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Microsoft confirms Natal launch in October (update: Microsoft responds)
We've heard it before, now Microsoft's Syed Bilal Tariq is repeating the October launch date for Natal. Speaking to GamerTagRadio, Microsoft's marketing manager for Saudi Arabia says that the Natal launch, "is going to be somewhere in October and we will be in a position to confirm the date at E3, which is in June, but definitely it is going to be October 2010." So there you have it. While we'd prefer to see an official press release on the topic, there's little reason to doubt what you can hear for yourselves after the break. Update: It's not as clear-cut of a statement as we'd probably, but Microsoft has responded via email, telling G4, "Syed Bilal Tariq is not a [Microsoft] employee... He is a vendor employed through a third-party company on behalf of the Microsoft subsidiary in Saudi Arabia." Sure, that downplays his realm of knowledge, but it doesn't completely discredit. No comment was given as to the October date. At least E3's a few hours closer now, right?
Project Natal spotted in the wild, user manual and all?
My, how you've grown. Since the day we learned that PrimeSense was behind Microsoft's Project Natal, we've been under the impression that the 3D camera hardware would be a cute little face with three eyes. So why are we staring at another hammerhead shark? Perhaps because this latest leak isn't real -- or perhaps because Microsoft hasn't nailed down (or rightly doesn't trust testers with) the final hardware. Either way, Multiplayer.it has a host of pictures of an alleged Natal test kit, complete with user manual, and if their sources are legit, it seems Natal will have a motorized tilt function and require additional power (via wall wart) as a result. The better to track your body with, we suppose. See more pics at our source link. [Thanks, Skipper]
Microsoft gives us a look through Project Natal's eyes (video)
Ilan Spillinger, Microsoft's Xbox 360 VP, was on hand in Tel Aviv yesterday for a showcase of Project Natal. Although there wasn't much in the way of groundbreaking stuff, the resulting video does show off the motion control system's gender recognition (done through Natal's facial recognition ... you filthy child) and ability to track two players within the frame at the same time. A tipster from the audience tells us that earlier lag issues have been eradicated, although some jitter was indeed apparent when the second person stepped into Natal's field of vision. Either way, it's looking like Microsoft's Xbox 360 peripheral is progressing well toward its release near the end of this year. Go past the break to see for yourself. [Thanks, Roy]
PrimeSense fesses up: it's the magic behind Microsoft's Project Natal
Up until now, we haven't actually been able to find out too much about the ins and outs of Project Natal. For all we knew, it's a technology designed in the back stall of a unicorn barn, and the final name will somehow involve diphthongs from both "lasers" and "Robot Apocalypse." All jesting aside, this really does mark the first bona fide announcement about the nuts and bolts behind Microsoft's forthcoming motion sensing add-on for its Xbox 360, and lo and behold, the revealing is being done by the same company we sat down with earlier this month at GDC. Quite a few of you assumed that PrimeSense's webcam was indeed Project Natal in camouflage when we posted up our original hands-on, and while we couldn't confirm or deny those suspicions at the time, we can today. So, what's this mean for you? It probably means that PrimeSense is actively looking to get its 3D-sensing technology (which has obviously been tweaked quite a bit by Microsoft, to its credit) into as many living room scenarios as possible, so what you're seeing in Natal might just appear elsewhere in the very near future. Did your imagination just run wild? No? Have a look back at our GDC experience and try again.
Yoga Natal game appears on GAME retailer's Xbox 360 release schedule (update: Amazon UK too!)
Time for some more salacious prognostications about the future, courtesy of the wily folks over at vg247. The team there claims to have obtained internal documents from UK video game retailer GAME that lists the release dates for forthcoming Xbox 360 titles. The listing is headlined by new iterations of Crysis, Call of Duty and Metal Gear Solid, but the highlight for us gadget junkies is at the very end: Yoga Natal, scheduled for an October release. Now, even if this doc comes straight from the horse's mouth, game release dates are notoriously prone to fluctuation, so let's not read too much into that October date. What's intriguing is that Microsoft does indeed seem intent on creating specialist games for its Natal experience, and it may be that they'll all include Natal in their titles to make compatibility abundantly clear. Or this may be just a big bad April 1-related hoax, we'll live either way. [Thanks, Matt R.] Update: We've now also discovered a pulled Amazon listing for Yoga Natal, and we've stashed a screenshot of its Google Cache version just after the break [Thanks, Ian].
