Microsoft's Project Natal demo video has us jumping with anticipation

We're itching to get our own, uh, body time with Microsoft's Project Natal real time motion-capture accessory for the Xbox 360, but until that happens we're eagerly soaking up every last bit of footage we can -- like this teaser video shown during this morning's keynote. Lots of little tidbits here, like voice and face recognition, custom texture scanning and mapping, video chatting, and all sorts of use-your-whole-body gameplay applications. Of course, we don't know how much of this is real and how much is TV magic, but it certainly seems like Natal's got tons of potential -- check the video after the break.

[Via Joystiq]

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 2nd 2009 9:03AM]

Police 911 in our living rooms and online!!!!!!

[Pixeltime Posted Jun 2nd 2009 7:05PM]

And if want to use the tech now, get a PS3 and a EYE camera, download the 2 or 3 apps from the store that has done this for two years now

[dmelly Posted Jun 2nd 2009 10:43AM]

I thought they were watching The Dark Knight

[Wwhat Posted Jun 2nd 2009 11:06AM]

Erm, a box that you only have limited control over, with a camera, with recognition, connected to MS over the net, yeah it's a great thing let me sign up for that.
That fake video completely sold it.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 2nd 2009 11:32AM]

Well IGN killed my worry that the proccessing would be assigned to the CPU - "which is then processed by a brand new processing unit and proprietary software" http://uk.gear.ign.com/articles/988/988898p1.html.

I just hope that this thing can also be used with my Media Center PC as well. It'll be nice to use it to interface if it is programmable.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 2nd 2009 11:53AM]

Why do i hate this allready?

Oh i know, people playing the Wii saying Wii is great and suddenly welcoming gaming, after years of saying how nerdy we where playing out Playstation and calling us nerds and couchpotatos.

I'll get my gun and shovel, i don't wanna see this anymore.

[psiberman Posted Jun 2nd 2009 11:59AM]

For those moaning about the lack of a steering wheel to control the driving game... What's to stop them using the scan feature (like the skateboard) on any household object for games like that. Yes you'd lack feedback but thats your choice. If you're not holding anything, you won't expect feed back. I'm imagining people having loads of fun but looking like complete tools holding plates etc in mid-air steering their cars. I just want to know how they expect me to play Street fighter and do a spinning bird kick in my living room and have Natal determine what I was trying to do from my now crippled body on the floor.

[EatMoreBread Posted Jun 2nd 2009 1:32PM]

Don't know about this. Looks pretty gimmicky. I'd be real surprised if this works out as well as they want it to.

I'm willing to bet this'll just be a niche feature, and most games probably won't support it.

[pd Posted Jun 2nd 2009 1:58PM]

Vaporware.

I think this is freakin' awesome, but I'm going out on a limb here and bet that most of this will never see the light of day....on the 360.
I'm sure some of the tidbits are ready for prime-time - the scanning through movies for instance, but market integration for other things like the scanning of party dresses ain't happening any time soon. Remember the face scanning of the 360 cam....how many games used that? Rainbow Six?

And on the hardware side, you show me a TV mounted box that can accurately distinguish a single person's motions out of four people on a couch...and at a price acceptable to the targeted consumer...and I'll buy you a 360.

Not seeing the full potential of this till the 720. That said, I'll still buy it.

[x181 Posted Jun 2nd 2009 1:50PM]

Natal:
Pertaining to birth, usually in the context of animals that return to their place of birth to spawn or give birth themselves.

great, now microsoft wants to give birth to me?

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 2nd 2009 6:58PM]

Is it just me or does MS make even cool ideas look incredibly stupid in their Videos?

Who the heck thinks it´s a good idea to cast those fake-smile guys to demo stuff?

[MNX1024 Posted Jun 2nd 2009 9:52PM]

I would love to play UFC with the natal. I can finally train at home in front of the TV, lol.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 3rd 2009 3:56AM]

I am in your house, watching you!

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 3rd 2009 6:28AM]

im sure if people are bothered about a steering wheel grab a plate to fill the void, is it really all that taxing, i think what the idea they was after was to get ultimate interaction, no controllers and no car parts in your living room :)

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 3rd 2009 8:28AM]

I'm no hardcore gamer, I used to be, but games gets redundant (IMO). I tried the Wii, it's okay, but not enough to make me buy one. I really like this idea though.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 3rd 2009 10:04AM]

Looks brilliant, but will be a massive let down. No way will it be as accurate as depicted in the video nor will it be reliable over a long time period, i forsee constant problems that will drive u up the wall.

Put it in a studen house? no chance.....

Mates over, people having convos, it wont recognise ur voice over a room of people talking. Nor will it respond well to people walking infront of the screen, regular occurance.... Not to even mention the space requirements.

Great idea, but belongs in films until its actually as accurate as we all need it to be.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 3rd 2009 1:01PM]

I have a client on the dev team for this and he said late last year and I quote " it's one big cluster f$#@"

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 3rd 2009 8:18PM]

what will twins do for the facial recognition thing?

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 5th 2009 9:31PM]

twins share almost everything anyways....so it won't bother the other if one responds to his girlfriend or something:))

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 11th 2009 3:28AM]

Personally, I could care less about playing games like this, but the possibilities as an interface are exciting.