Jimmy Fallon rocks out with Project Natal

They weren't just setting up Project Natal on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon set last night for nothing, you know -- Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda was on the show, giving a little demo to Jimmy, John Krasinski, and Stephen Moyer. The games were the same Richocet and Burnout Paradise demos we got to play with at E3, but hey, now it's celebrities looking silly on camera instead of us, right? Some are hypothesizing that everyone had to wear the red jumpsuits to compensate for the bright studio lighting and lack of a uniform background behind the players, but it could have just been a Fallon flourish. We're looking into it -- in the meantime, check the video below.

Update: We just hit up Fallon's producer, who told us the suits were just for fun, so that's that. Also, anyone notice Fallon asking Kudo if this would ship in 2010 and Kudo declining to answer during some crosstalk? Good times.

[Via Joystiq]

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Jun 11th 2009 12:26PM]

Of course you meant John Krasinski.

[OneLove @ Jun 11th 2009 12:41PM]

Microsoft totally cheated on TV: They used the red jumps suits to give the natal sensor better tracking ability so they dont screw up on the show. lol.

...Why does that douche always wear sunglasses indoors? Does he have red eyes from smoking too much pot?

Jimmy had such a nerdgasm, he was screaming like a girl.

[Burns11 @ Jun 11th 2009 12:52PM]

Of course he's right, it's not necessary to use Natal, only to get it to work properly.

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Jun 11th 2009 1:05PM]

Also, even though the MS guy claims the Burnout demo is to show there isn't any lag, there clearly seems to be, and that's a dealbreaker. Any other "core gamers" out there notice the same thing?

[Jagster @ Jun 11th 2009 1:36PM]

Kudo Tsunoda looks like such a pretentious douche. He's looks like just another insecure tool that has to wear sunglasses everywhere because he thinks it makes him look cool and/or he can't look people in the eyes when having a conversation without sunglasses on.

[Ryujin @ Jun 11th 2009 1:48PM]

It could be a deal breaker, but I see natal being for casual use and casual games. Hardcore gamers will still use controllers unless they can find some interesting hand/feet gestures for run,jump,lean,action,shoot,grenade,reload,flashlight,roll,duck\prone\knife....but i might give that all up if i can give the hand commands to my teammates or give the middle finger to my dead enemies...just maybe. The interesting thing for hardcore gamers is that potentially you could do 4 commands at the same time easily.

[Sisyphus @ Jun 11th 2009 2:09PM]

andir asks rhetorically (sarcastically):

1) "Hope that you don't have a heating vent on a wall behind you when you play?"

2) "Bright lights make it harder for the camera to pick up people?"

--

1) If the IR sensor is sensitive to heat, then a very hot ambient temperature (or one that closely matches the temperature of the human body), would offer a pretty "flat" depth-map.

2) The camera on the Natal, like any other camera or lens (human eye included), is subject to the limitations of dynamic range. Most modern cameras have a dynamic range of 7 stops (I believe the human eye has a "high" dynamic range of 14 stops, in comparison). Assuming the Natal is on-par with with camera lenses, it would be sensitive to bright lights that overexpose the environment (similar to looking at a bright torch at night).

I don't think anybody in the public knows exactly how the device works yet, but it is safe to assume that the device will suffer from some of the known limitations of similar technologies.

Does it mean Natal will fail, because circumstances on the set of the Jimmy Fallon show were altered? Hardly. It is doubtful Microsoft is making the Natal compatible with all environmental situations, the same as software developers are incapable of making programs that run on every hardware configuration -- it is often logistically or financially unfeasible.

If Microsoft is trying to keep the cost of the Natal down for consumers, they are likely to use components that are good enough to provide consistently high quality operation in average consumer environments (a living or bedroom), but not so sophisticated that they make the cost of the device prohibitive. If this is the case, then the device will understandably (and expectedly) suffer from the limitations I described in (1) and (2).

[Sisyphus @ Jun 11th 2009 2:11PM]

Meant to reply to Andir 3.0 (seen arguing below).

[Bacon and Aids @ Jun 11th 2009 2:38PM]

Wow, a lot of people seem to want this to fail... why??? It is extraordinary. Maybe because they are being paid to be "skeptical", going from site to site shitting on anything Xbox and defending anything Sony. YOu want the name of their "marketing 2.0" firm?

Can't trust anything on the net except your own instinct. "I hate this product and must talk about it". That doesn't work in real life, talking about things you LIKE is what PEOPLE do, spreading FUD about unreleased products is something paid employees do.

Truth + Better Product = WIN. Sony: Black People can't use NATAL. Haha, yep, whatever.

[Dirty @ Jun 11th 2009 2:49PM]

Kudo Tsunoda has an eye condition similar to Bono. His eyes are very sensitive to light.

[OneLove @ Jun 11th 2009 2:56PM]

Then he should have gotten a less-douchy prescription. :)

[OneLove @ Jun 11th 2009 3:04PM]

Microsoft is currently doing more natal testing in the Philippines:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o

[Mark Anderson @ Jun 11th 2009 3:58PM]

I think it looks great.

