Known under the codename ‘Project Natal’, Microsoft has launched its completely hands-free Xbox 360 motion controller ‘Kinect’ on the eve of an annual video game conference.

Kicking off the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, Microsoft launched Kinect with a Cirque du Soleil spectacle. Clips from several Kinect games such as athletics, football, yoga and white-water rafting, were also shown in the event.

The company is hoping Kinect will prove to be a noteworthy challenger to the hugely popular Nintendo Wii in the console market.

Unlike Wii, Kinect requires no handheld input whatsoever. A video camera, infrared sensor and microphone will track players’ movements and convert them into on-screen action.

Kinect is also reported to have close compatibility with Facebook and Twitter, allowing users to share screenshots of themselves playing.

Moving away from the traditional Xbox audience, Kinect is said to be a gadget for ‘mums and kids’ as well as other casual players, which are seen as a vast new audience for video games.

The price for the device will be released in the autumn with the device aiming to take on the Christmas market. In addition to competitor Nintendo Wii, Sony’s PlayStation Move is also expected to enter the fight.

Source: The Guardian, The Telegraph, Xbox.com