Project Natal - What it All Means

I'm sick as a dog, but here with video game knowledge and a look inside the future of gaming nonetheless. Cough cough, haaaack. Ahem, excuse me. This week, Guy takes the role of research assistant while I break down exactly what the deal is with Project Natal and why it will define the future of gaming.

Project Natal, set to debut via the Xbox 360 has the tag-line "You Are the Controller." Natal is a controller-free system that allows you to use your natural body motions to play through sports, adventure, and casual games. As they say on the official Xbox website, "See a ball? Kick it, hit it, trap it or catch it.  If you know how to move your hands, shake your hips or speak, you and your friends can jump into the fun." The target audience is pretty obviously the casual gamer that wants a more fulfilling experience than beating up Mario with a choppy motion stick via the Wii.

The Project Natal sensor (pictured above) can view movement in 3D, picking up gestures, tracking movement, recognizing voice signatures and facial gestures. It also employs skeletal mapping technology that can track up to four gamers at a time. This tech is set to roll out in the next few months with a slate of games that includes anticipated genre racing games such as Burnout Paradise and future blockbusters such as Fable III. Project Natal puts you in the game. Imagine a football game with Natal added to it. A game that makes you feel a part of the adventure and not just in control of a goofy sprite simulating a bad fitness program.

This was a brief rundown of the basics of Natal. If you want to know more, feel free to hit me up in the comments section below and I'll be happy to answer any questions. I might even pull Guy in to help me out.

Next week the Yasar and Guy show returns to shed light on the myths and truths about the Nintendo Wii. As always you can follow me on Twitter @YasarSavings for great video gaming deals and news.