Natal may learn from your actions

By Tom Bramwell Published 22 April, 2010

Whitten talks up living room experiences.

Xbox 360 general manager Marc Whitten reckons that in future Project Natal may be able to learn things about you based on what you wear and how you react to things happening on-screen.

"Natal isn't just about gaming - it's about all living-room experiences," he told Fast Company (thanks Kotaku).

"Imagine a sporting event - Natal could know which team you're for because it sees your jersey, or knows you thought a bad call was made when you yell 'boo'. It learns about you and gets smarter to create a more tailored entertainment experience."

Whitten also told the business site, "If you counted the number of buttons in your living room, it would send a chill down your spine," and that Natal was designed to get away from our reliance on complicated remotes.

Project Natal is due out later this year and should be unveiled in full at E3 in June. Check out Digital Foundry's extensive hands-on report which covers everything from how it works to how much lag you experience.

Digital Foundry tests Project Natal's latency.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (39) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • ZuluHero #1 2 years ago

    This is how Skynet started...

  • laharl80 #2 2 years ago

    He doesn't actually say what it will do in reaction.
    Sounds like a bunch of cobblers.

  • IonOnion #3 2 years ago

    Sounds familiar.
    [link url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/sony-patents-l aughter-detector
    ]http://ww w.eurogamer.net/articles/sony-p...[/link]

    I like the idea how Natal and PlayStation Eye will have more things in common in the future. It takes away the whole "exclusive feature to one console concept."

  • metalangel #4 2 years ago

    Wake me when we have a holodeck simulation of Gianna Michaels.

  • Spungles #5 2 years ago

    To do:
    1 - Count number of buttons in living room
    2 - Shoot family
    3 - Shoot self

  • laharl80 #6 2 years ago

    @Spungles
    Thats pretty funny

  • RodHull #7 2 years ago

    Do you really want to wear that jersey, Dave?

  • Doctor_What #8 2 years ago

    Why would Natal be watching me while I watch a sports game? I can't watch TV on my 360.

    (Actually it won't even play games because it's RRODd at the moment, but you get my meaning.)

  • jag10 #9 2 years ago

    'MAY'

    WOW! that is so cool. but how about concentrating on making the actions work properly for now.
    Edited by 1 at 22/04/10 @ 09:32

  • Negotiator #10 2 years ago

    Don't even try to compare the PS Eye to Natal, Natal is on a whole other level to that 2D camera. The future is upon us and Natal is the crystal ball, June at E3 will change gaming forever.

  • nuanimal #11 2 years ago

    Natal: "Hello nuanimal. I see you're wanking again. Would you like me to start "Dead or Alive Xtreme 2"?
    Me: "I love you Natal"

  • Widge #12 2 years ago

    HA!

  • laharl80 #13 2 years ago

    @FireworkUK
    You'll just have to watch where your whipping it out if you buy natal.
    It might learn all sorts of things about you.

  • IonOnion #14 2 years ago

    @FireworkUK What you said reminded of what happen recently,

    "According to the filings in Blake J Robbins v Lower Merion School District (PA) et al, the laptops issued to high-school students in the well-heeled Philly suburb have webcams that can be covertly activated by the schools' administrators, who have used this facility to spy on students and even their families."

    http://bo ingboing.net/2010/02/17/school-...

  • telboy007 #15 2 years ago

    I don't want this thing watching any shenanigans on the sofa...

  • IonOnion #16 2 years ago

    @nuanimal

    That better be a sexy female voice thats speaking to you and not MILO's voice.

  • mashk #17 2 years ago

    I'm going to call mine Hal. And play chess with it. I'll make sure I cover my mouth when talking though, as I don't want the bastard to learn how to lipread.

  • Doctor_What #18 2 years ago

    @ Negotiator: I bet you a fiver that the June E3 showing of Natal won't change gaming forever in any startling or dramatic way beyond the capabilities of the Wii or PS Move. Seriously, you, me, and PayPal accounts. Real money. I'd be man enough to pay up if Natal blows my socks off.

  • andijames #19 2 years ago

    Cue integration with FIFA and chants of 'You scouse bastard' when it notices you're wearing a Liverpool top :)

  • kangarootoo #20 2 years ago

    I love the word "may". It just fits right into every situation.


    @Negotiator

    "The future is upon us and Natal is the crystal ball"

    I've missed your misguided enthusiasm and vigour. Even though I'm not sure the sentence above really means anything, I'm still feeling the wandering power of the words ;)

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #21 2 years ago

    To be fair Natal IS more than just an Eyetoy or a Wii competitor when you add the future increase in processing power and future software developments. I don't think MS are talking about this just from the point of view of the Xbox 360 or this first revision of Natal. Natal will be revised over the coming years and MS have already said they want it in Offices, Living rooms and even cars.

    It's the first step to actually having no buttons in the living room and doing everything by AI learning, motion and sound. Its a bloody small first step but that future IS different to the Wiimote and Move.

  • busboy33 #22 2 years ago

    As a big hoper for Natal . . . this is some serious bullsh!t.

    So I'm watching the Patriots play the Cowboys, and Natal knows I'm a Patriots fan because I have a Patriots jersey on. I yell "Boo!" at a bad call, and Natal registers that.

    So how the f*ck is it going to tailor the experience based on that info? Is it going to change the game I'm watching? In real life the Cowboys beat the Patriots 23-17, but in the game I watched the Patriots win 937-4? And the Cowboys got blown up at the end?

