Project Natal is coming to Windows PCs, game devices, and televisions

According to the articles...

"Gates said it was not just for games, 'but for media consumption as a whole, and even if they connect it up to Windows PCs for interacting in terms of meetings, and collaboration, and communication. I think the value is as great for if you're in the home, as you want to manage your movies, music, home system type stuff, it's very cool there," he said. "And I think there's incredible value as we use that in the office connected to a Windows PC. So Microsoft research and the product groups have a lot going on there, because you can use the cost reduction that will take place over the years to say, why shouldn't that be in most office environments."



After announcing it for Windows PCs and other devices, I think this could just open up infinite doors of opportunity for Microsoft. Whereas some gaming critics have already commented on the Natal even before release, I think Microsoft can definitely garner a lot of praise for using this sort of tech in office and profesional settings.

You can find the articles here:
Gates: Natal to bring gesture recognition to Windows too
Bill Gates offers the world a physics lesson

 

This will be life changing. From work to play.

 

Sorry for being a newb and all. But what is Project Natal? I've been hearing about it lately...

 

Its Microsofts response to the Wii

A camera thingy that you use with your xbox (And now, apparently the pc) to make it like a Wii...except you don't need a controller.
I don't get whats the problem with a good keyboard and mouse or dual analog stick controller. If i want to flail my arms around like a mad man I don't need a game to tell me how to do it. >>

 

No need to be apologetic dude. It's good to ask questions and learn.

Just watch this short ~4min video on youtube and you will know all about Natal in its gaming function.

It's originally for gaming but now the big boss (aka Bill Gates) is expanding it's usage for other divisions as I have posted. Expect to see a lot of Natal news and updates in the near future.

 

Yay! Natal on PCs That will be awsome... Gotta start my piggy bank fot that lol

 

It's not all about "flailing your arms around" if you think about it. First gen stuff will likely be like this, but think long term about interactive 3D holographic displays and the like. Tech like this will be a way to allow for touchscreen like functionality for displays that aren't actually physical devices. Plus, it could be pretty cool imo to be able to navigate around your file system etc by making small hand gestures.

 

Yea this is a step in a good direction.

Imagine in a decade when the software that will actually "immerse" you into video games looks back at this as a sort of parent technology.... of course Call of Duty 24: Super Ultra Modern Warfare will be out by then.

 

this technology has been available for a while for PC..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gesture_recognition

Microsoft just have the money to make it moar popular =P

 

In the Natal demos for the 360, file system navigation is already possible with hand gestures. However, it's kinda limited to the Xbox 360 interface and their file management system. For example, people were using their hands to wave through a list of their downloaded Netflix movies. Pretty awesome if you ask me. But yeah, navigating Windows explorer folders would be awesome with hand gestures...

Not to mention EA always trailing Activision's COD by releasing the nth Battlefield 30... It would be very awkward though playing FPS games with hand gestures.

Point well taken. Microsoft is simply making this sort of technology readily available, accesible, and affordable to public home consumers like us. It's a matter of how they market this and make it more user friendly for everyday people.

 

OK, now if they could only tie this in with something like the OCZ NIA, now that would be really cool.

Never did understand how the NIA could work for blokes though.....aren't we supposed to think about every 7 seconds or something? Ah no, that myth has never been proven or disproven I think, but it could make for interesting web conferencing where NIA + Natal are involved.......

 

that would be awesome! Also it would be cool with 3D displays, or 3D glasses (I imagine they could become cheaper), interactive movies and gaming would reach near-reality simulation levels.

Web conferencing and office applications... well, apart from getting people used to the new interface, I think upgrading all the machines (or just buying Project Natal cameras for office pcs) it's not envisionable in the near future...

 

Yup, and less than 20 years ago nobody needed more than 640k of base memory. It'll happen; and probably before I retire

 

I think the possibilies are endless. I mean, I hope the implementation is not limited to just games, but overall to the way we use our computers. Not really sure about this.
Any good idea about the future use of this Project Natal?

Side note, does anybody here know that Natal actually means Christmas in Indonesian?

 

Regarding gaming, Microsoft has abandoned any idea of PC Gaming a long time ago. Now, they're just being evil by shooting PC gaming in the foot in hopes of people migrating onto the Xbox 360.

Natal will obviously having gaming applications, but it is extremely doubtful that Microsoft will try to develop or support Natal in gaming very much at all. I believe they were more focused about using Natal in offices or something like that.

 

and a few years after Project Natal has been launched, someone will invent a console with wired controllers, and peoples will think:
" - omg, a controller is so much better than waving my arms and jumping around my house just to play a game, i love it".. and Project Natal will die.. =P