maash Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 While Microsoft is still riding a wave of goodwill after its unveiling of ?Project Natal? to consumers, the company says it does not plan to rush the technology ? and is willing to wait as long as necessary before putting the new gaming control system on store shelves.While tech demos of the product are working smoothly, Shane Kim, corporate vice president of strategy and business development for Microsoft, says ?Natal? will not launch until the company and its publishing partners are convinced there is sufficient software built around it ? no matter how long that takes. ?We have a lot to do on the hardware and software itself, but we won?t ship it until we?re confident we have a minimum number of incredible experiences with it,? says Kim. ?We?d love for that to be as soon as possible. But we?re not going to ship it too early.? ?Project Natal,? a motion sensor that allows users to control onscreen action without the use of a controller, is a lynchpin in Microsoft?s strategy of extending the life of the Xbox 360. The device is an enormous investment for Microsoft [MSFT 21.68 -0.05 (-0.23%) ]. It is, in essence, the company?s next generation system ? only it will not require consumers to buy a new hardware system. Kim says he believes the potential advances of Natal could extend the Xbox 360?s life cycle to 2015, which is four years (or more) later than most industry observers were predicting. ?We think ?Natal? is a big part of the future for us,? he says. While Microsoft and third-party publishers are already working on ways to incorporate the motion sensing technology into new games, the team behind the product has shown it is possible to retrofit existing games as well. Among the tech demos for ?Natal? at the ongoing Electronic Entertainment Expo, is a retrofitted version of ?Burnout: Paradise,? which allows players to drive a car in an intuitive and entertaining fashion. Microsoft declined to say whether existing games might receive upgrades after Natal?s launch. Of course, ?Project Natal? may never have come to life if the Wii had not proven to be a runaway success. Even Kim acknowledges this. ?Nintendo has obviously touched the hearts with a lot of consumers,? he says. ?We learned from that that the thing we didn?t want to do was do something that was derivative. We wanted to go far beyond that.? http://www.cnbc.com/id/31101442 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenser.d Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Smart of them. It would crash and burn if they released it without any use for it. Hopefully devs get going on this. Hell, it can't be too hard to port Wii Sports :p -Spenser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerzdawg Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Smart of them. It would crash and burn if they released it without any use for it. Hopefully devs get going on this. Hell, it can't be too hard to port Wii Sports :p-Spenser I think that it is important for them to release a game(s) similar to wii sports.... I have a few games for the Wii and Wii Sports is really the only game I really play... obviously MS is going to have to cater to both casual and hardcore gamer... cant wait to see more development of Natal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted June 4, 2009 Subscriber² Share Posted June 4, 2009 This is precisely why I think everyone needs to be realistic about all these new motion techs, appreciate the tech and what it's doing but wait until we start to see what exactly WE are going to be playing as a final product. It all looks great, but I'm going to wait till it matures in 2010. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magik Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Smart move, IMO. If they release without significant software/3rd party support, then everbody will write it off as a niche/novelty/gimmick. But, with the right software behind it and compelling games to push it forward, it could very well be the revolution in gaming Microsoft is aiming for. Think about it this way: Where would the Wii be if it weren't for Wii Sports? There are very, very few compelling games on that platform, but everyone agrees that it actually is a fun platform because they've seen how fun Wii Sports can be. Unfortunately, there's only been a handful of compelling games for that platform and why most Wiis are collecting dust right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajputwarrior Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 this thing is going to have so much controversy around it it's going to be stupid. Could you imaging playing GTA with this thing? Beating up random people and having sex with hookers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mystic MVC Posted June 4, 2009 MVC Share Posted June 4, 2009 I'm definitely not surprised by this because it just makes sense. We could have probably seen a demo a while back of early Natal to build more suspense for E3 but they held back to show how far along it is and it paid off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I'll see how it goes....might be fun but my expectations are low Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magik Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 this thing is going to have so much controversy around it it's going to be stupid. Could you imaging playing GTA with this thing? Beating up random people and having sex with hookers... Why do people assume this is going to replace the traditional controller? That's just nonsense. :no: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo003 Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I don't think this thing will ship till late 2010 or early 2011, it's good to hear that they will wait rather than rushing the product out the door (guess they learned something from the past). I would definitely buy this after couple of month of its release (just for the show cause I hate exercise, which is the reason I don't have Wii). I mean look at it who doesn't want this cute little thing in front of there tv. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sethos Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Very smart move indeed (Y) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenser.d Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 this thing is going to have so much controversy around it it's going to be stupid. Could you imaging playing GTA with this thing? Beating up random people and having sex with hookers... Except GTA isn't the kind of game that's going to use Natal - that'll be played with a controller. Hardcore AAA titles aren't what Natal is for. The hardcore gaming market isn't what Natal is for. Microsoft already captured the hardcore market and they aren't going to change the model that captured it, now they have to go after the Wii's market, and that's what Natal is for. -Spenser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I would definitely buy this after couple of month of its release (just for the show cause I hate exercise, which is the reason I don't have Wii). I mean look at it who doesn't want this cute little thing in front of there tv. I wouldn't want it in front of my tv, I already have the stupid wii sensor bar :angry: I don't like random crap cluttering my living room (the wii has to be the worst for that though) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo003 Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Isn't it much smaller and much better (since it's connected to 360) then natal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajputwarrior Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Except GTA isn't the kind of game that's going to use Natal - that'll be played with a controller. Hardcore AAA titles aren't what Natal is for. The hardcore gaming market isn't what Natal is for. Microsoft already captured the hardcore market and they aren't going to change the model that captured it, now they have to go after the Wii's market, and that's what Natal is for.