E3 2009: Project Natal, Facebook, Sky and more.

Microsoft left the E3 press conference attendees such as our own Lucas Hannon with a serious little head scratcher. Motion sensing controls without a controller, how are they going to pull that one off?

First though Microsoft showed us that they have now joined hands with online communities Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm, with Facebook you can share screenshots video and real life photos with your friends right from your Xbox 360. Next is Twitter, which you can update and read right from the 360 Dashboard with Last.fm bringing online radio to your 360.

A big surprise for me was that the Xbox LIVE video service will finally be coming to a whole bunch of new countries as well as featuring 1080p movies and television episodes. For the Xbox LIVE Netflix users there was a nice surprise when Microsoft announced that you will no longer need to download a movie or TV show before you watch it, instead will let you view the video at the press of a button. UK Xbox LIVE users will be happy to know that Microsoft has cut a deal with Sky for on demand television. Microsoft also announced that we will finally be able to watch videos together with our friends.

With Project Natal Microsoft wants to write a new chapter in “home entertainment history” by completely bypassing the controller and instead giving you a device that registers both your movements and voice for complete control of games. The Project Natal sensor is an RGB camera, depth sensor, multi-array microphone and custom processor all in one, so it can really sense proper movement in 3D and tone of voice.

Peter Molyneux came on to show a strange tech demo where a woman was interacting with an artificial AI boy. But this boy wasn’t just reacting to certain commands, he was reacting to everything about the person he was speaking with, this came close to what one might call a true AI. Microsoft also showed a few other tech demos one where someone painted a picture using voice commands to change color and using his hands to throw paint onto the canvas, another demo showed a game called Ricochet where you bounce balls back that are thrown at you by hitting them.

Personally the AI kid kinda creeped me out. The idea of a game watching me and responding to everything I do isn’t really something I’m waiting for. Also I’m afraid the boy will call the cops when I’m too lazy to put my clothes on in the morning.