It looks like one competitor is trying to catch up. Even without the PlayStation 3’s Blu-Ray Drive, this looks interesting.

Project Natal is an add-on coming to the Xbox 360 by the end of 2010.

It is a unique way of gaming in which there is no physical controller but you use your body to play the game. There is a camera in the system which maps you and your location and when you move it can sense it.
Through this method you can play games in a unique way, for example gripping an imaginary steering wheel to steer the car in a racing game.

Project Natal adds a whole new dimension to the game play. Multiple people can play a game at once because of Natal’s ability to track several players simultaneously.

This is a very good option for friends when they get together to have a party as no one is forced to miss out on the fun. Microsoft will also be releasing several innovative games in the near future so that players have a choice of games to play from when Natal is launched. Rumors are already circulating that Microsoft is also planning to release a game console with the technology built-in besides offering the additional unit for existing Xbox 360 users.

The technology has already been demonstrated to the media several times with a few existing games as well as some newly developed games that take full advantage of Natal. These include Ricochet, a game in which a person has to physically try to stop balls from getting past him or her on the screen and Burnout Paradise, a racer in which the person uses his hands to control the steering wheel and his legs to press the virtual brake and accelerator.

These innovations really set Project Natal apart from the competitors like the Nintendo Wii in which the person has to hold a physical controller at all times for motion game play.

The other competitor to the Xbox 360, the Sony PlayStation 3, also has a motion controller in development but little has been revealed about it at this time. Thus it can be safely said that currently there are no PlayStation 3 Accessories that can rival Project Natal.

Project Natal is targeted at casual gamers who really like a little bit of innovation in gaming and really do not care about the “hardcore” gaming that the Xbox 360 has provided to date.

Thus it can be summed up that Project Natal will surely be a major boost to the sales of the Xbox 360 and only time will tell if the competitors can bring a better solution to the market.