Microsoft, in a bid to court Nintendo Wii users while pushing the edge of gaming and entertainment, unveiled a new 3-D motion-capture camera Monday that encourages full-body interaction.

Code-named Project Natal, the camera is able to accurately transform 3-D body movements into onscreen play, one-upping the Nintendo Wii’s handheld motion controllers.

The 3-D camera also comes equipped with facial-and-speech recognition capabilities that allow for more personalized and interactive engagement with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 game console.

Microsoft showed several demonstrations in which players rode skateboards, fought hand to hand, painted a large canvas, kicked and headed balls or drove a race car, all with movements both big and subtle.

Gamers will also be able to log into their Xbox Live accounts by allowing the camera to recognize them or navigate through menus with a wave of their hand. Voice commands can also trigger game action or simply turn off the Xbox.

[ Source SFGate ]