The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas makes headlines every January and this year is no exception.
Microsoft made the most waves by showing off Project Natal, a new input device for the Xbox 360 console that tracks player movement. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer calls the new technology an advancement in NUI, natural user interface. Ballmer blogged about the current direction of video games on The Huffington Post.
"I believe we will look back on 2010 as the year we expanded beyond the mouse and keyboard and started incorporating more natural forms of interaction such as touch, speech, gestures, handwriting, and vision," he wrote.
Project Natal "which uses sophisticated sensors and software to track body movements, recognize faces, and respond to spoken directions" will be released this year for the holiday season. The new controller may change the way people play games, and may also change the way console companies run business.
Director of Product Management for the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Aaron Greenberg told IGN.com that Project Natal replaces the need for a new console. "We don't think we're halfway through this generation," he said.
As for video games, Mass Effect 2, Game Room, and Splinter Cell: Conviction each got hands-on treatments, and Fable 3 got an official release statement that said it will hit store shelves just in time for the holiday season.
Sony announced it would follow the Hollywood trend and make its PS3 fully compatible with 3D this year. Two firmware updates will make the system 3D functional for video games and movies. The company also plans to expand the Playstation Network to create a single login that can be used for the PS3, Bravia televisions, VAIO laptops and other Sony-brand products.
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