Nintendo did it first.  With their revolutionary motion-controlled Wii console, the big N managed to secure a spot at the top of this generation of video games despite not playing in HD, not being powerful, and not coming with next-generation Blu Ray technology built in.  They had a gimmick, they made it work, and most importantly they found a new audience.  Now Microsoft is hoping to one-up Nintendo by debuting Kinect, a motion gaming system that needs no controller.

Kinect, formerly Project Natal, is a three-camera motion capturing set-up.  If you want to do something on the screen, you simply do it in real life or issue a voice command.  Then, supposedly, the character on the screen does the same motion.  That should be enough to tear down the barriers keeping casual gamers off of Xbox Live, or so Microsoft hopes.  Not to be outdone, PlayStation is also working on a motion control gaming peripheral to add to the PlayStation 3, currently called Move.

“There’s only so much headway you can make until you bring moms into the equation. There’s lots of kids and moms who want to have an interactive experience together,” said Microsoft VP of Global Marketing Mike Delman, echoing what Nintendo said several years ago.  Hey, if you can’t beat ’em, you might as well join ’em!

Tags: Microsoft, Xbox 360, Kinect, Project Natal, motion gaming, Microsoft debuts motion controlled gaming, motion controller, Mike Delman, video games, body-tracking video games

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