Project Natal continues to rack up awards for innovation faster than the Nintendo Wii circa early 2007, making its way onto Time‘s 50 Best Inventions of 2009 list. Microsoft is pleased.
The third in what is sure to be a long list of innovation awards for Microsoft’s motion-sensing technology by way of time. The magazine’s annual list of the 50 Best Inventions highlights Project Natal, along with less significant inventions like tank-bred tuna and teleportation. Xbox corporate vice president Mike Delman fails to contain the company’s excitement.
“We’re excited that TIME Magazine chose Project Natal as one of their Inventions of the Year, and thrilled to see the excitement around controller-free gaming and entertainment. This is the third major award “Project Natal” received this past month including the Popular Mechanics 2009 Breakthrough Award and Popular Science Best of What’s New Grand Award.”
Here at Kotaku we’re pondering just making a Project Natal award post template, just to save time.
Controller-Free Gaming [Time]
OrderOfFaith
November 13, 2009 at 11:03 AM
The downside to any recognition program is that you need a decent light source, otherwise it absolutely fails.
Most people will have their light source behind them, or not bright enough for the camera to pick up movements.
So if you arent casting shadows infront of you, your light source usually completely fails.
Unless you can say that your house is as sterile as those videos demo’s, and there is at least 3 strong light sources that will remove shadows and keep the whole room lit for the entire duration of you using the console?
The interface is great, the idea on paper is great, but when you bring it into an average gamers house, it wont be as ideal as you’d want.
Think about what you’d have to rearrange before you’d even be able to start playing?
And this is only because the light source(s) are most likely poor, or otherwise discoloured.
Report PermalinkLets not even get started on the quality of the essentially converted pc web cam, with stickers slapped all over them.
Jay
November 13, 2009 at 11:29 AM
*tumbleweed blows across screen*
Report Permalinkollycity
November 13, 2009 at 6:23 PM
It detects people on infrared. So you can play with no light and you’ll be fine, unless you want to scan in a skateboard or whatever that kid did in the ad.
Report PermalinkDaniel
November 15, 2009 at 4:47 AM
I suggest you read up a bit or do a bit more research on the concept behind natal before you jump to conclusions…
The idea is based around infra-red light like jay “subtlely” mentioned. If you didn’t get that, ollycity’s comment was there just to confirm it haha.
It isn’t like your typical webcam that relies on a perfect image of you before it processes it – it captures the scene via a method that isn’t light dependant.
Report PermalinkThey would’ve taken this into account when designing it – they wouldn’t want people to have to adjust 3 different light sources like you said to fully remove all shadows – that just wouldn’t work!
DansDans
November 13, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Im curious about something
If it makes a 2009 list, should it be readily available for use in 2009? This product isnt.
Also, I dont believe MS have been working on this only this year, they probably started a few years ago, so at what year should this device actually be award “best inventions of..”?
Report PermalinkJay
November 13, 2009 at 4:37 PM
How bout No? :-P
It’s still been invented, which is what the list is all about. It’s just like the E3 Awards. Some games that get Game of the Year aren’t yet released and some don’t get released til the very end of the year or beginning of next. Yes they are playable but not available.
I’m also still laughing at OrderOfFaith’s comment.
Report PermalinkAd
November 13, 2009 at 12:39 PM
Not a bad achievement for something that no one has used yet…
Report PermalinkPremature for sure.!!
November 14, 2009 at 1:01 PM
EXACTLY…. I have my doubts how effective it will acutally be.
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