Are you chomping at the bit for the next big innovation in video games? Well, Project Natal is an upcoming accessory for Microsoft’s Xbox 360, that will take motion control of video games to a new level. Instead of pushing buttons on a controller, or even waving a control around in the air like you do with Nintendo Wii, you’ll actually be able to control video games and interact with the console using your body, because your body will be what you use to control the games. Project Natal is going to usher in a new type of games and video game experience, and so here are some details about it’s upcoming release and the product itself.
The official Project Natal release date has not been set, but it is scheduled for some time in the fall of 2010. Pre-order capabilities will probably be available about a month or so before the official release, so you’ll be able to buy Project Natal, and then have it shipped to your house once it is released.
Project Natal is a camera that will be put on your TV, or on your TV stand, and it will be able to see your entire body. It is actually a set of two different cameras and software that are combined to be able to fully track you. The first camera is an RGB camera that is similar to your everyday video camera. The second is an infrared camera that can judge your distance, and differentiate between humans and other things around your house. The software that combines the two images and processes them is the key to the software.
Project Natal can be played in the dark, and it can see many different parts of your body and how they move. It can even see your individual fingers which may be incorporated in some games.
No official games have been announced, though a few games have been used for demonstration during some of the exhibits showcasing Project Natal.
It is definitely going to be an exciting new thing in video games, and so if you enjoyed Nintendo Wii, I would definitely start looking into Project Natal if I were you.