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Wiimote genius Johnny Chung Lee on Project Natal team
Here's an interesting piece of E3 news we missed due to being at E3. Johnny Chung Lee, the human-computer interaction Ph.D. who came to prominence for his brilliant Wiimote interface hacks, announced on his blog that he's part of the team making Microsoft's Project Natal, something that suddenly increases the believability factor of its functionality by quite a bit.Lee said that he isn't responsible for anything seen in the E3 demo, however. "The part I am working on has much more to do with making sure this can transition from the E3 stage to your living room - for which there is an even larger team of very smart, very hard working people involved." For once, we can say that Microsoft has made the absolute best move possible. If you're designing a new video game interface that uses a camera or motion tracking of any kind, hire this person.[Via CNet]
Hands-on: Project Natal: Burnout
Though the big boss got to talk to that weird little android kid, my time with Project Natal was limited to using Microsoft's motion sensing technology retrofitted onto Burnout. My expectations were pretty high, as Grant came back with some pretty glowing reviews. I figured that it would work, but it wouldn't necessarily supplant the controller as my preferred method of game interaction.
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]
Video: Project Natal invades Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Last night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda brought along his baby, Project Natal, and let Jimmy Fallon, John Krasinski, and Stephen Moyer go to town. The footage has made its way onto Hulu and while these are pretty much the same demos for Ricochet and Burnout Paradise that we saw at E3 last week, they're still impressive. If you're wondering about the Harrison Ford garb, apparently it was mentioned that the group didn't wear them for the game's benefit (we couldn't find the clip online explaining it). Is Jimmy trying to start a new fashion trend?You can check out the footage from last night's episode past the break.
Microsoft: Project Natal 'obviously' works with people of all ethnicities
After Bitmob reported that Microsoft's Project Natal had difficulty picking up game consultant N'Gai Croal's movements, an IGN forum user claimed that the issue was related to Croal's skin color, citing a journal article about "near-infrared spectroscopy," which he claims Natal uses. Of course, the article is about detecting the delivery of oxygen to tissue via blood, and we rather hope Project Natal doesn't need to be that granular. In any case, the IGN poster actually admitted to being sensationalist a few posts down, but not before the whole Internet was up in arms.Microsoft was compelled to respond to this mess, confirming to Eurogamer that "the goal of Project Natal is to break down the barriers for everyone to play, and it will obviously work with people of all shapes and ethnicities at launch." The representative referenced footage of Sugar Ray Leonard trying the device as proof. Unfortunately, that may not be the best evidence, as NeoGAFfers spotted edits in the video -- the in-game footage of Burnout Paradise shown while Willie Gault is playing is identical to that shown during Zachary Levi's play session. Conspiracy? Probably more likely that there was glare on the screen or something during Leonard's actual session.
Project Natal making a guest appearance on Jimmy Fallon tonight
Remember when Jimmy Fallon said he was "going to treat a video game premiere as if it was a movie premiere"? Yeah, we do too. While Punch-Out!! was cute, it didn't quite cut the mustard around here. How about Microsoft's controller-less wunderkind Project Natal? It's such a hot premiere, it's a year early! Eighteen months early? Two years? Who knows, it's early! Regardless, Fallon's invited Microsoft's own Kudo Tsunoda to show off his sunglasses indoors again (mark our words). But that's not all – he's bringing along a prototype Project Natal camera (see the decidedly unattractive box above) and a demo of Ricochet, the ball-slapping simulator (ahem) they showed off during the E3 keynote. Unfortunately, it's not the best-looking demo we can imagine showing on a 108" display (it's bested by Punch-Out!!) but the tech is what's on display here. Tune in at 12:35pm ET (or thereabouts) to watch for yourself. %Gallery-65582%[Via Engadget]
Project Natal prototype hardware pictured on Jimmy Fallon's set
Looks like our old friend Jimmy Fallon will be demoing Microsoft's Project Natal on Late Night tonight, and this backstage pic from rehearsal is the first shot we've seen of the prototype hardware anywhere. Of course, Redmond's made it clear that the final product will look a lot different -- probably something more like the press pic -- so don't get crazy over this, but at least everyone's burning curiosity has been satiated. Now, Jimmy, if you could just hammer out a ship date, that'd be great.
