Natal's official name revealed: Kinect

[Goli]

LOS ANGELES — There's a growing movement in video games — motion control. And Microsoft's latest twist: Its new system for the Xbox 360, dubbed Kinect and being unveiled this week, requires no controller at all.
Nintendo started the wave with simplified, wireless, movement-sensing Wii controllers in late 2006. Since then, consumers have bought more than 28 million Wiis. (In comparison, sales of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are about 20 million and 12.3 million, respectively.)

At the Electronic Entertainment Expo game convention beginning today, both Sony and Microsoft will reveal new details about their motion control systems, due later this year.

Microsoft got a head start Sunday night by incorporating its game system and footage from new titles into a performance by Cirque Du Soleil at the University of Southern California. The performance troupe, which spent four months developing "a customized experience," took its inspiration for the event from Kinect, the official name of what had been known as Project Natal under development.

The 4-year-old Xbox 360 has long seemed targeted at hard-core gamers, with a controller that could be intimidating.

"For lots of people, that controller is a barrier," says creative director Kudo Tsunoda. "We set out to make a new control paradigm where anybody can get in and play, without having to read the instructions or learn a complicated set of controls."

Kinect's built-in camera and microphone (due later this year, no price set) uses facial and voice recognition to let you, for instance, log onto Xbox Live, start games and pause movies. And a new menu lets you choose games or services such as Netflix by simply reaching out and pointing toward the screen selection. Video chat lets Xbox 360 homes connect; the smart camera widens when another person enters the room.

Microsoft's Marc Whitten credits Nintendo with setting things in motion: "They have done some amazing things and brought new people to the category. This is fundamentally different. It's (about) my body being the controller (and) being able to communicate with just my voice to the system."

Among games in the works:

•Kinectimals lets you train and play with 20 different virtual cats, including a lion, cheetah and tiger.

•Joyride, a racing game, lets players use their hands to hold an imaginary steering wheel — pull your hands toward you and push back out for an acceleration boost — and their bodies to execute jumps and tricks.

•Kinect Sports has six activities including boxing, bowling, beach volleyball, track and field, soccer and table tennis. To serve a volleyball, you mimic the real motion; in soccer, you can kick the ball or do a header.

•Kinect Adventures includes a river-raft time trial and obstacle course, playable by up to four players. On the raft, playing as a duo, you and a partner must lean one way or another to steer. Jumping helps the raft reach special areas for extra points.

•Dance Central, in development by MTV Games, brings a So You Think You Can Dance experience home.

•Star Wars characters and iconic Disney favorites will be featured in separate new games being developed at Microsoft in conjunction with LucasArts and Disney.

"This is (Microsoft's) attempt to leapfrog the Wii and broaden the appeal of the Xbox," says Geoff Keighley of Spike's GameTrailers. "The questions are, 'Does the controller-free environment make (the Xbox 360) more accessible?' and 'Is it fun?' "

Source
Obligatory:

I find it pretty lame, I'm selling my xbox now.

 

[Feels Good Man]

T'was just about to post this.

I thoguht of this:

 

[Fudge]

I think it will be cool at first but the novelty will wear off fast, kinda like the Wii. Come on Microsoft, show me some Fable III

 

[naruses]

We Are always getting random names, we got wii, XBOX 360 and now kinect.

My thoughts on the "Kinect" is that there's a problem for example in a shooting game you will be shooting with an AK-47 with a solid finish made of air, also kids with these car games are gonna be practicing on a school with this imaginary steering wheel and making sounds like"bummmmmmmmmm" out of nowhere, and with new laser imaginary swords, etc.

But excluding that(up) it will be an new gaming experience.

 

[BoxShot]

Sounds like connect to me. :/

New gaming experience possibly. Feeling like an idiot while playing priceless.

 

[Deadmon]

Sounds like connect to me. :/

I'm 90% sure that was intentional by Microsoft..haha
I predict may sore joints later on this year..

 

[monkat]

I prefer Natal.

 

[Deleted-247497]

why sell your xbox because microsoft makes one product you dont want?? lol its not like they are gonna stop making games that support the regular gamepad

 

[Goli]

We Are always getting random names, we got wii, XBOX 360 and now kinect.

My thoughts on the "Kinect" is that there's a problem for example in a shooting game you will be shooting with an AK-47 with a solid finish made of air, also kids with these car games are gonna be practicing on a school with this imaginary steering wheel and making sounds like"bummmmmmmmmm" out of nowhere, and with new laser imaginary swords, etc.

But excluding that(up) it will be an new gaming experience.

No, EyeToy did it first, so it isn't new.

And I'm gonna sell it because I'm not looking forward to any game, unless they announce FFvsXIII, but still I prefer to sell it and 3DS + launch titles :/.

 

[nutella]

Does this also confirm the 360 Slim?

 

[iamthemilkman]

"I'm selling my xbox now."

Yeah, I did the same thing with my PS2 when the EyeToy released and missed awesome hardcore games.

NOT.

Why would this make you sell your Xbox 360? That's what's lame, imo.

Anyways, the interface stuff is neat and all, but not worth spending an absurd amount of money on. So then it's up to the games to sell this device, and judging by what is listed here, I'm not impressed at all. This is a no go so far.

 

[Hadrian]

No, EyeToy did it first, so it isn't new.

No Sega did that first with DreamEye.

 

[Goli]

No, EyeToy did it first, so it isn't new.

No Sega did that first with DreamEye.

*gasp* Did not know about that. I stand corrected.
And like I said, I'm selling it since I prefer getting a 3DS with launch titles with that money, I thought this would bring new games, not copycats from wii/ps2 :/.
PS: I want a DreamEye! It's like the cutest webcam ever

 

[monkat]

No, EyeToy did it first, so it isn't new.

No Sega did that first with DreamEye.

No, John Strognofe did it first.

It was an early prototype so the motion sensing wasn't all too great, but it did make a blur if you moved at the right time.

 

[iFish]

TBH, it should be called "The Xbox FunBox" imo

Just sounds better

 

[r3dfaction]

'yawn'... :moves to next thread:

 

[Terminator02]

hmm, what does kinect remind me of...

Spoiler

Obviously baseball and martial arts

 

[DiscostewSM]

hmm, what does kinect remind me of...

Spoiler

Obviously baseball and martial arts

I can see it now. Martial arts game. You're practicing your moves, and not watching anything else. Your kid, younger sibling, neighbor kid, etc. walks in front of you just as you are about to perform the Karate Kid special kick. WHACK! Right in the face.

 

[darkranboria]

You know how people walk in front of the TV?

It's got to suck when you are playing Kinect/Natal (Natal sounds cooler).

 

[Goli]

hmm, what does kinect remind me of...

Spoiler

Obviously baseball and martial arts

I can see it now. Martial arts game. You're practicing your moves, and not watching anything else. Your kid, younger sibling, neighbor kid, etc. walks in front of you just as you are about to perform the Karate Kid special kick. WHACK! Right in the face.

What's funny is that there's alredy an EyeToy game for that... kind of.

You can fight a dragon!