Why You Should Care About Project Natal

Every so often, ever since video games became consoles for home use, leaps in technology advance the way we play. Some more then others, these changes typically follow behind the current technological trends. From the Atari, to the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Playstation to the Xbox 360, we see the direction we have been moving towards is one of immersion. Now, after systems like the Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3 allow users to shorten the gap between game and player, the next step is shaping up to be the highly anticipated Xbox add-on, referred to as Project Natal. Take a look at the system in action below.

As you can see, your body is the controller. Using the power of the Xbox 360, Natal responds to body movements not only left and right, but in a full 3D environment. While this demo video shows a simple Brickbreaker-style game, the possibilities are where the true excitement lies. Imagine playing Halo as you hold and aim the gun like you’re holding one, throwing grenades like baseballs, and using melee on bad guys like no one’s business. Although it was not shown in this particular demo, other demo videos show Natal using voice commands and “presented image recognition.” This was shown in a video featuring a game character named Milo answering simple questions and scanning a picture held up and handling it within the game environment.

Will Natal be the next big video game leap, or simply fizzle out like previous systems and game play gimmicks? I believe it has the capability to be a huge leap in game interaction, but only time will tell how practical and well-made it is. Industry experts are saying it will most likely release 4 quarter 2010, probably around Christmas. As more information begins to surface, we will keep you posted. Any gamers out there interested in Project Natal?