Xbox 360 Full Body Motion-Sensing Announced
by Team OXCGN
©2009 Oxcgn.com
It seems the rumours were right on this one! Microsoft has just announced the new motion camera ‘Project Natal‘ at their keynote to bring a new dimension to future Xbox 360 games.
While the Wii was an instant hit for its ‘Wiimote’, there was always a lack of accuracy as it could only interpret basic motions, and only in the hand holding it or the nunchuk.
Microsoft has clearly been thinking ahead and introduced a new solution – camera motion sensing that can take into account minute movements from all limbs, and without the danger of flinging a controller into your precious HDTV (how many images of TVs with Wiimotes smashed through the screen have we seen?).
• Project Natal Is A Work Of Art – Peter Molyneux
While the EyeToy dabbled in camera sensing last generation, it never reached the true potential for detecting a players movements because of its low capture quality and low developer support for anything beyond minigames. The Ps2 hardware would also have been unable to keep up with analysing constant image frames of a high quality, instead relying on larger movement estimations.
With the new technology Microsoft should be taking motion control to a whole new level as they seek to break into the Wii’s lucrative casual market. Here at OXCGN however, we’re more interested in the possibilities for so-called ‘hardcore’ games.
The potential is limitless: imagine positioning your hands as if pointing a pistol, before holding it up to your eyes to stare down the sight. The motion camera could see these tiny movements and let the game react to even the smallest movements such as an unsteady aim if you’re not still, or firing with the squeeze of your trigger finger in midair.
If anything, the motion camera demonstrates that Microsoft aren’t resting on their laurels or ignoring the rest of this generation in favour of launching a new console early as many think. Sure they didn’t get into the motion-sensing craze as early as Nintendo or Sony’s Sixaxis in their controller – they waited until they could get it right, and evidently that time is now.
For the full list of gaming announcements by Microsoft during their Keynote, click here.
©2009 Oxcgn.com
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Filed under: Console gaming, E3 2009, Microsoft Games, Xbox 360 News Tagged: | camera, E3, E3 2009, electronic entertainment expo, full body motion sensoring for 360, fullbody motion sensor, Microsoft, motion-sensing, Natal, OXCGN, sixaxis, Sony, Wii, wiimote, Xbox 360