Iwata: Nintendo passed on camera technology
For all the talk about Microsoft's Project Natal, one man isn't impressed -- in fact, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata told the Financial Times that he's quite literally seen it before. Or, at least, he's seen motion-sensing cameras before. Iwata told FT that Nintendo had previously experimented with camera-based motion sensing, but found better results with the accelerometers that became the basis of the Wii Remote. "Until they say when they're releasing it, how much it costs and what software it comes with," Iwata said, "we won't know whether that is the route we should have taken. However . . . I think they couldn't choose to release exactly the same thing." Of course, it must be noted that pretty much everyone has seen motion-sensing cameras in games before, because Sony sold a lot of them starting in 2003. The idea isn't new, and thus it's not at all surprising that Nintendo has tried it. It's even less surprising that Iwata is psyching out Microsoft by downplaying the technology.[Via Seattle PI]
Nyko: Project Natal not a threat, but a 'challenge'
When Microsoft unveiled its controller-free camera technology dubbed Project Natal during E3 last week, you'd think that gaming peripheral makers might start asking President Obama for a bailout. But not so. At least not for Nyko. The manufacturer of third-party accessories, whose core business is unlicensed Wii products, doesn't see physical controllers going away anytime soon. In fact, Chris Arbogast, Nyko's director of marketing, has a hard time seeing casual gamers letting go of the Wii remote. "People in the casual market like feeling something physical to keep your hands aligned," he said. "When you grab the Wiimote and swing it, it feels like you're swinging a baseball bat, versus pantomining swinging a bat. I think that if you take all [the controllers] away and you're just pantomiming everything, there may be some disconnect with realism there." Obviously, working for Nyko, Arbogast has to stay positive. However, if Project Natal does take off, we wondered if the company has a Plan B. Arbogast said it might force Nyko to "think outside the box." "We'll have to think of other ways we can accessorize and augment the players' experience," he said. "Not with a controller anymore, but with other things to add to that camera functionality. It could be a whole new avenue of business that opens up for us because we'll be forced to challenge ourselves." Luckily for Nyko, Project Natal is probably a long ways off, with analysts saying it won't trump the Wii just yet. Until then, you can enjoy another innovation in camera technology: the Nyko DSi Zoom Case.
Miyamoto "not worried at all" about Sony and Microsoft's motion controllers
Sony and Microsoft certainly turned the motion-sensing heat up on Nintendo at E3 last week, but it doesn't seem like Shigeru Miyamoto is all that concerned at the moment -- he just told the BBC that while he's "flattered" his competitors are "moving in the same direction," he's "not worried at all" about Project Natal or the Playstation motion controller because "they don't have the type of depth that we're able to provide with Wii Motion Plus." Snap. We don't know about that -- we certainly haven't been blown away by Motion Plus -- but we can see why Nintendo's not sweating it just yet: the Wii's a runaway hit and a pop-culture phenomenon, while Natal and the PSMC are still tech demos without announced ship dates or even final names. That said, it's clear that Microsoft and Sony don't intend to just cede this space to Mario and Co., so we'll see how Nintendo fights back -- we'll tell you right now that the Wii Vitality Sensor ain't gonna cut it. [Via Joystiq]
Pachter: Project Natal and PlayStation Motion Controller won't topple Wii
Sony and Microsoft both had something up their sleeves when it came to motion-based controls at this year's E3, revealing a new controller and Project Natal, respectively. Nintendo has been doing it since late 2006, but this year, both Sony and Microsoft have hopped on the waggle bandwagon. Games analyst Michael Pachter told Edge that despite these new product announcements, Nintendo really has nothing to worry about."We do not expect either to displace Nintendo's Wii from its leadership position," Pachter said. He went on further to say that Microsoft's Natal is really only aimed toward interface improvement, and that Sony's new controller is simply "Wii-nis envy," justifying his company's opinion that the Wii will still be the top console for a long time. We're inclined to agree, mostly because Sony and Microsoft's new products won't be on store shelves for quite some time.
