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[Xbox-Scene]

Microsoft: Project Natal Can Support Multiple Players, See Fingers Posted by XanTium | June 5 22:48 EST | News Category: Xbox360

From kotaku.com: * I thought the system, as impressive as it was in letting me play kickball with virtual balls on a TV and no controllers on my body, might not be able to handle multi-player gaming. * Wrong, the project's director, Kudo Tsunoda told me. He had me look at a special display set up as part of the ball-ricocheting demo. What I saw proved how clearly Natal was easily reading both my body and his as we both stood in front of the sensors. We appeared on screen as simplified, mutli-jointed stick figure skeletons within silhouettes of our bodies. It clearly saw us as separate people. There would be no problem, he said, for the system to support a game that let us play at the same time and track our movements separately. * I thought Project Natal might be good for reading big body movements but not for finer finger movements. * Theoretically, I got that wrong too, Tsunoda told me, though he didn't have a way to prove it to me there. The stick-figure skeletons that Natal recognize us as did not have fingers. Each one had a short stick for each hand. I saw no fingers, so I assumed it could not see my fingers. There seemed to be no way for Natal to know, say, how many fingers I was holding up. If it could, then it could maybe read hand signs issued to squadmates in military first-person shooters. I questioned Natal's ability to detect those finer movements. Tsunoda said that such detection was possible, though the sensitivity would be different at different distances. He thought my fingers idea was do-able. Full Story: kotaku.com Full Story: kotaku.com

[Knasen]

I really like the 360 controller and still think it is the best way to control most games on the console and I don't think I ever want to replace it completely with motion detection. A combination of the standard controller and motion sensing could be really cool though to increase the immersion of gameplay.

For example a shooter where you use the controller for movement and aiming as usual, but using real arm movement to throw grenades, turning your head to look around for enemies and using my voice to give squad commands. That could be totally awesome.

I also think local multiplayer could be alot of fun when using really accurate motion sensing. Imagine playing typical party games like Fuzion Frenzy, Viva Pinata Party animals or similar games with three other friends, all waving and shouting  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

This post has been edited by Knasen: Jun 6 2009, 09:15 AM

[kgn340]

yes.

as i've read else where "how does one strafe with this without running into the furniture?"

you're also missing the immersion from the rumble.   hmmm, maybe sell a rumble/impact vest?

while it may seem cool to jump around in the living room without a controller, the actual mechanism of gameplay control needs to be thought through carefully.  especially if the price tag rivals that of the console.

how many controls are on your favorite game?  how would you change weapons? run?  enter/exit?
am i gonna feel like a cheerleader playing this thing?

the wii controller had great promise, but i think either the implementation or the utilization fell short.

[DMAddict]

Anybody see a suggested retail price for this thing yet?

[Evtrek]

It's not to replace the controller.  It's like the drums and guitar...just another controller mechanism for certain games.

Don't get it twisted.

[TimberWolf5]

QUOTE(Evtrek @ Jun 6 2009, 04:31 PM)

It's not to replace the controller.  It's like the drums and guitar...just another controller mechanism for certain games.

Don't get it twisted.

+1

[kgn340]

how much body movement can a person accomplish while holding two hands on a 360 controller?

oh wait, does microsoft still have a bug zapper controller in the works?

[MaulerX]

QUOTE(Evtrek @ Jun 6 2009, 11:31 AM)

It's not to replace the controller.  It's like the drums and guitar...just another controller mechanism for certain games.

Don't get it twisted.

This.