Gates: Project Natal Coming to PCs

[DoctorFinger]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2424/3624912317_8092981538.jpg

Announced at this past E3, Microsoft's Project Natal (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/tags.php?tag=project+natal) was being touted as the next big thing for the Xbox. But according to statements made by Microsoft chairman emeritus Bill Gates, the Xbox is not the only platform which will be getting the Natal. Get ready for the motion controlled PC."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."

Using your body to control devices makes a lot of sense, Gates said. "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."This shouldn't come as too much of a shock. Many of the functions which were demoed at E3 using Natal had non-gaming applications: turning pages and navigating menus. While a motion sensing system likely won't replace the mouse and keyboard on your workstation or gaming rig, Microsoft's goal is to be the central force in your entire home. Home Theater PCs and home automation systems are just a few of the products which could be adapted, easily, to the Natal system. Gates also seems to confirm that Project Natal won't be seen until late 2010 at the earliest when he says this is something "you'll see... in a little over a year."

[H.Bogard]

Is it just me, or is that Natal box fucking scary?

I'm watching you, Dave!

[Xerxes]

Just what my Office 2007 needs. :)

[menage]

Meh, I doubt thsi will really influence much PC related stuff. It will take years to get people on board for this kind of stuff. Gaming maybe, but other stuff, no way. Hell, most people I know still use XP.

[JayVe]

I'm more interested in facial and voice recognition on the desktop than I am motion-capture.

[Yeti2005]

I could see it starting out with simple stuff like when you sit down at your computer it logs you into the correct account based off facial recognition. I could also see some voice recognition stuff for thing like "Play artist Korn" like the Sync does in certain cars.

I could also see some benefit in presentations for moving objects around and such.

Maybe it could help developers wake up when they fall asleep at their keyboard.

[Gorvi]

I could also see some voice recognition stuff for thing like "Play artist Korn" like the Sync does in certain cars.
So does it punch you in the groin when you say that? ;)

[Virtual Pariah]

Perhaps this is the opening that Microsoft is going to use to bring office apps to the home console?
Maybe not with the 360, but MS could leverage the next gen to become more inclusive. Plus this would not be in violation of any competition laws by doing it this way.

So you could have the same control system and apps between the office and living room.

[Hemalin]

Perhaps this is the opening that Microsoft is going to use to bring office apps to the home console?
Maybe not with the 360, but MS could leverage the next gen to become more inclusive. Plus this would not be in violation of any competition laws by doing it this way.

So you could have the same control system and apps between the office and living room.
So I would be sitting on me couch typing documents on an imaginary keyboard? It just isn't accurate enough for that.

[Telefrog]

Not really much of a surprise. I think many people saw the potential of Natal-like features in regular computing. Anything that minimizes the U/I and makes using the box more transparent is good. (This assumes the control actually works as intended.)

[Maskatron]

Haha... Games For Windows, I rest my case.

[MachEnergy]

I'm having fun imagining a Natal enabled house. Every room could have one or more cameras to watch you and track your activities around the house. With speakers in every room, I could walk from room to room, and my music could literally follow me. I just don't know if I'm comfortable with Natal knowing what I look like naked :p

[RandoM51]

Said it from the beginning. :)
Haha... Games For Windows, I rest my case.
Gesture and voice recognition can be applied to just about any Microsoft application you'd care to name---voice in apps predates motion control, matter of fact---not just games.

[Doogie2K]

So does that mean I can flip my computer the bird and Office will stop acting like a cheap whore? Or will Milo just get all offended and hurt?

Or maybe Milo is the new Office paper clip! Holy shit, I'm a genius!

[Orca]

Face recognition for logins on the PC would be nice, but I'd really like this for controlling my HTPC setup. Sliding through recorded movies/shows by waving a hand right or left would be nice.

[Hawkzombie]

Interactive Porn.

[Sandman]

HA HA. Even PC gaming can't escape motion controls.

Interactive Porn.

You win this thread.

[Cit Phil Cit]

Will this improve the games or just be a gimmick?

[JayVe]

HA HA. Even PC gaming can't escape motion controls.
For serious. Motion is now another form of input, much like keyboards, touch-screens, joysticks and mice. Fighting it is silly.

[Hemalin]

Will this improve the games or just be a gimmick?
Gimmick, I mean how is the camera supposed to see me stepping on imaginary pedals from under my desk?

[H.Bogard]

HA HA. Even PC gaming can't escape motion controls.



Hello! Have you ever heard of a wonderful invention called the Mouse?

[Sandman]

Hello! Have you ever heard of a wonderful invention called the Mouse?

Yeah, that's a point and click interface device....not a motion control device.

[H.Bogard]

Yeah, that's a point and click interface device....not a motion control device.

How is it any different? You're not steering your cursor... its moving in sync with your device.

[Sandman]

How is it any different? You're not steering your cursor... its moving in sync with your device.

Motion control is your motion controlling what is on screen....not your motion moving something that is controlling what is on screen.

[divinechaos]

Meh, I doubt thsi will really influence much PC related stuff. It will take years to get people on board for this kind of stuff. Gaming maybe, but other stuff, no way. Hell, most people I know still use XP.

This is a bad thing?

[JayVe]

Motion control is your motion controlling what is on screen....not your motion moving something that is controlling what is on screen.
Either way, your physical gestures are being tracked as input. Use a touchpad? Guess what. Motion control.

[Cit Phil Cit]

The PC market is a graveyard of input devices that have failed. They've failed because, well - when push comes to shove a keyboard and mouse is a fast, efficient, low-energy means to input data into a computer.

I unfortunately do not think motion control is faster, more efficient or low energy. I played Rise of the Triad with 3d fucking goggles man - this huge goddam helmet. I saw the future, and it didnt make my arms or neck tired from pretending I was playing Black and White too much.

And Johnny Mnemonic. Never4get.

l_CaxYF56jY

[Hawkzombie]

Did...did he ask for an iPhone in that? A Thomspn iPhone? ROFL

God I loved this movie. Dolph as the badass priest = win.

[Raen]

I'm having fun imagining a Natal enabled house. Every room could have one or more cameras to watch you and track your activities around the house. With speakers in every room, I could walk from room to room, and my music could literally follow me. I just don't know if I'm comfortable with Natal knowing what I look like naked :p

Something I've always wanted. It should be accurate enough that wherever I am in the house my music is at exactly the same level. That'd be so fucking awesome.

[menage]

This is a bad thing?

Nope, just goes to show people aren't adapting at the speed any company wants, unless it's about harmless stuff which doesn't interfere with their other stuff, like the Wii.

PC's are used for a lot of stuff, a lot of them personal, people don't like fixin something which ain't broken.

[JayVe]

And Johnny Mnemonic. Never4get.

They use faxes in 2021. Hee hee.

[Sl1pstream]

Just what my Office 2007 needs. :)

We'll finally get to kick that paperclip's ass!