Gates Wants to Bring Natal Tech to PC

By Brian Crecente

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Microsoft's Project Natal, the motion-sensing game controls for the Xbox 360 unveiled at E3, is also being developed for PC use, Bill Gates told Cnet in a recent interview.

It doesn't, however, sound like the PC applications for the tech are about gaming, at least not yet.

"I think the value is as great for if you're in the home, as you want to manage your movies, music, home system type stuff, it's very cool there," Gates said. "And I think there's incredible value as we use that in the office connected to a Windows PC. So Microsoft research and the product groups have a lot going on there, because you can use the cost reduction that will take place over the years to say, why shouldn't that be in most office environments."

One can't help but assume that if Natal tech makes its way to the PC, even as a Minority Report user interface, it would also be used for gaming eventually.

Gates said that Project Natal actually started in Microsoft research free from any platform designation, and that both the Xbox and Windows teams latched onto the concept and started commercializing it.

Gates: Natal to bring gesture recognition to Windows too [Cnet]

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Bill Gates reckons Natal should head to PC too

by Alexander Sliwinski 

Microsoft's Bill Gates has pretty much confirmed that Xbox's Project Natal tech is heading to PC. In an interview with CNET, the Windows man said the peripheral is not just for games, but for "media consumption as a whole." He states that both the Xbox and Windows divisions have latched on to the technology.

Beyond the home media applications, Gates also mentions using it in the office. He doesn't say Office use, but lower case "office." Looks like the era of Minorty Report is upon us. Now all we need are three people who look like shaved cats to lie in tubs of goo all day and we'll be set for the future.

[Via Big Download]

soo... X360 is domed?

this will kill it for the xbox

Most people continue to miss the significance of Natal. This was obvious from the start. I am not sure how this news is going to lead to a doomed 360 or kill the Xbox.

This will only stengthen Natal and make it even less likely to fail. The 360 will be the first major product to use Natal in the living room but expect it to expand. Natal could end up powering a number of appliances in the living room one of them being the 360.

I guess I will buy Natal after all....for the PC ofcourse.

My 360 has been collecting dust for a while since most of the stuff I had wanted are now on the PC instead (stupid lil brother wasting our money...)

That sounds like a nice idea to me...

Plug it in to the 360 to play some games and control the dashboard. When im done, unplug it and plug it in via USB to the PC to control Windows using gesture control. Thats one of the features I like about the 360 controller, is the fact that you can plug it into your PC and use it as a controller on there too.

While true, I'm being to wonder if The Pacthman was onto something when he siad that Natal isn't nessarily a gaming interface, but a navigation interface...

See, I can see the relevance of Natal for web browsing, etc, removing the need for a mouse from the computer. I can't see it widely adapted for gaming. It makes more sense as a "pointer replacement" than as a game controller

even better!

I thought Bill Gates stepped down from Microsoft back in 2008. This confirms nothing, it's just the old company leader sharing his thoughts. Natal would be good for PC use though.