    SPAM is right -- this serves no purpose except for marketing, and while this sort of thing is inevitable I'm extremely pissed at the idea. If I buy Natal, its to use it . . . not so that marketers can spy on me. I'm going to pay to allow marketers to spy on me and then spam me with ads for crap they think I want. They can go straight to Hell if that's the plan.

    (note to developers: If you CAN have Natal blow up the Cowboys, I'll buy two.)

  • metalangel #23 2 years ago

    "Attention user, it looks like you missus has just pounced on you. Loading Barry White Last.fm station. Alert! Your missus needs to wipe better."

  • schnide #24 2 years ago

    Purely from reading this article alone, my intial reaction is the highly literate and composed statement of:

    OH REALLY? HOW ABOUT YOU JUST FUCK OFF.
    Edited by 1 at 22/04/10 @ 10:41

  • DRE4DNOUGHT #25 2 years ago

    Am i the only one who plays games because im too lazy to do stuff in real life? Natal seems like loads of sweaty effort

  • Doctor_What #26 2 years ago

    @ DRE4DNOUGHT: you're not, but last weekend I explained to my girlfriend that you use the 'X' button on the PS controller to select things. When that's the level of technical knowledge you're up against, I can see why consoles makers are pushing to make motion control more popular.

  • Dolly #27 2 years ago

    This thing sounds like fucking Skynet to me. Chilling indeed.

  • jerrymanu #28 2 years ago

    "SPAM Wrote : Next step is customised advertising."

    While true and totally the way it'll get harnessed, the first scenario that came to my mind goes like this:

    Natal: "I see you're sitting on your sofa, maybe you'd be interested in one of these wonderful products" - Cue advert for a 360

  • Nuronv #29 2 years ago

    Sounds like a load of marketing waffle to me.

    Reminds me of before the PS2 was launched, they were saying that its Analogue buttons could be used by the game to judge the mood and frustration of the user. If you start stabbing the buttons violently in anger it could alter the difficulty.

    Yes it COULD happen....but its a 99% chance it won't

  • makeamazing #30 2 years ago

    Talking about what amazing features a future Natal may include, MS should be pushing the features that people will see in THIS coming version.

    I know its the hype machine, talk about things it could do gets people excited about tech, but us gamers know thats not what we will get. Hopefully things will be alot clearer at E3...the live demos they show will be the most important, if its all videos then i aint going to be convinced.

  • Number1Laing #31 2 years ago

    "If you counted the number of buttons in your living room, it would send a chill down your spine,"

    No, it wouldn't.

  • darleysam #32 2 years ago

    Number1Laing doesn't wear shirts.

  • Beano #33 2 years ago

    Awesome, I just love the idea of a company like MS to see what I'm doing in my living room... oh wait...

    EDIT: I agree 100% with FireworkUK.
    Edited by 1 at 22/04/10 @ 14:53

  • raion #34 2 years ago

    ... I, for one, do not want experiences to be automatically "tailored" for me. I want access to the full spectrum, and I'll be the one setting things the way I like them, thankyouverymuch.
    This is a trend that's becoming more and more common: end user has no say in how his new gadget works because we have to fool-proof it for wide mass market target. And I hate it.

    ... sorry. I guess it touched a spot.
    *reminisces about his good old DOS 386, that did excacly what you wanted and how you wanted it... before they began hiding stuff*

  • dr_shambles #35 2 years ago

    "I'm afraid I can't let you do that Dave."

  • Wolverfrog #36 2 years ago

    Judgement day will soon follow.

  • Simonkey75 #37 2 years ago

    Thanks to FireworkUK, I'm now picturing Bill Gates sat in his underwear eating ice cream in front of of a huge bank of televisions relaying what all the Natal users in the world are up to, like something out of The Man Who Fell To Earth.

    Cheers for that.

    Don't forget to pick up your tinfoil hat on the way out.

  • makeamazing #38 2 years ago

    I really dont think MS will be spying on people...lol.. BUT that doesnt mean some people/companies wont take advantage of webcam based technology, only recently a school in the USA got into trouble for spying on their pupils at home, who they had given their laptops with webcams to... So yes it does happen... I just dont see MS doing that.

    Bill gates in his underwear, not a thought i need in my head...lol

  • doulema #39 2 years ago

    Just curious as in why you have pasted on this article the accient lagtest video u made from the first version showcased of Natal. If the article is about natal you show something relevant and I do think that an old and not accurate video like this is just the worst choice for an editor. Unless ofc you hate the whole Natal thing then explains it, or if you arent informed of them saying its lagless anymore ( which ofc is a lie but even if 50%+ less lag makes a difference in this case for this kind of hardware )

    All of you saying about skynet.. Dont you find it boring already saying the same thing? Or about your privacy. Are you actually thinking that your webcam on your laptops are safer or you find it evil or possible, like mentioned in above comments, to record your actions while the console is off etc sitting in your living room? Just unhook it unless you have sex with your wives and gfs while you are gaming or whatever. Always making a big deal out of the insignificant matters which we create ourselves.

    The point here is, is this gonna happen, will they update the software for Natal that far to be able to do what was just stated? ( Cause since it has no appropriate hardware as initially planned, aka CPU, memories etc, then its not capable to do so ) If so then it will be interested to create even a simple software, I'd say Milo but it got old already, with some A.I. in combination with that feature and put it to good use. Cause just "natal being able to learn" doesn't say much to me. Cause also a meteor storm can hit earth and kill half hemisphere..