Project Natal

Microsoft Loses a Top Kinect Researcher to Google

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on January 18, 2011 at 11:59 am PT

Microsoft Research’s Johnny Chung Lee, a core contributor to Microsoft’s Kinect, the highly successful gaming sensor, has joined Google to work on a special project.

Another Wiif for Nintendo

John Paczkowski in Mobile on October 28, 2010 at 9:51 am PT

Nintendo warned last month that its first-half results would be lousy, and this morning the company delivered on that promise, posting its first half-year loss in seven years.

Full D8 Demo: Microsoft's Project Natal (Now Called Kinect)

Kara Swisher in News on August 17, 2010 at 12:15 am PT

As promised, All Things Digital is posting the full videos from our eighth D: All Things Digital conference, held in early June. Today is our final video post, and the honor goes to Microsoft for its innovative Project Natal, which has recently been renamed Kinect. The new gesture-based controller for the Xbox requires that consumer use hands, arms, legs and even heads to interact with the game, but nothing else.

From the Branding Geniuses Who Brought You Zune, Bing and Kin: Kinect for Xbox 360

John Paczkowski in News on June 14, 2010 at 5:55 am PT

Microsoft’s Project Natal motion-controlled gaming system has a new name, Kinect for Xbox 360, and an official release date: November 4, 2010.

Full D8 Tech Demo Video: Microsoft's Project Natal

Kara Swisher in D8 on June 11, 2010 at 10:15 am PT

Since Microsoft will be officially unveiling its Project Natal at the Electronic Entertainment Expo gaming show next week in Los Angeles, take a preview gander of it in action at the eighth D: All Things Digital conference recently. At E3, the software giant will give the innovative gesture-based controller for the Xbox a spanking new name and will likely announce other related features.

D8 Tech Demo: Microsoft’s Project Natal

Drake Martinet in D8 on June 2, 2010 at 9:42 am PT

Microsoft takes the D8 stage to live demo Project Natal, their new gesture-based controller for the XBox. The experience is somewhere between the Nintendo Wii and Tom Cruise’s computer in Minority Report, with hands, arms, legs and even heads interacting with the game.

Nintendo Wiifs; iPad No Threat to DS, Says Exec

John Paczkowski in Mobile on May 6, 2010 at 4:43 am PT

Surging sales of its Wii and DS led Nintendo to three straight years of record profits. But with the appeal of those devices now waning, the company needs to refresh them both lest it continue to post financials like those it announced today.

Microsoft: Want to Learn About Our Secret Tablet? Read Engadget.

Peter Kafka in Media on March 23, 2010 at 11:58 am PT

Want to get the latest news on “Courier,” Microsoft’s rumored-but-not-confirmed answer to Apple’s iPad? Microsoft doesn’t want to talk about it. But Redmond does have a suggestion for you: Read the gadget blogs.

Microsoft Second-Quarter Earnings Call: Put on a Happy Face?

Kara Swisher in News on January 28, 2010 at 2:40 pm PT

It was back to normal for Microsoft, at least if you looked at its stellar results in the second quarter, which the software giant reported earlier today. BoomTown liveblogged the company’s call with Wall Street analysts, which began at 2:30 pm PT today. It was hard to tell if Microsoft–which has been one of the grumpier tech companies publicly, due to its weaker results over the last year–would start to put on a happy face or not.

CES: Steve Ballmer Keynote

John Paczkowski in News on January 6, 2010 at 6:00 pm PT

Steve Ballmer is delivering his annual state-of-Microsoft address at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas tonight–the second he’s given since taking over the duties of former CEO Bill Gates. If anything like last year’s, Ballmer’s address will offer a broad overview of Microsoft’s consumer strategy for the year, touching on everything from the company’s hardware-software ecosystem to its home entertainment offerings. Likely to figure prominently in tonight’s address: Windows 7 and the new touch-enabled PC form factors it has evidently inspired; Bing; and Natal, Microsoft’s controller-less game control system, which will launch in time for the 2010 holidays.