The Project Natal. The Revolution has Come!

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We've got either good or bad news depending on how you felt about the rumored name change for Microsoft's motion-sensing Project Natal. The new brand "Kinect" has just been confirmed by USA Today. The story, which includes no pricing or timing info, seems to have been slated to run tomorrow, though we imagine it might have been rushed out when the name started circulating after appearing in an Italian ad.

There's even a list of games!

[Huge thanks to Jake for the heads up.]

Kinect is in, 'Project Natal' is out originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 13 Jun 2010 20:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Sunday, June 13, Microsoft will host its Project Natal event -- you know, the gala event with Cirque du Soleil? We're betting we'll get details on launch price and date for Project Natal (not to mention its real name) there, but ahead of that event we've got some interesting news on an upcoming Natal title, care of our Joystiq Superspy[TM].

We're told that Sega is preparing an Xbox Live Arcade game for Project Natal, titled Sonic Free Riders. As you may have guessed, it's a motion-compatible entry in Sega's racing series. Players will supposedly steer an on-screen avatar via bodily movement, and will acquire weapons by reaching out toward the screen, and attack other racers by motioning towards them.

It all sounds very intuitive, but will it be fun? We'll let you know in a few weeks when we touch down in L.A. for E3 2010.

Rumor: Natal-compatible 'Sonic Free Riders' coming to XBLA originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If a report by Edge proves accurate (wait till E3), then Pachter's estimation that Project Natal will cost less than an average game is off. Instead, a source backed by Edge has alleged a $150 price point (with plenty of room to drop) for the forthcoming Xbox 360 motion tech camera -- or $300 when bundled with the Xbox 360 Arcade console. Additionally, the source has suggested an October 26 worldwide release -- give or take "a few weeks."

Of course, both the rumored pricing and release date remain uncorroborated (we repeat: wait till E3). But, hey, that doesn't mean we can't have a bit of fun with the supposed intel. And by "fun," we mean, "host an online poll asking if you'd spend $150 on Project Natal" ...

View Poll

Rumor: Project Natal priced at $150; bundled with Arcade SKU for $300 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 May 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motion camera meta-voyeurism news now, with an alleged Project Natal test kit capturing every movement of a man ... taking pictures of it. According to Italian gaming site Multiplayer.it, the photos originate from a tester, who was tasked with having an unreciprocated conversation with the Xbox 360 peripheral in order to test its speech recognition capabilities.

The surprisingly cheerful documentation included with the supposed test kit explicitly warns against tilting the camera manually, as it's already equipped with a "motorized tilt mechanism" -- all the better to see you with, my dear. The "Quick Start Guide" also shows how the early model of the camera connects to an Xbox 360 development kit via USB and a power outlet via a split cable.

It's not known how representative these photos are of early Project Natal development kits, nor how much of it will change by the time the final product arrives this holiday. Microsoft did not comment on the veracity of the images, with a representative telling Joystiq: "We announced earlier this year that Project Natal will launch this holiday, and our teams are working hard to bring the best experiences to life. We have nothing further to announce at this time."

[Via Engadget]

Rumor: Natal test kit photos reveal 'motorized tilt mechanism,' power cord originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Speaking to CVG, THQ core games exec Danny Bilson revealed that he's got quite an ambitious idea for Microsoft's upcoming Project Natal peripheral; specifically, he cites plans for a "core game" that leverages Natal's motion-sensing tech "in a really, really cool way." That said, Bilson intimates that the budget for such a game -- which he estimates to be from $30-40 million -- would prevent the game from being released before the Natal install base is large enough to support it. Still, he adds, "The concept I have uses every corner of that tech and maybe in a couple of years we'll do it."

Whatever Bilson's mystery project is, he certainly seems excited by the technology. Just last week, Bilson was talking up another project that THQ plans to announce at E3, which may or may not be the "super awesome" and "physically active" Natal project he told Joystiq about during GDC. THQ was also one of the first companies to reveal it had been working on Natal dev kits when Microsoft first announced the peripheral last year.

THQ planning big for Natal, but waiting for install base to grow originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 22:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In February of 2009, it was revealed that Microsoft had purchased a 3D motion-sensing camera company called 3DV. In June, the company showed off Project Natal, leading most to assume the two were connected, though Microsoft countered, saying "we built [Natal] in house." That brings us to today, as (a company you probably haven't heard of) PrimeSense has announced that its 3D motion-sensing tech is being utilized for Project Natal.

"Xbox 360 Hardware Engineering teams developed the 'Project Natal' sensor based on the PrimeSensor reference design to support the special requirements of Project Natal," said Aviad Maizels, PrimeSense president and founder.

