than capable of recognizing voices and detecting touch-free gestures, pretty much in the same vein as the Xbox 360's soon-to-happen Project Natal. Apart from that, this system is smart enough to detect a pair of eyes and navigate based on one's gaze - guess the physically impaired will find this infinitely more useful when using a computer.

Microsoft Project Natal not backwards compatible

Posted on September 29, 2009 12:14 AM

Microsoft's Project Natal might look promising at first, working on its current generation Xbox 360 console, although we have word that backwards compatibility will be highly unlikely where current titles are concerned. After all, Project Natal can't run on released games with a simple patch, requiring significant code reprogramming that studios just might not want to get into. Will this see the release of future games that can use Project Natal's capabilities, as well as a vanilla version that relies on the classic Xbox 360 controller? Only time will tell, but if you want waggle controls at the moment, the cheaper Wii is the way to go.

Microsoft Natal controller unveiled

Posted on August 21, 2009 8:58 AM

Microsoft has finally opened its doors to the public by letting ordinary Joes get their hands on the new Natal controller at the European games convention gamescom in Germany. This controller will combine with a microphone alongside visual and infrared cameras to control the onscreen action, upping the ante in living room entertainment. We're pretty stoked to know just how well such technology is able to translate into the immersion level within a game. The Natal project is touted to work in just about any condition, even in the dark, clearly placing it miles ahead of the Wii's controllers. Still, there is still a lot to prove and catch up to do compared to Nintendo's underpowered gaming juggernaut of a console.

Microsoft Project Natal to launch next year

Posted on July 29, 2009 6:55 AM

Microsoft's much hyped Project Natal looks set to be launched later next year, according to THQ's CEO Brian Farrell. This came about after he responded to a question concerning hardware price cuts and market changes in the upcoming cycle, "With respect to the cycle itself, if you look at what's happening in the industry, the fact that we have for example, Natal from Microsoft, a platform addition coming late next year." Could he accidentally let the cat out of the bag before Microsoft even issued an official statement? This could very well be true, especially after Microsoft's head honcho, Steve Ballmer, mentioned that a new Xbox 360 will hit store shelves sometime next year, later clarified to be Project Natal.

Project Natal would be great for Media Center

Posted on July 16, 2009 4:50 PM

Bill gates recently said that Microsoft's motion detection scheme called Project Natal would eventually come to Windows. As it was demonstrated at E3, the system worked very well. Conceptually, the system could also be used with Windows. It's great, but I don't particularly want to agitate my arms all day to move Windows around, but I would be Ok doing it to zap TV channels , change the volume, or have the system pause a movie if I stand up.

Now, I know a few gestures that Apple fans would like to use to shut down a PC, but seriously, Natal for Media Center would be awesome. Also, you can also imagine that this could be customizable and that we could teach our computers how to react to our own moves. What would YOU do?

New Xbox 360 Shipping Next Year

Posted on June 18, 2009 6:36 PM

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has let it slip at an Executives Club event in Chicago that a new Xbox 360 will be shipping sometime next year, where it will be integrated with the company's recently unveiled Project Natal, integrating a "natural interface" and a built-in camera. No idea on how this will affect the pricing structure of the new Xbox 360, but will such news dampen sales of the console in the meantime before the new and improved Xbox 360 is released? Perhaps, but it also depends on the pricing structure when the new model comes out. Hopefully Sony too will be able to keep up with the pace of a new and revamped hardware from its competitors.