Microsoft Promises Plenty of Surprises for E3 2010, with Project Natal Headlining the Show

At the center of the buzz surrounding the industry giant is Project Natal.  Named after a city in Brazil, Project Natal is basically a revolutionary way of playing video games.  So how is it revolutionary?  Well, you do not need a controller to play.  That's right, Project Natal allows for controller-free gaming.  While Nintendo's Wii gaming console incorporated gamers' physical movements, it did so with the need for a controller.  It would seem that Microsoft is attempting to outgun Nintendo with the promise of no controller at all.

Project Natal works with the Xbox 360 gaming system.  It looks similar to a small cable box and is equipped with a camera and microphone.  The components allow the device to track both your motions as well as your voice, incorporating both audio and video into the mix.  While this type of technology sounds great and is groundbreaking, one has to wonder how well it will actually work.  Will there be lag?  How accurate is the motion and voice-sensing technology?  There are bound to be some growing pains experienced by Project Natal, and one might expect many bugs while gaming.  If anyone can perfect this type of technology though, it's Microsoft.

There are no actual games that have been seen at this point for Project Natal, although several videos exist that show its possibilities.  For example, games that incorporate several body movements like skateboarding, soccer, and racing have been implied.  A game that allows you to paint using a flinging motion has even been shown.  Another of the game show variety captures your spoken words to answer trivia. 

From the available content supplied by Microsoft so far, it seems like the possibilities are endless.  It also seems as though Microsoft is taking a page out of the Nintendo Wii's book and aiming Project Natal toward a family target market, with several videos depicting families sitting on the couch and having plenty of gaming fun.  By eliminating the need for a controller, Microsoft believes that it will take the intimidating part out of gaming and encourage many newcomers to the hobby.

Regardless of whether or not Project Natal pans out, you can be sure that there will be plenty of parties interested in giving it a shot.  For E3 2010, Microsoft promises to unveil a complete lineup of actual titles for Project Natal, which will then show if this gamers' dream can actually be a reality.  The company will likely announce a more specific release date for the system, as it is currently promised to be released in the vague time frame of “Holiday 2010. ” 

Those interested in other Microsoft offerings will have something to look forward to as well, as one might expect to see information on new Xbox 360 releases from the Call of Duty and Halo series.  You might even see some news on an Xbox 360 offering to counter the popular PS3 Slim.

For more news on Microsoft's plans for E3, visit http://360.kombo.com/article.php?artid=18707