Microsoft has finally put a name to their Project Natal hands free motion control system, with the release of the brand name Kinect.
The device, which was originally codenamed Project Natal, has been released ahead if the E3 games expo, which starts on 15 June in the USA.
Sold as an add on for the XBox 360 Microsoft said Kinect will hit shelves in Australia in the last half of the year which is when Sony will release their PlayStation Move controller. Both Companies arer trying to take on Nintendo’s upgraded WiiMotion Plus controller.
The BBC reported that the new Microsoft offering was recently demonstrated with jumping and flying games to a yoga simulator and Star Wars shooter, in which players control a virtual light sabre and use hand gestures to control action on the screen.
There was also a virtual pet, which can be controlled and played with using Kinect. Microsoft says it will release the full details of its games at another media event on 14 June.
Another Kinect game that was demoed on the night was Dance Central from MTV Games which allows the player to coordinate their dance moves in time to an on-screen prompt.
Although less than two minutes of it was shown, with No Doubt’s Hella Good track thumping in the background, it illustrated the various new markets that Microsoft hope its new controller will expand into.
