It was this time last year that
Microsoft first revealed its motion controller for the Xbox 360,
Project
Natal. Today, Microsoft has officially announced the controller
and has given it a new name. The new accessory is now called "Kinect
for Xbox 360" and will be available this November.
As you may recall, Kinect is an add-on USB peripheral for the Xbox 360 that features an onboard camera, motion
sensing, and multi-array microphone which allows it to capture full
body movements in a 3D space. It can track 48 points of movement at
30 fps and can recognize an individuals face and voice.
You are the controller,” said Mike
Delman, Corporate VP of Global Marketing for Microsoft's Interactive
Entertainment Business. “You simply step in front of the sensor and
Kinect sees you move, hears your voice and recognizes your face.”
“Some people don’t like
controllers,” Delman continued. “And Kinect makes the gaming and
entertainment experience more organic and free-flowing, without any
of the barriers that can sometimes keep people from participating.”
According
to the USA Today, there are a number of new games in the
works for Kinect including:
- Kinectimals -- Allows you to get in touch with your feline side by training cats and lions.
- Kinect Sports -- This sounds like Wii Sports on steroids. Gamers can fully interact with such sports at boxing, bowling, and volleyball.
- Joyride -- A racing game that forces you to hold your hands out in front of you to grasp an imaginary steering wheel.
Pricing is not yet available for Kinect
(rumors have pegged the price at being
as high as $150), but it is expected to launch
this November.
