NaturalPoint has released a motion capture package including the hardware and software needed for motion capture for film or video games for under $5000. And by under they mean by $1, the ARENA Optical Motion Capture package sells for $4999.

The kit includes six high-speed smart cameras that can capture natural human movements and uses a standard USB output to process the data on a laptop. NaturalPoint President Jim Richardson remarks, "We are very excited to see what our customers will create. The possibilities are endless. With ARENA and today's rendering tools, a single actor can become every character and create realistic animations that were only possible in a studio before."

$4999 might not sound exactly cheap to most of us, but when you consider that typical motion capture systems run in the $30000 range, the bargain price begins to make sense. The kit can be configured for up to 12 cameras and can capture volumes of up to 20 square feet. Via OptiTrack