Motion control wars: Xbox 360 and PS3 are playing catch-up with Wii next year, who will do it right?
It doesn't come as a surprise that Sony and Microsoft are hard at work at motion controls for their respective consoles: Nintendo is eating their lunch. The Wii's incredible appeal with the average consumer -- due primarily to the accessibility and charm of its Wiimote motion controls -- has also created an annoying divide in the industry (real or perceived) between consumers who use embarrassing gestures to control meaningless mini-games, and those who memorize incredibly complex control schemes to control deeper and more "mature" experiences. There's been a small amount of crossover, of course, but since Sony and Microsoft have lacked most of the gestures option, a majority of it has taken place on the Wii -- the inclusion of an accelerometer in Sony's Sixaxis controller has had little impact on gameplay, and Sony's EyeToy 2 has had even less impact on the average gamer. Of course, that's all about to change next year, with the emergence of the Microsoft's Project Natal and Sony's PlayStation motion controller. Typical thinking would suggest that Sony and Microsoft will be attempting to capture a slice of the casual gaming market that the Wii has so well dominated, while also expanding on the Wii's capabilities at serving the hardcore gamer -- some capabilities which Nintendo itself is attempting to add to the Wii with the even more imminent MotionPlus add-on. So, does anyone here have what it takes to serve up the next generation of gaming controls to everybody, or do cost considerations and the current state of the console wars dictate an ongoing rift in the market? Let's weigh our options...
Microsoft's Kim lays out ten-year Xbox 360 lifecycle
It's no secret that Sony's has a ten-year lifecycle (or longer) in mind for all of its consoles, but Microsoft has so far been a bit less clear cut when it comes to talking about its long-term plans. That now looks to be changing, however, as Microsoft Shane Kim has told VentureBeat that the company "firmly" believes that the Xbox 360 "has a life cycle through 2015," or exactly ten years since it launched. That minor revelation came in the same interview where Kim also discussed Project Natal at length, which, he notes, would fit "mid-cycle" into the Xbox 360's lifetime, so who knows what Microsoft has in store for the 360's twilight years.[Via gamesindustry.biz]
Microsoft says 3DV acquisition didn't influence Project Natal
When Microsoft shows off a motion-sensing system shortly after it's been revealed that is has acquired a motion-sensing camera maker, it's easy to see how people can draw conclusions that the two are related. But according to Microsoft, that is not the case, and its Project Natal is actually based on work that has been "going on for a long time." That word comes from a VentureBeat interview with Microsoft's Shane Kim, who further added that "none of those rumors did justice to what we were actually doing with Project Natal," and that it's based on a lot of past work Microsoft has done in natural user interfaces, including voice recognition. The folks at Eurogamer were also able to get an even more definitive statement from Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg, who said flatly that "we built this in house." Interestingly, however, Shane Kim did say that Microsoft wants to "ensure that we have great intellectual property protection," and that "it has to be all buttoned up, legally," which could offer a bit more rationale for the 3DV buyout. [Via Eurogamer]
Activision got the heads up about Project Natal
If there was one person we felt bad for during Microsoft's otherwise stellar press conference, it was Tony Hawk, whose motion-sensing skateboard peripheral for Tony Hawk: Ride seemed to be rendered obsolete literally moments after its introduction thanks to MS's new Project Natal. But Microsoft's John Schappert he likely wasn't caught by surprise."Activision certainly had seen our video and stuff like that, but I think in defense of Tony Hawk and what they're doing, that product is shipping this year and it has a very real street date," he said. "I think that product, just like many other peripherals is groundbreaking today. Natal is tomorrow."Fair enough. But if you see Tony Hawk walking around with a single tear anytime soon, you'll know why.