Project Natal 'experience' to premiere at E3 on June 13th
No big surprise here, but Microsoft is bringing its full Project Natal setup to the E3 games show in LA this year, with a "world premiere" event on Sunday, June 13th, followed by a media briefing on Monday the 14th. It's good to know they're on track for showing this off, after a no-show at the PlayStation Move-dominated GDC, and we'll of course be there in force, waving our arms around like we just don't care. From the looks of our invite, which puts the name "Project Natal" in quotes, we're not convinced that's even the final name for the device, but we suppose we'll find out for sure in June. Microsoft promises this will be our "first look at the future of fun," and we imagine some near-final hardware and beta game experiences will be on display as well. No word in the invite, but we imagine a Fall launch is still in the cards, with Jonathan Ross's "October" tweet as the most recent morsel on that front.
PlayStation Move ad pulls no motion-controlled punches against Wii, Project Natal
Sony's VP of Realistic Movements Kevin Butler (boy, does that guy have a large business card) is at it again, this time in a video ad for the PlayStation Move. He's back from the future to thank us all for the success of the motion control device, and make a few jabs towards Nintendo and Microsoft for their efforts. Here's a few choice quotes. "Because real boxers don't hit like this [flails arms exasperatingly]" "It's also got what we in the future call buttons, which turn out to be pretty important to those handful of millions of people who enjoy playing shooters, platformers, well, anything that doesn't involve catching a big red ball." "C'mon, who wants to pretend their hand is a gun. What is this, third grade? Pew, pew, pew." Check out the futuristic -- or now-eristic, rather -- commercial after the break. And if you ask, sorry, we still wouldn't bet on Kansas City in six.
Steve Ballmer teases new Xbox 360 form factors, price points and options
Turns out Steve Ballmer's talk up at the University of Washington delivered even more saucy info than we were initially led to believe. In a transcript of the subsequent Q&A session, Steve is shown to have delivered the following statement on the topic of large-screen televisions and Microsoft's related hardware strategy: For that big screen device ... there's no diversity. You get exactly the Xboxes that we build for you. We may have more form factors in the future that are designed for various price points and options, but we think it's going to [be] important. It's safe to assume new form factors point to a smaller rather than larger 360 chassis, though the price points and further options he mentions are wide open for speculation. It wouldn't be unreasonable to forecast Microsoft pushing out its own slimmed-down console to match up with Sony's PS3 Slim, but we also shouldn't discount the idea of an Xbox 360 with Project Natal hardware integrated into its shell. In other words, we really don't know what Steve has going on under that shiny dome of his, we just hope it's as exciting as he makes it sound.
Microsoft's Project Natal lag calculated to be a tenth of a second
Eager for a bit more Project Natal news now that Jonathan Ross let slip what may or may not be a launch date? Then you're in luck, as MTV's Multiplayer blog has taken advantage of a recent Natal demo session to peg down exactly how much lag we can expect from the motion-sensing system (assuming it's not fine-tuned any further, that is). After timing some 40 movements with a stopwatch, the site found that "life-to-screen" transitions ranged from 0.08 seconds to 0.12 seconds, or about a tenth of a second on average. That's obviously a bit slower than the response of an old fashioned controller (or even a Wiimote, for that matter), and is just enough to be noticeable when you're playing. Of course, it's the games that will ultimately matter the most, and we still haven't seen much more news on that front.
Project Natal coming in October, says Jonathan Ross (video)
As unexpected sources of tech news go, UK television presenter Jonathan Ross is pretty high up there. But lo and behold, the man's had a chance to spend some quality time with Microsoft's Project Natal setup and while he's not altogether impressed with the current state of it, his note on when it's coming out is the one thing nobody has known for sure yet. "Got until October" may mean an October release, or it may imply they can work on it through October in time for an early November release (something we heard earlier), but altogether we find this both credible and logical considering the natural urge to try and get the latest gaming tech in well before the holidays. Need more convincing? Skip past the break to see the Wossmeister having a whale of a time with that balloon-blocking game that's embarrassed many a journalist already.
Project Natal makes a Smallville cameo, does not guarantee ability to fly*
We didn't get any more details about Microsoft's Project Natal add-on for Xbox 360 from the X10 event, but tonight Smallville viewers got to watch someone else whipping their arms and legs around trying to catch imaginary balls flying out of their TV screen. Short of some actual time gesticulating wildly in front of that motion sensing cam this is the closest thing we've got to actually using it, but as the clip (embedded after the break) shows, girls are likely to be more impressed by someone that can fly. %Gallery-85394%
Project Natal prototype spotted on a makeshift Gorillapod stand, sensing your every move
We're not sure if this is a hint toward the final form factor, or merely the simplest conglomeration of parts available to get working Project Natal sensors in the hands of developers, but The Seattle Times has posted a picture today a developer prototype of the motion-sensing unit. The seems clearly slimmer in proportion than the soundbar-styled renders we've seen thus far, but also quite a bit different than the hacked together hardware used for the Jimmy Fallon demo of the tech. Of course, the fact that the assembly has been slapped atop a Gorillapod makes it hard to believe this is near-final hardware, but it's still fun to see this stuff as evolves toward our living rooms.
