Microsoft: Project Natal 'World Premiere' Coming In June

Project Natal, which lets people use their body as a game controller for Xbox 360, is slated for release sometime this holiday season at an as-yet undisclosed price.

Project Natal's technology evaluates body configurations and movements every second and uses 3D cameras to faithfully reproduce human movements on-screen, and it's expected to transform the gaming experience. According to the Project Natal official site, the product offers "a revolutionary new way to play: No controller required."

"If you know how to move your hands, shake your hips or speak, you and your friends can jump into the fun -- the only experience needed is life experience," according to the Project Natal Web site.

Project Natal is a blend of 50 percent hardware and 50 percent software, and it represents the convergence of years of research and is protected by over a thousand patents.

"We are removing the last barrier to gaming: the controller. Project Natal is the best of our imagination created on software and completely under your control," said Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division, in January at CES.

Earlier this month at the Game Developers Conference, Sony unveiled Move, a Playstation controller similar to that of the Nintendo Wii that lets game players control their on-screen characters using body movements.