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MICROSOFT PROJECT NATAL (CONTROLLER-FREE GAMING AND ENTERTAINMENT). Overview. Introduction to console gaming & Project Natal Explanation - How Natal works Features & Applications – Gaming & Entertainment Advantages Disadvantages Conclusion . Introduction.
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MICROSOFT PROJECT NATAL (CONTROLLER-FREE GAMING AND ENTERTAINMENT)
Overview Introduction to console gaming & Project Natal Explanation - How Natal works Features & Applications – Gaming & Entertainment Advantages Disadvantages Conclusion
Introduction • Game consoles or video games are dedicated devices for playing video games. • The player interacts with the game through a controller, a hand-held device with buttons and joysticks or pads. • Project Natal is the code name for a "controller-free gaming and entertainment experience" by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 video game platform. • Microsoft Natal lets you interact with your games without a controller in your hand, by using natural user interface like gestures, spoken commands, or presented objects and images.
Examples of consoles Nintendo Wii Sony PS3 XBOX 360
Explanation Microsoft Natal Sensor • Natal consists of following parts • Sensor Device • Depth Sensor • Microphone
How Natal Works? • There are two cameras—one RGB, for face recognition and display video, and one infrared, for tracking movement and depth. • The Zcam can pinpoint the depth of an object to within 1 to 2 centimeters, and capture the information at a rate of 60 frames per second • A light pulse is first generated from an infra red light source (infrared emitter) creating a light wall. • When this wall hits the 3D objects in the scene and the reflections create an imprint of the objects shape.
How Natal Works? (contd) • This imprint contains all the information that will be required for the reconstruction of the scene structure. • A gating algorithm is used whose output will be a gray level image with each pixel's intensity proportional to the imprint image depth . • Natal also has its own internal processing system handling an unspecified amount of the heavy lifting behind Natal's cleaver image and speech recognition. • It breaks the human body into 48 points tracked in real time, and it can sense your whole body in Z space.
How Natal Works? (contd) • Voice in the crowd • Background noise and multiple voices can cause errors. • IBM has developed a system that can read lips movements for speech recognition. • Face reading • Speech software could also feasibly be used to recognize emotions from stresses and emphasis in a player's voice • Emotional connection • Even with that limitation, a console able to sense emotions and respond to them has the potential to make gaming a much richer experience.
Applications & Features • No controller required
Advantages • Uses motion capture techniques to map the player's entire body in 3D space as a controller • No button interface required, this makes it more accessible to casual gamers. • Follows multiple people with no additional hardware required, this has much potential for party gaming. • Natal is claimed to be able to utilize any exact device, such as your golf, or tennis racquet for more real interactive gaming experience • Not to be limited by personal use, the Natal technology could be deployed for enterprise environment too.
Disadvantages • Slight delay in response time • Even with the varied interfaces with the system, it requires a well lit room to properly work. • It have some precision problems - a drawback for ‘strategic’ game genres. • Not having a controller can have its drawbacks, for example, how would someone turn the camera to look in a different direction? • Lack of very fine controls. Without an analog element, for example, shooting an in-game rifle likely cannot be done with the twitch of a single finger. • The system will recognize multiple players in a room, so it’s not quite clear what will happen if the dog wanders by, the curtains sway or a bird flies across the window behind you in the middle of a game.
Conclusion • Natal have to compete with upcoming Sony’s motion control plus and Nintendo’s Wii MotionPlus . • Bill Gates says that Natal's depth-sensing camera won't be limited to gaming use, "but for media consumption as a whole, like online meetings, collaboration, and communication." • Natal looks like science fiction made real, How many of these features gamers will see when Natal finally hits shelves, though, is unknown.