Nintendo said Ninten-no to Project Natal in 2007?
Great balls of console wars fire! A top-level Nintendo insider has revealed that the motion-controlled gaming setup we now know as Project Natal was offered to the Japanese company way back in 2007 and promptly turned down because it was considered too expensive. We're told this decision came from supremo Satoru Iwata himself, who was worried about latency and the purported inability to sell it at "mass-market prices." This implies, of course, that 3DV Systems was fully responsible for Natal -- which Microsoft staunchly denies -- but CVG seems to consider its informant's words to be beyond suspicion. All we know for sure is that the stuff's coming, and awkwardness at house parties is about to reach a whole new level.
Project Natal to focus on custom-made 'experiences,' will tolerate conventional games too
Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg has opened up to our buddies over at Joystiq about the future direction of Project Natal, and the big takeaway from their chat is that Redmond intends to use the new hardware primarily for "brand new experiences" designed specifically for it. Essentially, this means the majority of Natal-enabled games will be Wii-like in their focus and promotion of motion as the control scheme, but before you dive into a vortex of panic, there were also reassurances that "developers will have that out there at their fingertips if they want to enable those features." We now know that 10 to 15 percent of the Xbox 360's processing power will be sucked down by Natal, which may or may not be a reason for this shift away from what was expected -- layering Natal on top of games as an alternative control scheme -- to this shpiel about "unique" experiences. Either way, so long as we get to play Burnout on this thing, we could care less what others do with it.
Microsoft CES keynote PR leaks early: HP slate device is just a PC, Natal in holiday 2010
Microsoft's CES keynote has been marked by disaster: first the power went out, knocking the PCs on stage into recovery mode, and now the PR for Ballmer's speech has posted early. The big news is no news -- that HP slate device is a Windows 7 PC, not the rumored Courier tablet. We're sure HP and Microsoft will have some interesting things to say about it, but a lot of hearts are breaking out there. Other big items: Project Natal will launch around the holidays in 2010, the HTC HD2 will hit T-Mobile as expected, and the Mediaroom 2.0 IPTVs service will bring on-demand programming to PCs and phones. The full PR is after the break, but we'll post highlights here if we see anything else as we comb through. [Thanks, Andrew]
2010 Project Natal launch and Xbox Game Room leaked in CES interview
Microsoft's CES keynote doesn't begin for a few hours still, but it looks as it the crux of the consumer electronics news from it is already flowing. Purportedly, a leaked interview (that has since been yanked) showed Robbie Bach, President of the Entertainment & Devices Division, talking up two things of utmost importance. The first of which is Project Natal, which is Redmond's attempt to add full-body interaction to the game console. The news? It's looking like 2010 really will be the year said product hits the shelves, and it's seeming more and more likely that the well-known Natal moniker will stick for retail. The other bit is a so-called Xbox Game Room, which is "supposed to bring back that retro fun to gaming." That's fairly ambiguous, but we can't say that our interest isn't piqued. Hang tight for what we hope will be the official announcement later this evening -- the day has only just begun, you know? Update: We've got the full interview! Catch it after the break!
Project Natal launching in November 2010, priced for 'impulse buy'?
A supposed leak from closed-door Microsoft meetings in the UK has made its way to MCV, who has all sorts of new details on Project Natal's launch next year. Rumor is that the device will be released worldwide in November 2010 (we've heard "late next year" before), with 5 million camera units ready for day one, included in solo and console-bundled SKUs. Word varies on the price, with some saying "under £50" (about $84 USD), while others say as low as £30, about $50 USD. Apparently Microsoft is aiming for "impulse buy" territory, and it makes sense to subsidize the unit and make that money back in games sales, like a regular console launch (which Microsoft sort of sees it as, in many ways). There are supposed to be 14 games readied for launch, but no specifics on which developers that've signed up for Natal work will be among those on launch day. It all sounds about right, though we of course won't know for sure until Microsoft goes into tell-all mode, which we expect will be a decent ways down the road if they can't even confirm a silly WiFi adapter for the holidays without months of hand-wringing.
