In a recent interview with Cnet, Microsoft founder Bill Gates discussed the recently revealed Project Natal control system shown at the Xbox press briefing during last month’s E3. The most interesting topic that came up was the control scheme’s usability outside of the video game platform, and its possible uses elsewhere. Gates noted that he is extremely interested in the idea of Natal controlling PCs and related hardware, referring to its possible use “for media consumption as a whole…even if they connect it up to Windows PCs for interacting in terms of meetings, and collaboration, and communication.”
“Both the Xbox guys and the Windows guys latched onto that and now even since they latched onto it the idea of how it can be used in the office is getting much more concrete, and is pretty exciting.” Gates continued, “…I think there’s incredible value as we use that in the office connected to a Windows PC. So Microsoft research and the product groups have a lot going on there, because you can use the cost reduction that will take place over the years to say, why shouldn’t that be in most office environments.”
More than just making long days at the office more bearable, Gates can forsee a futuristic home entertainment system integration, giving people the ability to “…manage your movies, music, home system type stuff, it’s very cool…”
Whether or not this desire will see actual fruition is hard to determine, but, like Shigeru Miyamoto, Bill Gate’s ideals and ideas have been extremely profitable business plans before.