Controller-Free Gaming
Since time immemorial — or at least since Pong —
one barrier that has stood between gamers and total Tron-like
immersion in their video games has been the controller: the
joystick, trackball, mouse, light gun or whatever. This year
Microsoft demonstrated a technology, code-named Project Natal,
that enables players to control games using only body movements
and voice commands, no controller required — the gamer's
body becomes the controller. Project Natal uses several cameras,
plus a highly specialized microphone and a lot of fancy software,
to track the gamer's body and interpret his or her voice.
You move your hand, and the Master Chief (or whoever) moves
his hand. It's that simple. And that cool.
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