Natal Burnout demo'd on Fallon's Late Night

[Dohc-WP]

When Saturday Night Live vet Jimmy Fallon took over the Late Night studio from Conan O'Brien earlier this year, he pledged to elevate game coverage to a level comparable with movies. Making good on that promise with a big score last night, Fallon had on Microsoft creative director Kudo Tsunoda to give a public demo for the Xbox 360's upcoming motion-sensing camera known as Project Natal.



Tsunoda's demo on Late Night began with Ricochet, the high-intensity Breakout-inspired game that led Microsoft's demo during its 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo press conference. Of note, when Tsunoda stepped aside to give Fallon a shot at the action-puzzler, the camera automatically and immediately adjusted the on-screen avatar to match the comedian's relatively diminutive stature and hair style.

Tsunoda also showed how Project Natal could be integrated with other Xbox 360 games, specifically Criterion's high-speed action racer Burnout Paradise. As part of the demo, Tsunoda held his hands out in front of him as if to grasp a steering wheel, rotating them from side to side to steer the car. Tsunoda accelerated by placing one foot in front of the other and then reversed by mirroring the motion. Other actions, such as the game's iconic turbo boost, were not detailed.

Microsoft has not yet attached a release window to Project Natal.

another presentation to prove it really works

[Lydon]

The doubters are trembling in their boots

[phoenix]

I wonder whether the varying distance between one's hands while holding an imaginery wheel matters.

Sliding feet to accelerate/decelerate sounds awkward to me, but that may only be
because of my poor sense of co-ordination.

Lastly, I think that Microsoft should bite the bullet and use the xbox 360 controller or
some form of motion controller with the Project Natal hardware [which sounds as though it could be quite expensive]

I'll wait and see how well Microsoft implement this technology before I pass any further comment.

[HANDsolo]

There's no tactile feel of having a controller of some sort in your hands. It could feel strange and unsatisfying to some.