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We say “Project Natal,” you say “Xbox motion control camera doohickey,” right? In theory, it’s a gamer’s geekiest dream come true. You throw a punch, and your character on screen follows suit. Buttons? What are those? Soon, you could be hugging Gordon Freeman’s crowbar and fending off headcrabs with your own two hands. Fallout 3 production director Ashley Cheng, however, thinks Natal’s true potential lies far outside the realm of videogames.
“Seeing it in action, I was totally blown away by it. It seems wasted on games, really. Microsoft should open the NATAL API up like Apple does with the iPhone/iPad. Let anyone make a NATAL ‘app.’ I bet someone makes a killer app that has nothing to do with gaming,” the Bethesda developer wrote on his blog.
A couple weeks ago, we would’ve laughed at this. Then we saw Iron Man 2. Mark our words: if someone makes an app like that, they’ll become a millionaire. Even if we have to buy the app one million times ourselves.
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scott tech
May 28, 2010 at 2:02pm
Something such as this coupled with this amazing and, dare I say, open source device could make the Tony Stark computer a reality. Follow the link for an amzing and cool video...if it passes the filter
http://www.gizmodo.fr/2010/01/31/voici-lordinateur-portable-du-futur-ne-ratez-pas-cette-video.html
Now I really should get back to work
Zombie_Bo_Jackson
May 24, 2010 at 12:02pm
Wouln't need holographic display just ultra thin display on eye glasses combined with augmented reality type overlay to get the effect.
violian
May 21, 2010 at 11:24am
Bethesda is getting ahead of themselves. I'm 99% confident Microsoft already has plans to use Natal technology in other uses. Microsoft has introduced technologies at the "gaming" level, and then ported it to more "productive" uses - The Zune OS on the Zune HD is the framework for Windows Mobile 7, they introduced the HD-DVD on the Xbox360 to see how consumers would react to HD-movies, etc.
cappomutato
May 21, 2010 at 4:56am
It should be used to turn Windows into a multi-touch experience without the touching. Minority Report without the silly gloves. Throw it on the back of a phone and suddenly you can use sign language in place of the virtual keyboard. A controllerless Wii is weak.
s1r 70nk
May 21, 2010 at 5:26am
After reading this article I think we are only years away from having a computer like Tony Stark from Iron Man 2. But for it to go through the gamming world first is a great idea. It will allow Microsoft to get free feed back from customers. The Microsoft fan boys from xbox 360 will tell Microsoft just how they feel about it and how to improve it. Then I could see them rolling something off the line for an OS that can us this type of tech. Heck once this rolls out on to the market, you maybe able to just buy it and plug it into your pc at home.
Time to dream big or go home.
Caboose
May 21, 2010 at 8:40am
And then we just need holographic displays!
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
