First Thoughts: Project Natal

As the newly appointed Denver Xbox Examiner, what credibility would I have if I didn’t mention Microsoft’s biggest announcement of E3 2009, Project Natal?

If you haven’t heard, Project Natal is the new motion sensor technology that Xbox 360 is testing out for their next wave of gaming much like Nintendo’s Wii, only that Project Natal uses no controller whatsoever. That’s right, rather than being required to hold a wand and a nunchuck, this version of motion sensor gaming is completely hands free... well, other than your actual hands.

This concept of gaming raises a lot of questions, much like Wii did when it was first launched, the main one: will it work? And not just work, work in the way it was intended to. The Wii was able to successfully prove doubters wrong, but this, in my opinion, is a whole other frontier.

What I see Project Natal, which Microsoft used Steven Spielberg as their E3 spokesperson, as is an attempt to bring those newly hooked gamers that were reeled in the Wii’s ease of use (such as dad and grandma)–it’s a bridge builder. For moderate to serious gamers such as myself I see this as a possible step back for Microsoft’s main consumers. We like having that controller in our hand allows us different combinations of attacks, flight maneuvers and other movements... not training our bodies new ways to move. We don’t want the Power Glove 2.0.!

On the other side of this argument lies a brilliant idea from Microsoft that will almost guarantee a huge spike in sales because it’s a supplement for a new system that will probably cost, roughly, $200, rather than sprouting $500 for a whole new console... let’s just attach an add-on!

Not only does this allow for saving money in an economy that we’re still waiting to come back to surface, but it brings those gamers who got hooked on the Wii over from Nintendo to Microsoft with a product that promises to be easier than easy. At the same time, we’re able connect our standard Xbox 360 controllers and play [enter name of a groundbreaking shooter here], while our families can play “pop the bubbles” when we’re not around.

Honestly, when I stared this post I was really skeptic about Project Natal, but the more I dissected my thoughts on paper (or the computer screen), I realized that this might not be so bad afterall.