Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO has echoed comments by Bill Gates earlier in the year saying that Project Natal could make it in to the boardroom.

In an interview with the BBC's business editor, Robert Peston, Ballmer told how "customers" are already asking for the new motion controlled bolt-on for the Xbox 360 in the boardroom:

"Initially you will see it just for gaming, but we are already getting customers saying that they could use it in their business, that it would be great in their conference room, so I am sure we will find other applications as well".

The comments show that Microsoft isn't just looking at motion controlled gaming, but possibly a new way to control our PCs in the future beyond touching a screen.

Back in July Bill Gates said that the company was considering camera-based controls for a future version of its Windows operating system.

Talking about future tech, Gates said: "I'd say a cool example of that, that you'll see... in a little over a year, is this (depth) camera thing".

Stating it was not just for games, Gates explained: "but for media consumption as a whole, and 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 ever 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".

The news follows Microsoft confirming that publishers actively working on games for “Project Natal” include Activision Blizzard, Bethesda Softworks, CAPCOM, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Konami, MTV Games, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ and Ubisoft.

Via: news.bbc.co.uk

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