-Spenser you don't think that companies like Rockstar and EA are going to experiment and release some AAA titles with Natal support in the future? When Natal comes out the demand for Natal type games is going to be huge. I can't see them not supporting it in their future titles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magik Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 you don't think that companies like Rockstar and EA are going to experiment and release some AAA titles with Natal support in the future? When Natal comes out the demand for Natal type games is going to be huge. I can't see them not supporting it in their future titles. You can bet blockbuster sized AAA titles will not use Natal exclusively. That's just too much of a risk for companies to take on unproven technology with such expensive titles. Now, will they incorporate some level of Natal support, ie supplemental gestures and/or actions that are optional or otherwise could be done with just the controller? Probably. I'm sure they'd love to paste that "Natal Supported" sticker on their gameboxes. But don't go selling your controller just yet. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhav Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 They should only ever release peripherals like this with sufficient and good software. That's why EyeToy on PS2 succeeded and why PlayStation Eye on PS3 is a massive flop in its current form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 That's why EyeToy on PS2 succeeded and why PlayStation Eye on PS3 is a massive flop in its current form. The eyetoy on the PS2 was a success ? I didn't know, I though it was a flop, interesting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted June 4, 2009 Subscriber² Share Posted June 4, 2009 The eyetoy on the PS2 was a success ? I didn't know, I though it was a flop, interesting To date, sales have been quite successful -- more than 10.5 million PS2 EyeToy cameras have been sold worldwide. http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20975 That's some pretty decent figures for a camera addon considering it was newish tech at that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20975That's some pretty decent figures for a camera addon considering it was newish tech at that time. wow that's pretty good, I don't even know any games that supported the eye toy.... and my ps2 is the console I have the most games for ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenser.d Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 you don't think that companies like Rockstar and EA are going to experiment and release some AAA titles with Natal support in the future? When Natal comes out the demand for Natal type games is going to be huge. I can't see them not supporting it in their future titles. The market that wants to play GTA wants to use a controller for it. R* isn't going to **** with that. The market that wants to play Ping Pong is more of the market that would like to use Natal. Natal is being created to capture the market of people who don't play an Xbox because they're scared of the controller. Ninty did a great job by simplifying the controls and that's why it's so popular with adults, seniors, and small children, along with normal gamers. MS is just taking the Wii idea a step further and they're going to be able to market their franchise as the only one you don't need a controller to play. Who do you think that marketing line is aimed at? It's not the hardcore gamers (re: not the ones who want to play AAA games). -Spenser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToneKnee Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I can see this game being popular with kid games, racing cards, dancing games and so on, not hardcore shooters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayepecks Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Phooey. Nintendo released their product without much third-party support and they're doing just fine! (Sarcasm.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dead_Monkey Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 The timeline that I anticipate (with absolutely no inside knowledge) is SDK and dev hardware release this week (already announced), revised dev kits in the fall based on reaction from the developers, third gen dev kits in spring, a large group of game announcements at E3 next year, with the fall 2010 dashboard update adding system support for the hardware and games rolling out in the Black Friday - Christmas 2010 period. They won't want to hold this until early 2011. Releasing a mass-market device in that off period is setting yourself up for failure, you want to have all those headlines to spur hardware sales. Sony's timeline for their motion sensing is a failure waiting to happen in my eyes, just rushing something out the door so that they aren't last again. 2010 is the fifth anniversary of the 360, and basically you're talking about a relaunch of the platform, setting yourself up for the next five years. We'll just have to wait and see, but that's what I would project the thinking as inside Xbox HQ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majortom1981 Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 The timeline that I anticipate (with absolutely no inside knowledge) is SDK and dev hardware release this week (already announced), revised dev kits in the fall based on reaction from the developers, third gen dev kits in spring, a large group of game announcements at E3 next year, with the fall 2010 dashboard update adding system support for the hardware and games rolling out in the Black Friday - Christmas 2010 period.They won't want to hold this until early 2011. Releasing a mass-market device in that off period is setting yourself up for failure, you want to have all those headlines to spur hardware sales. Sony's timeline for their motion sensing is a failure waiting to happen in my eyes, just rushing something out the door so that they aren't last again. 2010 is the fifth anniversary of the 360, and basically you're talking about a relaunch of the platform, setting yourself up for the next five years. We'll just have to wait and see, but that's what I would project the thinking as inside Xbox HQ. Microsoft has to launch this as soon as possible. If they dont they should really wait until their next console. They have to fight nitnendo on this who already is selling systems at a record pase. Remember the market they are aiming for will not just go out and buy another system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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