Chasing down the heels of the Wii’s motion capture technology, Microsoft are hoping to take this one better with Xbox 360 Project Natal. Unveiled during 2009′s E3 meeting, this optional hardware for the Xbox 360 is alleged to allow fully controller-free interaction with games, sensing movement and translating that as controls in the game.

Xbox 360 Project Natal is alleged to be released round the end of 2010, and Microsoft are hoping that the machine will become an essential component of all Xbox machines. They also say this revolutionary technology will stretch the active life of the 360 significantly, and is, for all intents and purposes, a next-gen piece of hardware.

The hardware has a depth sensor joined with an RGB camera, which gives the Xbox 360 Project Natal a 360 degree range of interpretation. The hardware is so cutting edge that even slight facial nuances can get picked up and displayed on-screen. The depth of recognition can also be lengthened or shortened as the player sees fit, with the possibility of picking up surrounding objects such as tables or cupboards.

Along with movement, the Xbox 360 Project Natal also boasts the facility to translate sound. The multi-array microphone included can be used to recognise sound and relay vocal recognition on the television. These elements mix to provide complete interactivity between player and videogame.

As the technology employed to make both Natal and the titles it will engage with is quite unique, Microsoft have stated that current Xbox 360 titles likely won’t support the hardware, and that a fresh set of titles are currently in development. Various tech demos demonstrated at E3 included Space Invaders Extreme and Paint Party, a game in which sacks of paint are controlled by the player to color canvasses.

Time will tell as to whether theXbox 360 Project Natal will cause the impact Microsoft are hoping for. Whilst the specs are clearly cutting edge and due to trump even the Wii’s signature card, Microsoft should announce more fascinating titles to gain heightened public interest. With the right titles joined with it, theXbox 360 Project Natal might truly be the way forward for videogaming!