What we don't know at the moment is just how much Microsoft's baby relies on PrimeSense. As you can see in the video after the jump (which had to have been directed by Tommy Wiseau) and in Engadget's demonstration, the company's focus has been on gesture control for UI navigation, so it's possible PrimeSense could just be supplying a way for users to interact with the Xbox Dashboard and Guide with motion commands. We'll let you know what we can find out.

Update: Microsoft's product manager for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, Aaron Greenberg, dropped us a line to further explain the Microsoft-PrimeSense partnership where Project Natal is concerned. "Regarding your question, this was primarily a hardware partner announce," Greenberg said. "Bottom line, we've worked closely with PrimeSense to design the best 3D-sensing technology component for 'Project Natal.' Microsoft is fully responsible for the design and development of the 'Project Natal' sensor, including its depth sensor, RGB camera, multi-array microphone and software."

Continue reading PrimeSense 3D-sensing tech licensed for Project Natal [update]

PrimeSense 3D-sensing tech licensed for Project Natal [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peter Molyneux says that the biggest problem with Project Natal isn't the difficulty in programming for a new technology, but the potential users themselves. Speaking with the Times Online, Molyneux says that the Natal tech is "so different and new that trying to get a focus group to look at it and respond is almost impossible." Perhaps it's not just that people aren't responding to the likes of Milo, it's that they don't realize he will respond to them.

Molyneux clarifies that his team is still working on the to-be-announced project, which we saw "glimpses" of at E3, and that they've increased "emotional engagement" since then. "The only way I see you at the moment is through your thumbs," he says. But Natal lets a virtual character see everything from body movement to facial expression, and that, says Molyneux, allows his team to "design experiences that truly resonate with you as an individual, rather than with a mass of people." While its an intriguing concept, such an open-ended design makes for a lot of pressure on the developer to ensure accessible to all kinds of individuals. Good thing there's plenty of time to pencil in more focus groups before Natal's holiday launch.

[Via TVGB]

Molyneux says Natal focus testing is 'almost impossible' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's been a while since we've heard anything regarding Braid developer Jonathan Blow's next project, The Witness -- however, if a recent post on Blow's blog is any indication, the "philosophical, and quiet" game might be moving in an unexpected direction. According to the post, Blow is "hiring another programmer into the new company, to do very interesting work with full-body motion tracking."

We contacted Blow to see if this new hire would be working on The Witness, and whether the motion tracking technology mentioned is Project Natal. He responded by saying he "can't talk about this right now," and added, "it may not even actually happen (depending on whether I can find someone qualified to do it!)."

So, there you have it. If you've got experience with body movin' (body, body movin'), it sounds like Blow could use a hand. And an arm! And a torso. And a ... yeah, you got it.

Jonathan Blow hiring 'full-body motion tracking' programmer originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In an interview with Joystiq, Microsoft's Phil Spencer said he wouldn't be surprised to see Project Natal integration in Fable 3. Another person who wouldn't be surprised? The guy in charge of Fable 3. Peter Molyneux told Game Kings that he was "leaving the most exciting gameplay stuff for later." He then added, "I am going to say it's going to use a controller, but I've never said it's not going to use Natal."

"And obviously what would probably happen if I started talking about this is you would see a little red dot appear moving on my forehead," Molyneux continued. "And then as I would start to speak the words then there would be a shotgun fire, and I would be assassinated. Quite clearly, it is that sensitive." But not so sensitive that he can't quite nearly confirm it in the next breath.

"Do you really think, knowing me, as maybe you do over the years, I wouldn't want to use something like Natal? I mean, that's just mad, man." Let's just lay it out here: The guy responsible for basically the only known Natal project is going to put some Natal segments in Fable 3. We all know this. It's going to happen. Try to look surprised when it's announced at whichever trade show next year.

[Via IGN]

Natal in Fable 3 hinted by a paranoid Molyneux originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As you've probably guessed, the dearth of footage of actual Project Natal gameplay can be attributed to Microsoft's ban on filming the screen during demos of the technology. Hence, the gameplay-less video above, captured by Engadget during a Natal preview of Beautiful Katamari and Space Invaders Extreme.

Watch as Project Natal creative director Kudo Tsunoda shows how one rolls giant sticky balls or pushes back extraterrestrial attackers using only one's limbs. Without seeing the screen, we can't be certain how well he's performing these activities, but we can certainly attest to his remarkable dancing prowess.

TGS 2009: Kudo demoes Natal, invents dance craze originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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