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Why Natal Is a Big Deal
Kikizo has an editorial piece evaluating the Xbox 360's upcoming motion-control scheme, Project Natal, and discussing why it's a bigger step forward for interactive gaming than many people think. Quoting: "[Natal] accurately perceives players in 3D space, simultaneously tracking over 48 joints on your body, enabling it to accurately redraw your skeleton in real time as you move about. On a separate 'debug screen' in the closed-doors session, we could witness for ourselves the 'mind's eye' of Natal, visually showing how it completely understands where we are, how we're moving, where we are in 3D space, how far in front of my face my hand is, whatever. It can supposedly even track individual hand and finger movement when it switches into this more finely-tuned mode. ... There is a surprising feeling of tactility and iPhone-like fluidity and precision to the way Natal works." Another interesting bit of news about Natal is that Wii-hacker Johnny Chung Lee is part of the development team. We've discussed some of his creations in the past.
They have realised they have been trumped by the PS3 at the top end, with hardcore gaming, high-end graphical capabilities, and high end featues like Blu-Ray, so now they are setting their sights at the low end instead, competing against the Wii for the casual gamer. I don't think it will work personally. As Sony also have eyes on this space too (and arguably more mature technology, which they were able to demo live - unlike Microsofts fantasy showcase).
With all the multi-million dollar resources of the movie industry doing motion capture for films, it's a bit telling that they all use the ping-pong ball technique stuck to people. If this 'clever' Microsoft thing is so good, I think the movie industry would have already been using a similar system. Sounds like ping-pong balls are more accurate. Wait - that's what's on the end of the new PS3-mote.
Doesn't anyone else see this for what it obviously is: a way for Microsoft to steal market share from Nintendo? Sony and Microsoft battled it out over pixel pushing, while Nintendo actually innovated (something Microsoft talks about a lot but never does) and built something new that people really liked -- something that actually got non-gamers onto the scene.
So now they're trying to build "Wii without the Wiimote." This is a "meeee toooo" play, which is Microsoft's usual way of doing business. YAWN.
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