Project Natal

I'm excited! The Lionhead demo is one of the coolest/creepiest things I've ever seen.

Xbox login via facial recognition is nice too.

so how much do reckon they'll charge for this? and more importantly what kind of software is it going to be bundled with?

lionhead thing was pretty disappointing

kodu was crap too

the tech demos were really surprisingly great

http://i44.tinypic.com/2ylljrs.gif

terrible name.

seriously like the worst name imaginable

ya, how are you supposed to pronounce it? like "post-natal care"?

Vaporware I reckon... or anyhow a looong ways out. Price rumor was 200 USD which is crazy. I mean, I have the 360 camera and you could basically do some of the same stuff (move things around with your hands) and gee... it's lame. Can't believe they spent so much time on this during their conference and used it to wrap things up when they were doing so good before that.

Yeah, but I remember when the Gamecube was called Project Dolphin, ffs. Pre-release codenames are always awful.

Anyway:

I've Played Natal and it Works

I really doubt they'll price this any higher than, say, the wifi network adaptor.

lol @ anyone who uses the '... and it works' meme. [note for historically impaired, it was coined about COMMUNISM]

It seems like it would be hard to play Halo with this.

just seen this -

didn't watch with sound but how is this not the dumbest idea ever, you have to turn your head away from the screen to look anywhere. playing games with peripheral vision, no thanks.

how are you supposed to pronounce it? like "post-natal care"?

I was imagining more like "Project Rafael Natal"

|Kinda like how some people pronounce "banal" so it doesn't sound like it has to do with butts

That Lionhead demo is utter bullshit. Like a shitty FMV sequence that speaks your name and makes the character nod its head when it hears noise on the mic, followed by a shitty Wii Sports-esque mini game.

I wonder the trade show demos for the Playstion Eye Toy were like.

http://i41.tinypic.com/2ex6jyp.jpghttp://i40.tinypic.com/25f7vxl.jpghttp://i40.tinypic.com/zvzcxi.gif

This looks pretty rubbish, imho. Molyneux going "That wasn't scripted, she really tried to catch it". Maybe she did, maybe she didn't, but not scripted? BS. It has to be scripted unless they've developed some incredible AI in the few months they've been working on it.
Also, that promotional ad for the camera; The fighting game idea is ok, but makes assumptions about your athleticism and ability to do a roundhouse without falling on your ass that will make it inaccessible. The driving game; how is she accelerating? Her feet don't move. This is why the Wii did it with a motion controller that has buttons (and why the PS3 and that third party xbox waggle have done the same), why the iToy was a bit of a flop and terrible gimick; you need other methods of input beyond just shaking about, otherwise it becomes unnatural, and 'natural' is exactly how they're trying to push this thing.

Well, apparently the burnout demo senses the position of your outstretched foot and uses that as your accelerator pedal. But hey, I don't want to become DEFENDER OF NATAL (even though I fancy the natal-family mom). Wait and see, innit.

i don't see why i'd rather play a racing game with my body instead of a controller or wheel. it's not like that's any closer to real driving!

Well, apparently the burnout demo senses the position of your outstretched foot and uses that as your accelerator pedal

i call bullshit

slocki otm there

at least in the future there'll be no shortage of skilled mimes.

I thought the Burnout demo was binary - stick your leg out and max accelerate, pull it back and max break. There is no way it is sensing foot tilt at this point.

http://kotaku.com/5286751/ever-wanted-to-see-what-project-natal-looks-like-on-jimmy-fallon

This thing looks really cool. :/

This is my favourite natal claim yet - http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ms-natal-will-work-with-all-ethnicities

Malstrom has just been raping this thing to death ever since it was announced:

http://seanmalstrom.wordpress.com

can't say I blame him; this thing looks like the Virtual Boy for a new era

i don't see why i'd rather play a racing game with my body instead of a controller or wheel. it's not like that's any closer to real driving!

on the plus side, a James Bond game could be made quite fun as ably demonstrated here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sVgTdQTsG4

i don't see why i'd rather play a racing game with my body instead of a controller or wheel.

I guess it depends on whether it's fun or not, right?

http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/blogs/2009/06/kudo-tsunado-demos-project-natal/

I guess it depends on whether it's fun or not, right?

― Your heartbeat soun like sasquatch feet (polyphonic), Thursday, June 11, 2009 9:55 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

no it's about the PRINCIPLE.

It does look kinda fun. They need to simplify the breakout game though - in the demo it just looks crazy, but playing a slower version of that, where you could actually be a little more precise would probably be lots of fun. They may have been joking in the clip, but imagine a boxing game with this tech with an online versus mode. Controller free PunchOut! Or a wiifit style exercise program without stupid peripherals. I probably would drop $200 on that :(

The thing with this, and especially the racing wheel mentioned, is that it's taking away the feedback. Which vibrating pads have been striving to recreate for years.

so i guess it's fun v realism again.

^Good point. One thing I liked with the Wiimote immediately was how the rumble and the little speaker on it gave you various cues.

Isn't it kind of weird that everyone in the Fallon video was wearing those single color red jumpsuits? Early technical issues, I'm guessing...

ok, this is the first time i've seen that "ever wonder what the bottom of an avatar's shoe looks like?" video and it's killing me.