Microsoft’s XBox 360 Corporate VP Shane Kim recently sat down with OXM to talk about Project Natal and the future of the 360 platform. According to Kim, Natal is more than just a cool peripheral, it’s how Microsoft plans to bring “hundreds of millions” of gamers to platform and eventually win this generation.

Kim is aware, as is the rest of the world, that Natal seems on the outside like a response to Nintendo’s Wii, the console that’s actually winning the generation so far. He claims that’s not what Natal’s about, but that’s a hard sell. “This is about unlocking the potential and breaking down all the barriers that remain that prevent people who are intimidated or feel awkward with a controller in their hand – anything that prevents them from jumping in and having a great time with Xbox 360 and Xbox Live,” Kim said.

Kim’s sending a pretty clear message. The “barriers that remain” are obviously the things Nintendo didn’t do, which are the same things Kim thinks will help Natal win. You can read the rest of the interview over at OXM.