Amongst the highlights of Microsoft's E3 conference was the reveal of Project Natal, the brand new control system for the Xbox 360 which allows you to control games using your entire body. As Microsoft's Don Mattrick put it so succinctly, Project Natal is "not about reinventing the wheel, it's about no wheel at all".

We've seen camera-based controllers before, even for the Xbox 360, but Project Natal is something different. Previous cameras only allowed for 2D function; Project Natal consists of an "RGB camera, depth sensor, multi-array microphone, and custom processor running proprietary software". This means motion control for movement and actions, and voice control for making selections or talking with in-game characters. The device will even recognise your face and voice.

Also unlike previous camera controllers, there appears to be development support behind it, with Stephen Spielberg (already a champion of VR-gaming) making a special appearance to promote Natal, and stating that he had teams working on titles that will utilize Project Natal. Fable creator Peter Molyneux is also hard at work putting together a title that will use the technology too. At present, there's no date or price set for Project Natal, but one thing's for sure, the anticipation is already high.