Microsoft’s Project Natal becomes Kinect for Xbox
June 14th, 2010 • 23 CommentsMicrosoft’s revolutionary Project Natal has finally been christened, after a bombastic launch at the E3 event in LA involving a two-night only, specially commissioned Cirque du Soleil performance, and the mechanical elephant from the last Take That tour.
The Kinect has launched – the new Xbox hardware that includes cameras and a microphone to map players’ bodies so they can interact directly with games:
Several games were demonstrated on stage last night, including Wii-esque sports games, sword fights and white-water rafting. The feature that seems to have pundits most excited, however, is nothing to do with the gaming experience – Kinect includes video chat, with a wide-angle camera that allows groups of people to chat online. Such Skype-esque qualities are potentially a game-changer, because by bundling them into a family-targeted, mainstream console, video chat could explode even further.
Prices and international availability are due to be released at E3 later today. What do you think? Will it be Microsoft’s Christmas this time around?
Sounds like a budget washing machine manufacturer.
Another crap name, least it wasnt movit8 or something.
This is one of those products that could be the best thing EVARRR or the biggest pile of sheet that has ever!
I should really finish my sentences before bashing “Post”…
sounds like something to do with the microsoft Kin mobile fone…
My money is on these being on Ebay second hand for £15 within six months after launch
Kin ‘ell
I suspect that the Kinect will be the best and most versatile of the motion control gizmos coming to market, but the PlayStation Move will sell more, because it has more instant ‘ooh, shiny thing’ appeal, with all it’s big primary coloured balls… er, as it were.
The Kinect will only take off if they can find ways of making it appeal to the Xbox’s hard core gamers – i.e. for shooting/driving/fighting games – as most casual gamers will have bought a Wii alreday.
Looks like what it is, Wii without the controllers. I was really excited by this when I saw the Milo app from Peter Molyneux, but what we have here is Wii style shovelware.
Not quite as impressive as the smoke and mirrors launch of last year…. in fact its Kinshite.
The PS3 has done video chat since it was released, this is turning into the year of repackaging existing tech and passing it off as revolutionary.
Eyetoy in another guise!! Simple as – doesn’t bring anything new to the table at all!! I’m looking forward to using the PS Move in 3d! imagine the possibilities with that and feeling like your playing into the 3rd perspective!! Could be ace but this kinetc looks piss poor tbh!!
@Me
Surely it brings far more to the table than the Move? The Kinect (ergh…) is controller-less and actually maps out your body in software; the Move is essentially a glorified, more accurate Wii controller. I’m not sure how many more applications there are in terms if interactivity for the Move than have already been exhibited on the Wii.
Mind, I’m not saying Kinect (ergh…) will be any good – I can already picture the shop shelves bulging under the weight of hideous third-party shovelware. Although hopefully the lack of an extra peripheral to hold will mean easier interaction into “hardcore” games played with the joypad. The possibilities for shooters are pretty exciting – reloading weapons, throwing grenades, squad order hand signals, pointing to mark out targets – bring on Bad Company 3!
ergh…
FTW
DIS IS REAL
Better, slimmer, faster… the new Xbox 360 | BitterWallet
Will this be the first ever console add-on that sells more than 80 units?
It’ll be a ‘kin cold day in hell if that happens.
Kinect, Move – both guaranteed to fail. Next-gen when they start integrating it in the console is when things will start to use them properly.
I wanted one of these when I saw the video of the person interacting with the onscreen character, having a conversation and passing items to him, now all I see is videos of shi**y family sports games which just make it look like a Wii rip off.
Blimey they invented Eye-toy!
Get your game on for Playstation Move | BitterWallet
Where can you buy the cheapest Xbox 360 250GB tomorrow? | BitterWallet
Nintendo – why you won’t see a 3D Wii | BitterWallet
Microsoft unveil Kinect price. World says ‘Are you sure?’ | BitterWallet