Robbie Bach sits down for a roundtable discussion, Engadget is there
We're currently at a multi-purpose Microsoft event right now -- an event touring the company's holiday lineup, as well as today's launch of Windows phone devices (AKA, Windows Mobile 6.5). We had a chance to sit down with Robbie Bach, President of Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices Division, and ask him some questions about where the big M is headed with its recent lineup. Here are a few of our takeaways. We asked about convergence (or lack thereof) across Microsoft products. Zune, Xbox, and Microsoft phone products don't really play nice at this point. Robbie was hesitant to tackle the actual question, sticking mostly to the party line, though he did admit that their plans stretch further down the road than this -- a theme thus far. It sounds a lot like Microsoft isn't where it wants to be. In a later question, he asks us to "look where [Microsoft] is in two or three years." That's a long time to wait guys. An HTC HD2 is doing the rounds at the show (though it's in someone's pocket) -- when we asked why the company hasn't highlighted the device (which is pretty darn slick, by the way), Robbie seemed to glaze over the presence of the device. The line was "we want to work with all our partners." Why they wouldn't call out what is a groundbreaking device for Windows Mobile is somewhat perplexing. Michael Gartenberg, one of our contributors, asks about if the company is "still committed to pen computing" -- Robbie says yes, and that there's a lot of "research" going on right now. "The pen has been around for a long time," he says. "There's work that has to be done." Robbie says, "Microsoft is as proactive as it is reactive." On the Zune HD "Where we broke through is in software." Gartenberg asks about "devices that fall between a PC and a phone." Robbie chuckles pretty hard at that one. "Here's my favorite survey of the year... which will you buy, a Microsoft tablet or Apple tablet?" "Do I believe there are other devices out there that people want to use, like a Kindle-like device... yes." Peter Rojas asks about the company's acquisition of Danger. Robbie: "There were clear reasons for us to acquire Danger -- I think in time that will pan out. It wasn't another OS, it was services... the Sidekick isn't our brand, it's T-Mobile's brand." We ask Robbie about Pink and if a Microsoft phone is in the company's future: "I don't see that." Robbie was pretty vehement that making a piece of hardware for the mobile space isn't really in the company's plans. "Apple demonstrated that the end to end experience worked, so we did that with the Zune." He says he doesn't think it makes sense for the scale of the mobile market. On the experience with current Windows Mobile devices: "We're part of the way there with Windows Mobile 6.5." Andrew Yoon from Joystiq asks: "When can we stop calling it Natal?" Robbie laughs: "When we tell you to call it something else. I'll tell you this -- when we announce what we're calling it, you guys will report it, and people will get it." A question about Google's business model being similar to Microsoft's -- Robbie laughs and makes a face: "I'm confused about you calling it a 'business model'... I'm not sure what they're doing exactly." Ouch. "If you use a Google phone, that's fine, but what do you do about your music experience? What do you do about your photo experience? Then it starts to feel like another version of Linux."
Challenge: Make your own Natal demo video, get yourself on The Engadget Show
We hope by now you've seen the video of Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda demoing the latest software to undergo the Project Natal treatment -- Beautiful Katamari and Space Invaders Extreme. If you haven't, you really should, because there's nothing quite like seeing a man gesticulate wildly for seemingly no reason. In that post, a commenter of ours -- aardWolf -- made the genius suggestion that people do their own "demo" videos of Project Natal. We think that's a grand, grand idea... and we're going one better. If you make those videos, we'll put them together in a segment for The Engadget Show. Here's what we want from you, the reader: Film yourself "playing" a game "with" Project Natal Upload the video to YouTube, Viddler, or the video site of your choice tagged with "engadget natal contest" (with quotes, at least on Viddler), and specify exactly what game you're playing. Feel free to give details. Email us at engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com with "natal video" in the subject, as well as the link and any pertinent info you'd like to provide (or you can just leave a link in comments) Lather, rinse, repeat Once we get some good entries, we'll cut the whole shebang together in a segment for The Engadget Show (provided you guys aren't super boring or something -- though we don't think that will be an issue). It goes without saying that by submitting a video you're granting us the rights to use it on the Show and in any Show promotional materials we might produce. Don't worry, we won't sell you into slavery or anything. Probably. In case your memory is super bad, we've included the clip of Kudo after the break.
Video: Project Natal hands-on goes round two with Katamari Damacy, Space Invaders
Several months have passed since our last encounter with Project Natal, Microsoft's controller-free, gesture-based interface. Developer enthusiasm and rumored release dates aside, since that time there hasn't been much in the way of new, concrete details or any title announcements. That didn't stop Kudo Tsunoda and gang from coming to Tokyo Game Show to give the Japanese audience a taste of the title. We managed to get ourselves some more time with the system, which included previous demos Ricochet and Burnout Paradise, along with newcomers Beautiful Katamari and Space Invaders Extreme. This time around, things felt a bit more glitchy than before, with some weird graphical maladies around our virtual wrists and a few occasions where recalibration was required (which is simply accomplished by covering up the sensor with your hand for a couple seconds). Our Engadget Japan correspondent Ittousai couldn't get his hair to detect, but Tsunoda inferred that it was something they were working on as the project continued. Going through the menus, we spotted Lumines among the other games on the console -- Tsunoda wouldn't comment on it, but he did note that adding Natal support isn't something that's likely to be patched into existing titles. Care to take another peek at what you'll look like when Natal eventually comes to your living room? Video demonstration after the break.