Project Natal is revealed at the Tokyo Game Show

At this year’s Tokyo Game Show, there was one thing that really stole the show: Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Project Natal. Despite the numerous other demonstrations and exhibitions, Natal was the one thing that had everybody talking. The excitement surrounding the revelation of Project Natal was immense and the system itself did not disappoint.

If you have not already heard, Project Natal, which is just a working title, is the latest in motion-sensory technology that promises to send the control pad packing. Yes, gone the way of the dodo will be the steering wheel, Wiimote, numb chucks and other paraphernalia.

During the Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft’s creative director, Kudo Tsunoda, displayed three demo games to illustrate the potential of Project Natal. The first and most basic demo was a simple ball game, in which players have to destroy a 3D wall by knocking the bricks with a red ball. Of course, to achieve this, a player must deflect the ball with any part of their body. The result is an extremely physical game, in which enthusiastic players are sent dashing from side-to-side, forwards and backwards.

One of the highlights, for many participants of the Tokyo Game Show, was Tsunoda’s unveiling of Burnout Paradise adapted for the Natal. In this game, players hold out their arms to grasp an imaginary steering wheel and press their feet onto an invisible accelerator peddle. This is similar to the way a small child would mime driving a car, but it is amazing nonetheless.

If that failed to impress, the endorsement of Hideo Kojima, Toshihiro Nagoshi and Keiji Inafune (three of the most well-respected men in the gaming industry) left the attendees of the Tokyo Game Show in no doubt that Project Natal is pointing the way for the future of gaming.

Related posts:

1. Games for Project Natal At this year’s Tokyo Game Show Kudo Tsunoda, creative director with Microsoft, unveiled some of the demo games currently being used to illustrate the technological advances of Project Natal. If you didn’t already know, Natal...