Microsoft's primary focus with Project Natal is currently gaming, and the company continues to hire positions for the project. But the company believes Natal's reach will extend beyond video games to change other entertainment as well, such as TV watching. In fact, according to Xbox Live GM Marc Whitten, the lines are starting to blur between all forms of entertainment.
"I don't believe we are currently in the golden age of the television or the golden age of the game console or the golden age of the Internet; frankly, five years from now I don't know that you'll be able to tell the difference between those worlds," he commented to Yahoo! Tech.
Ultimately, Whitten thinks Natal will have a major impact on the way in which people view television. "With the flick of my wrist I can change a channel. With the power of my voice I can start a movie," he said.
And in addition to replacing a remote control, which is "already too hard," Whitten says Natal will interpret feedback from a TV viewer to enhance the experience. "Laughter is an input. Yelling at the TV when I know an answer on 'Jeopardy' is an input. Attention is an input. The number of people in the room at one time is an input," he noted. "I believe that this will be the largest leap of TV experience since the remote control."
Frankly, we're not so sure waving arms or hands around is any better than simply pressing a single button on a remote to change a channel, but we're still intrigued by the possibilities of Natal for both games and TV.
