According to the New York Times, Microsoft's new advertising toolset, called natural user interface ads (NUads), will capture users' attention in a way TV ads cannot. This is because Kinect users will be able to use voice and motion commands to interact with the ads as they're playing games or watching videos.

“When you have highly interactive people and a passive medium, they are interacting with their phone or their laptop while watching TV,” said Mark Kroese, general manager for Microsoft's advertising business group. “These new ads create a natural way for the user to engage with the TV,” he added.

Ad interaction includes features such as users being able to request additional information around a certain product via voice commands, with the information then emailed or sent to the user via text message. For example, let’s say you’re watching a new Adidas ad and want to learn more about their products, users can simply say “Xbox more”, and additional info will be emailed or texted straight to them.

Users will also be able to issue commands such as saying, “Xbox near me”, which will then send a map of the nearest retailer to the user's phone. Kinect users will also be able to take part in votes and other promotional campaigns via motion control.

When we will see this in SA is questionable, since Microsoft is yet to roll out Kinect voice support for South Africa. At its E3 2011 press conference Microsoft stated that Kinect voice support would be rolled out to eight new markets before the end of the year, but according to xboxgaming.co.za, South Africa sadly won't be among those included.

Is this simply another way to get ad fatigued consumers to buy more stuff, or would this be something you won’t mind interacting with? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.