And to me that's all that matters.

[Shawn @ Jun 11th 2009 6:13PM]

Tobias Funke
The world's first analrapist
Man, I miss that show

[Kenneth @ Jun 12th 2009 12:17AM]

the red suits protect them from the project natal evil spirits

http://theabutton.com/?p=207

[Ridgecity @ Jun 12th 2009 2:01AM]

Of course this is still a prototype, ANYONE would be in rage if that lag was present in a game, Maybe they will add a better processor for the camera by the time is released?

I do wish this was released this year vs the next one or more probably 2011.

[Aaron Hoskins @ Jun 11th 2009 12:27PM]

John Krasinski?

[Mizzike @ Jun 11th 2009 1:21PM]

Yeah... natal is coming out this fall.....


Its not finished you 'genius', rome wasnt built in seven days... or was it weeks... I can't remember

[ddub @ Jun 11th 2009 7:50PM]

Rome wasn't built in a day...
Apparently the whole world was built in 6 days though...

[SteveJ @ Jun 11th 2009 12:29PM]

Wow, that sure makes it clear that Natal has the same problems as Eye Toy. Red jumpsuits to make up for the fact that there's no entirely solid white colored room, including the carpet? I'm wondering how many real-world households Natal will actually work in. Good, at least, to see that Engadget is no longer looking entirely the other way. Or so they say.

[majortom1981 @ Jun 11th 2009 12:33PM]

This is the exact reason why i am saying that microsoft is marketing this way to early. There is such a thing.

[Look_Around_You @ Jun 11th 2009 12:36PM]

A television studio isnt the same as a living room. And unless you live in the most trippy psychedelic-colored room on Earth, I would assume it will work fine.

[SteveJ @ Jun 11th 2009 12:37PM]

No, and neither is an entirely white demo room. Did you look at the demo videos from E3? The room is completely white, all the way down to the carpet. That isn't coincidence, I suspect.

[Templarian @ Jun 11th 2009 12:41PM]

It's because there are a bunch of moving people behind them. The background is suppose to be semi static.

[SteveJ @ Jun 11th 2009 12:43PM]

Even Engadget is saying that Natal seems to require a special environment in order to work, be it bright red jumpuits on you, as in this video, or a "uniform background behind the players", as in the E3 demos. Better yet, and entirely white room and bright red jumpsuits. That'll make it work stellar. I can tell you that my living room doesn't have anything even remotely like a uniform background anywhere.

[Mark @ Jun 11th 2009 12:44PM]

Templarion has a good point actually, all those moving people and cameras could confuse Natal(or make it think they're other players).

[SteveJ @ Jun 11th 2009 12:44PM]

"It's because there are a bunch of moving people behind them. The background is suppose to be semi static"

And having solid white walls, ceilings and floors and no furniture helps too.

[SteveJ @ Jun 11th 2009 12:46PM]

Come to think of it, "no furniture" shouldn't be a steep requirement for many engadget readers. ;^)

[Mark @ Jun 11th 2009 12:46PM]

@SteveJ: Wow, you are just desperate for anything that shows Natal might not work aren't you?

[Rob K @ Jun 11th 2009 12:47PM]

During the show last night, Jimmy Fallon pointed out that the suits were not needed to play the game. He said it after they came back from the commercial break after playing the game.

Now, whether or not they wore them for the fun of it or because of the circumstances pointed out in Engadget's post, I don't know. But, Fallon did say they weren't necessary to use Natal.

[Mark @ Jun 11th 2009 12:50PM]

@RobK: Shhh you'll upset SteveJ, he needs to believe that Natal can't possibly work in order to live.

[SteveJ @ Jun 11th 2009 12:52PM]

So far Microsoft has had to have a special environment in the demos they've done. Is there some explanation for that that I'm missing? Did Microsoft think that white walls, ceilings, air conditioners and even carpets are the in thing now?

[Alan Strangis @ Jun 11th 2009 12:52PM]

@ SteveJ: if by 'special environment' you mean one that doesn't include a live studio audience and a sea of professional lighting, you're absolutely right.

As long as you don't steal Merv Griffin's set, you should be okay at home.

[Mark @ Jun 11th 2009 12:56PM]

@SteveJ: Ya, you're missing the part where they rented that room for E3 and most offices look like that. It wasn't necessary for Natal to work, it was just what was available. They even said so in that same video. What did you expect them to do, kick someone out of their house to demo it?

[Look_Around_You @ Jun 11th 2009 12:56PM]

"Wow, you are just desperate for anything that shows Natal might not work aren't you?"

It's amazing how this has brought out this contingent of folks, who for some bizarre reason, really want this to disappear.

Sure the room needs to be "uniform", but that does not mean THX 1138 desolate, it just means a room without a lot of movement in the background, which is about 99% of all homes. I doubt it's going to mistake your couch for your hand.

Is it going on sale tonight? No! These guys have done a great job just on this. They have plenty of time to work out whatever kinks that come up.

