This probably won't come as a surprise, but according to uber-geek/richest man on earth Bill Gates, Microsoft would like to take the Natal control system for the 360 and apply it to Windows PCs as well.
In an interview with Cnet, Gates said Natal 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... both the Xbox guys and the Windows guys latched onto that and now even since they latched onto it the idea of how it can be used in the office is getting much more concrete, and is pretty exciting."
No word on when we'll be able to wave our hands around to control our PC, though, sorry.
Judging from Gates' comments, Microsoft is very behind the utility of Natal, but I'm not so sure. It's very hard to tell the difference between the everything-is-possible ideal of a soon-to-exist piece of technology and the on-the-ground usefulness of it. Natal will likley be a very awesome addition to some kinds of games, but I think in the case of controlling a PC, the difference between gimmick and innovation depends on how sensitive the thing is to small movements. I could see using a camera for, say, flipping through albums to find a song I wanted to hear, but only if it's fingertip controlled -- and if the thing messed up more than twice, I wouldn't use it again, ever.
It sort of reminds me of voice control of computers. For a years, being able to say, "computer, open file!" was the dream of futurists and sci-fi writers the world over, but now that we can actually do it, no one does, because a mouse click is simpler and doesn't make you sound stupid.
What do you think of Natal? Am I being totally blind to the possibilities of Natal controlled PCs here? Let me know in the comment section!
Comments
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Loadin
Truth is I didnt read what others had tos say...because im pretty pumped up for natal...its time for that push forward good or bad cant always be affraid of trying something new if that was the case id be my grandparents and still drive cars built in the 80s and who better to take those steps then bill gates himself... sure we have to dish out some money but if we didnt once in awhile we would be a 3rd world country.. I say we start making our marks in history for our generation to take the next step forward or atleast attempting to..I dont feel like another 10-30 years of the same crap..Bring on those robots and flying cars!! =)...
willum546
honestly i think it would be awesome to have a pc that you say the web site you go to and use youre hands to move through the pages and as fo the mic and web cam being cheaper and the same for web confrencing imagine bieng in a board meeting and having an interactive world to where i looks like a real board meeting and you open a file by saying it. you probly would have to point and at the screen with a quick jolt before it before it will move through the menus so you wont have to worry about smooking or drinking or eating while using it and having it mess you up. hell they might even be smart enough at microsoft to use the facial recognition to see where youre eyes are and move to that pasific place on the screen i think its the next step to hollograms they are already working on 3-D television next thing after that is a tv that you see differnt things from differnt spots in the room so in closiong i think natal is going to be awesome and be the start of the futre that futurist like me have always dreamed of.
yogiboy789
wtf can't they release something good not some "u are the control thing" i find anything that is motion control a waste of my money
DEAThHEART
Natal is only gonna fail if Microsoft tries to market it for games.
Mr_PS3
Natal will become the Wii if it continues trying to appeal to everyone. You will play with it for the first month and set it aside for at least six months. I guarantee game developers will make games for the first year and then stop support. Steven Johnson is right, people always seem to return back to the basics.
jsh020
youl hate me for this but i dont think natal will work. yah 14 thumbs down already. its just i cant see it working. all the game will have to require the game charecter to be in one place. theres no way to play shooter of any kind. and the 360 has nothing but shooters. tell me how many times do you hear of a rpg on the 360 or a puzzler. actuly on a disc and not from the xbox store. ITS RARE. i think we learned from the eye toy(aka what natals basicly takeing the idea from) that we need buttons to play games.if not then its doomed.
crackingcody
at errorcodeofdeath, it is still a microsoft exclusive so it doesn't matter. and it is not confirmed for the pc
BurrCO
@ anyone who says "natal is a desperation move" or "only cool if you like wii"
First off, Microsoft is developing this because it's trying to move entertainment and technology in general forward. Without efforts like this we would probably still be playing on 8-bit systems and watching horrible movies/tv shows. They aren't doing it because they are threatened or feel like they are losing anything, they are doing it because it's awesome and they want to get something new going.
Maybe at launch this will seem like a "Wii type gimmick" and it might not be the best if you're going to throw down some Halo 3 or Gears but this looks like the next step for a lot of things "entertainment." *enter Tony Stark's computer* And putting it on Windows isn't a desperation move, it makes sense considering it's the same freaking company. Jeeze
Will Microsoft haters stop being jealous that this is just too freakin' awesome?
Bookshelf
There is no way i would use this in a serious manner. For gaming or anything.
Mouse and Keyboard pwns all.
Zack_Nero
To be honest, I think that making the Natal for the computer, before making for the game console, would make more sense. However, making a game console is a big mistake. It needs to be use for business, like offices, and then advance communication for home uses. I don't think the world is ready for 2013 or 2016 gaming console, when we don't even have 2009 advance home-computers. So Project Natal, should be home-computers, before Xbox Natal of tommorrow.
ErrorCodeOfDeath
Two things...
One..how much body movement is involved with a mouse to work a PC compared to what Natal has to offer?....I'de rather use the mouse then look like a spasmatic Merlin The Wizard to be able to work my PC.
Second...Natal no longer exclusive??...whats the point to owning a 360.
g4ismediocre
Well as soon as I heard this, I dropped my interest in Natal. There's no way i'm putting that on my computer. Also I thought this was exclusive to Microsoft so putting it on PC loses its hype because now it's on two platforms now which isn't something fanboys can really brag about or it's not competition because everybody's having this device so it's just considered an add-on. Don't get me wrong, this is something really innovative but it's not something Microsoft can say "This is out new technology that's going to compete with Sony and Nintendo."
Prubar
Think about using Natal in Halo's Forge. Stop........just think about it.
qec
I agree, If the thing screwed up on me once I would stop using it forever. I smoke cigarettes and if I were doing something and the menus kept going all funky cause i was taking drags off my smoke, I'd be super mad.
I do like the example of Tony Stark's PC though, it also reminds me of James Bond's in Quantum of Solace, or even the computers in Minority Report, I think. That is hopefully where the tech is headed.
EntropyMu
I think we should wait to get excited about Natal until they show us it can handle movements more with more precision than a full arm swing or kick.
As for non-gaming, how would this be different than teleconferencing equipment already available (or for that matter, how much better than the webcam and mic already standard in most cheap laptops)?
RRODisBack
RRODisBack's comment is abusive and has been removed.
down311
How about Natal-ia, the XXX addition ?
brsterkens
good point n8r. then the next bush like prez. infringe on your right and catalog wire tap every person that has one or uses one a work and spy on every one for there own gain.
newbman
I want Natal on the computer used for MOcap.
Blue_Vortex
If they're going to do that, they should have laptops and desktops have natal built right in them, so you'll have an advance 3D web cam in your computer
or better yet build a laptop/desktop where you can fit natal on the monitor (there's an area on the monitor where it could clip into and out).
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