Milo and Me – A look at Project Natal’s star

While Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Steven Spielberg turned a lot of heads at Microsoft’s E3 press conference, the name on everyone’s lips as they walked out of the Galen Center was Milo.

Was the star of Peter Molyneux’s Project Natal tech demo pre-rendered? Did the technology work as well as it seemed to in the video he showed? Or were we being subjected once again to Molyneux’s infectious enthusiasm for a project that doesn’t quite live up to our expectations?

During E3, I was able to spend a little time with Milo and see the little guy in action.

The good news is: Yes, the demo does act much as Microsoft showed during the E3 video (embedded at the end of this story in case you missed it). A young boy chats with you and reacts to your words and voice tone.

The downside is the technology is still remarkably young – and while it’s fascinating (and even a little creepy), it’s unclear how Molyneux’s Lionhead Studios will be able to convert it into a fun game. (And make no mistake; Milo is part of a game.)

In order to introduce yourself to Milo, you have to stand in front of Project Natal’s camera and clearly say your name, then exit camera range. The next time you step in front of it and wave or say hello to Milo, he’ll hop off of his swing and greet you personally. He even noted the change of clothes of one of the Lionhead employees during the demo. (“You’re wearing green today. It looks good on you.”)

Talking with Milo takes some getting used to. And most people who gave it a shot seemed a bit uncomfortable. (Probably natural, since you’re trying to have a conversation with a computer program.)

Molyneux explained that Milo is programmed to recognize particular keywords. If he doesn’t hear something he recognizes, he’ll nod, smile, act frightened or become bored, based on the tone of your voice. Asking him questions, at present, really confuses him.

Right now, Molyneux says, Milo recognizes between 500 and 1,000 words. The plan, once the game ships, will be to digitally push recognizable words on a regular schedule, perhaps even nightly. This will allow Milo to discuss current events with you. (Molyneux cited an example of Milo being upset that Adam lost on “American Idol”.)

There’s a history of virtual interactive characters in gaming, most famously “Sea Man” on the Sega Dreamcast. There, the technology was buggy – and demanded you check in with him every day or two or else the character (a fish-like creature) would die.

It’s pretty hard to imagine that would be the case with Milo.