[SteveJ @ Jun 11th 2009 12:57PM]

Natal can work - they've shown that. The question is not can it work, but will it work (in a typical house)? The Eye Toy sure didn't, at least not in my house. I didn't remove all the furniture and paint everything white, though. Natal's early announcement is obviously an attempt to slow down Nintendo. I'm not convinced they are actually going to deliver anything, at least not on the Xbox 360.

[Wiizer @ Jun 11th 2009 12:58PM]

Adding fuel to the fire!

Remember when the E3 demo showed multiple people moving while in a racing game on the couch???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0IqdRTDJQc

So, has MS already changed one of Natal's future capabilities to something more realistic?

[congoose @ Jun 11th 2009 1:04PM]

What don't you understand about it being a prototype? Besides, I'd wear a jumpsuit...Dignin style...

[Andir3.0 @ Jun 11th 2009 1:01PM]

"@SteveJ: Wow, you are just desperate for anything that shows Natal might not work aren't you?"

@Mark: And you are pretty desperate to show that it will. What's the difference?

And I thought Natal was supposed to be able to tell depth because of some sophisticated iR camera work and all that. Shouldn't it ignore the crowd in back?

It must be specially tuned to only work at a distance as well (White box on the floor)

[SteveJ @ Jun 11th 2009 1:02PM]

If the environment doesn't matter they will not have any difficulty setting up a demo soon in which they can show that. If they can really make it work, at a reasonable cost, it will be fantastic. I do tend to be skeptical of Microsoft's often lofty claims, but not without reason. Promising the world and then under-delivering is their trademark.

[Look_Around_You @ Jun 11th 2009 1:02PM]

@Wiizer

No, again it's the dynamics of where this demo was taking place.

[Mark @ Jun 11th 2009 1:09PM]

By the way, I'm not really buying the whole red jumpsuit being necessary thing since

1: Jimmy Fallon said it wasn't and
2: It perfectly detected the states of their hands and showed each finger moving correctly in the avatar. They certainly weren't wearing jumpsuits over their hands so if you buy into the jumpsuit being necessary then that should have been impossible

[Andir3.0 @ Jun 11th 2009 1:16PM]

It's pretty easy to find a hand at the end of a long red arm... even for a computer.

[Alan Strangis @ Jun 11th 2009 1:17PM]

@Andir3.0: Once again, a TV studio is a DRASTIC difference from a home. Not only do you have to worry about a very non-static background, but those multiple studio lights put out a LOT more heat than a typical home environment, which would screw up the IR.

The red jumpsuits help distinguish the individual on both the regular AND IR cameras.

It should actually be noted that even in such a restrictive environment, it was able to alter the avatar when a new player stepped up to the plate.

[gnos @ Jun 11th 2009 1:17PM]

As I posted earlier, Natal won't be robust unless they add something or they use very expensive technology. There is a lot to go wrong when you move. Can you explain it to me why when people is making animation using a suit with dots on it. It is because they need it to be precise. Natal is not there yet IMO. You may say that they prove it..ect..etc.. by how much?

I'm not saying that it is not possible but Sony is taking a more robust way (using the balls controllers).
So people always exited about new tech just like when wii was introduced back a while ago. So what did happen? People were disappointed with the wiimote. We have to wait and see.

PS: I don't understand why people here often not talking academically. You have to listen and think and learn not just believe what you see right away.
Regards.

[Mark @ Jun 11th 2009 1:19PM]

"It's pretty easy to find a hand at the end of a long red arm... even for a computer."

Yes, but it's pretty hard to correctly find the state of each finger on each of those hands. I don't really know the point of your post, it clearly shows that it can "see" the state of everyone's hands from that video... so what was your point again?

[Andir3.0 @ Jun 11th 2009 1:22PM]

So don't stand in front of a sliding glass door on a hot day? Is that what you are saying? Don't even think about playing the game outside? (I know some people who do...) Hope that you don't have a heating vent on a wall behind you when you play?

Bright lights make it harder for the camera to pick up people?

Your logic floors me.

[Andir3.0 @ Jun 11th 2009 1:23PM]

Finding which hand to track is harder than determining what finger is up when you find it.

[Mark @ Jun 11th 2009 1:27PM]

"Finding which hand to track is harder than determining what finger is up when you find it."

Again pointless post. It could obviously see the hand and see each finger. If it was really having problems capturing anything that wasn't bright red then it certainly wouldn't have been able to capture as well as it did something as small and thin as a finger. I think you're confusing the camera portion of Natal(the only part that was ever in any doubt with respect to the red jumpsuits) with the software behind it.

[Andir3.0 @ Jun 11th 2009 1:31PM]

You really are that dense aren't you?

It's not about only tracking red suits. The red suits make it easier for the camera to identify a body (a person's shape). Once you do that, finding their head isn't trivial. Finding their fingers is easy as well. If I handed you a picture of a camouflaged soldier laying in a field, it would make it kind of difficult to find his hand, would it not?