Natal = Racist? – Microsoft vehemently denies Natal can’t pick up certain skin tones
Sourcelink: Bitmob, IGN Boards, NeoGAF
OK, this is a long, drawn out story, so bare with me…
1) Bitmob does an article on their impressions of Project Natal. Mentions they are really impressed by the technology. A slight mention was made that consultant N’Gai Craol had difficulty using the machine because it was having a hard time picking up his movements.
2) An IGN Forum user posts that he read something on a journal about near-infrared spectroscopy, which he claims that Microsoft is using on Natal. He makes mention of this because he says that according to the journal he read, this type of technology has a hard time picking up dark skin tones.
3) Even though a few posts later he admits to being sensationalistic, the internet blows up in a fervor over this potential oversight on the Project Natal.
4) Microsoft feels a definite need to address this mess. They told Eurogamer that “the goal of Project Natal is to break down the barriers for everyone to play, and it will obviously work with people of all shapes and ethnicities at launch.” The representative referred to Sugar Ray Leonard playing with the system as proof.
5) NeoGAFfer points out that this may be a fake. Both videos are posted on the above link when Zachary Levi was trying out look nearly identical, while the movements are slightly different.
Hmm…
Brad’s Take: Umm…look, I’m not going to pretend I know what “near-fatal colonoscopy” or “far reaching retroscoping” is, but all I can say that if there is a problem with certain skin pigments…this is still highly sophisticated tech that is currently in development. It’s not like someone’s buying this now and finding out if they get a tan for the weekend they won’t be able to use it.
And to add to this BS, I find it especially troubling that Microsoft felt the need to answer this problem that started from what seemed like an somewhat educated post.
The internet these days…
[...] Natal = Racist? [...]