Microsoft's Project Natal roots revealed: 3DV Systems ZCam
We had a hunch that 3DV Systems' technology -- which we actually toyed with back at CES 2008 -- had something to do with Microsoft's newly unveiled Project Natal motion tracking solution, and today details have trickled in to us confirming as much. As the story goes, 3DV Systems was initially hoping to have the ZCam in the manufacturing process by the tail end of 2008, but Microsoft swooped in and acquired the outfit just weeks after it blew minds in January. At the time, not much thought was given to the pickup; now, however, we're treated to a bona fide ZCam brochure which details the actual specifications behind the Xbox 360's newest friend. Granted, we have every reason to believe that Natal has advanced significantly from what you'll see in the gallery below, but it's still a tasty nugget of behind-the-scenes information. Of note, the former 3DV Systems VP of Business Development was quoted as saying that the target retail price of the ZCam was $100, though it still had aways to go as of early 2008.
Project Natal video hands-on, impressions, and further details
We had a chance to go one-on-one with Project Natal -- as well as its steward, Kudo Tsunoda -- and we wanted to give you a little insight on Microsoft's next big play. Plus, how could we pass up an opportunity to show off a video of us essentially flailing around like teenagers on a coffee high? The first thing to note is that Microsoft is very protective of the actual technology right now, so they weren't letting us film or photograph any of the box itself, though what they had was an extremely rough version of what the device will look like (not at all like the press shot above). It consisted of a small, black box aimed out into the room -- about the size of a Roku Player -- with sensors along the front. It almost looked a bit like a mid-size (between pico and full size) projector.
Xbox 360 motion controller dev not afraid of Project Natal
Imagine you work for a small peripheral development studio who's been working on a motion controller for the Xbox 360 for ages. Now imagine that Microsoft announces their own revolutionary motion control peripheral -- one that's supported by a bazillion dollar technology juggernaut. "Crap in a hat," you would likely proclaim. However, Performance Designed Products, creators of the long-in-development Game Trak Freedom controller, doesn't seem daunted by Microsoft's recently unveiled Project Natal tech.During our tour of PDP's E3 booth, we had a chance to ask Senior VP of Marketing John Moore about the manufacturer's new impressive competition. According to Moore, "we met with Microsoft, and they gave us a heads-up about Natal, so we knew it was coming." Still, it's not all doom and gloom. Moore said he thinks "there is still a need and room in the market for interactive peripherals." Moreover, he claimed "there's a possibility of using our infrared controller technology and incorporating it into Microsoft's new product."We'll have our hands-on impressions of the Game Trak Freedom, as well as its bundled software counterpart Squeeballs, within the next couple of days.
Taking a walk with Milo, Molyneux's Project Natal 'game'
Tonight, I got an incredibly brief chance to test out Microsoft's Project Natal camera technology with Peter Molyneux's "Milo," along with three other E3 judges. In the brief time allotted to the group, we experienced many of the same moments shown during Microsoft's keynote earlier in the day: introducing ourselves to Milo, being recognized by Milo, taking a brief walk to the pier, donning a pair of goggles, and running our fingers through the water. Before any of us would interact with Milo, Lionhead's Claire – seen above in a still from the E3 Milo video – had a brief, but natural, exchange with Milo. It began with Milo recognizing her face and addressing her by name.Once Claire's portion was over, we took Milo out for a spin. For my part, I walked with Milo over to the pier, grabbed the goggles that he threw at me, performatively snatching at the air, having already seen the video during the earlier keynote presentation. To put them "on" I had to make loops with my thumbs and pointer fingers and wrap them around my eyes. A guide on the bottom of the screen instructed me to make them just so. Goggles on, I leaned over the pier and splashed a reflection of myself in the water. I could drag a finger around or make a larger splash with my hand. I could even ripple the water by "lowering" my head towards the screen. And that was about it for my section (see above: brief!). But the most impressive thing I saw happened next.
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]
