spenser.d Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Speaking to Fast Company magazine, Microsoft's Shane Kim has shared his thoughts on Project Natal and what it means for the video game industry. "Project Natal is something that doesn't come along very often in our industry. It's captured the imagination of people all over the world, in our industry and outside it." Kim added: "We look at it as a game-changer." The former vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, who now has higher responsibilities at the company's Interactive Entertainment Business unit, sees Project Natal as such a unique technology that he believes it does not compete with the Wiimote and the PlayStation 3 Maraca motion-sensing controllers: "It's less about competing with Sony and Nintendo, and more about breaking down the barriers to the industry and inviting the hundreds of millions of people who don't participate in what we do to come enjoy what Xbox 360 and Xbox Live have to offer." Kim also discussed the fact that Project Natal helps Microsoft extend the life of the Xbox 360, helping the company to avoid launching a new system next year; something Kim believes could change traditional five-year life cycle video game consoles had in the past: "The innovation and longevity that will be created when Project Natal is added to that mix and the value and the entertainment options that we continue to expand on Xbox Live." Kim concluded: "The "next generation" will be defined by software and services, not hardware." "In the past we would always get this question, "Hey, there's a new console launch every five years and you're coming up on that time for Xbox, right?" That's the old treadmill way of thinking." TXB Interesting article. Gives a bit more insight about Microsoft's future plans. -Spenser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMELTN Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Everyone is so quick to throw out the phrase "Game Changer" nowadays. I do believe Natal is huge though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR_Candyman Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Honestly, I think it will make it a bit bigger than the eye toy, but in the end people will find a controller is so much faster and easier. The vids also make people look like complete douchebags Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coresx Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I'm still sceptical of Natal. The game interfaces will have to be ridiculously basic or amazingly innovative. I fear it won't be the latter which makes it pointless. Still, over a year to go. Lets see how it turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Growled Member Posted July 30, 2009 Member Share Posted July 30, 2009 I'm just going to wait and see. I've heard too many of these game changing speeches to take anyone's word for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_Lyons10 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Yeah, I just don't know. I do look at the XBox 360 and think "O.K., it isn't hurting for more power, I'm not sure how much more would be used if it were there, so it probably doesn't make sense to release a new console at this point." Plus, with the current economic situation, a huge release like that would probably be ill advised... So, I really don't think that it makes sense to release a new console just yet, but as far as Natal, I have to see it really. I don't know what developers are really going to do with it, and this relies very heavily on them coming up with innovative uses for it. Plus, as it is an add on, it won't be in 100% of consoles, meaning that the games will be able to support it, but not require it. That will greatly limit how much time the developers can put into innovation and Natal, and will likely limit some of its potential. They also wouldn't have released the NXM update if they were going to be releasing a new console at this point either... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08993 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Huge for the party market maybe! It's a gimmick - most people want to sit in a comfy seat and play a game, unless you have mates around or are having a party. I'm 33 years old with a beer belly, I don't want to be jumping up and down to play a game. MS truly are clueless, investing so much in touch screen tech when people want to be using the PC from a couch and now Natal? If Nintendo and MS want to diverge to the party market, great, there is money to be made there, but FFS the core gamers are still here and waiting for our "advances". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tatiania Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 I still hope it hits the PC, because if/when it does it will be more like a "World-Changer" for people like me who have severe physical disabilities. I'm a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the neck down, so the technology of Natal could potentionally open up a whole new world of computer access, pc gaming, communication and just more fun overall. I can't express to you how expensive and difficult it is for me to use a pc. With only limited head movement and the use of my mouth I'm able to use a computer, but the equipment to do so is ridiculously expensive and what you can do in 1 second takes me 10, and gaming.. don't even get me started on the restrictions. But my pc is my life, I'm on it from the time I wake up until I go to bed.. Its the only thing I can use by myself without the help of my nurses, so its kinda like my only sense of independence. I'm really looking forward towards project Natal and the other technologies that are born from it. Tatiania Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majortom1981 Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 I still hope it hits the PC, because if/when it does it will be more like a "World-Changer" for people like me who have severe physical disabilities. I'm a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the neck down, so the technology of Natal could potentionally open up a whole new world of computer access, pc gaming, communication and just more fun overall. I can't express to you how expensive and difficult it is for me to use a pc. With only limited head movement and the use of my mouth I'm able to use a computer, but the equipment to do so is ridiculously expensive and what you can do in 1 second takes me 10, and gaming.. don't even get me started on the restrictions. But my pc is my life, I'm on it from the time I wake up until I go to bed.. Its the only thing I can use by myself without the help of my nurses, so its kinda like my only sense of independence. I'm really looking forward towards project Natal and the other technologies that are born from it.Tatiania Hmm I think natal might not work for you. I still wonder how good it pics up very slight movement. I think a modified wii mote would be better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carmatic Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 did you see the lag in the videos of natal they have shown so far? i really doubt that it would be a serious gaming solution as long as it stays that way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted July 31, 2009 Subscriber² Share Posted July 31, 2009 did you see the lag in the videos of natal they have shown so far? i really doubt that it would be a serious gaming solution as long as it stays that way... While they say it'll be controllerless gaming I bet they introduce a peripheral at some point for some of the more advanced stuff. Unless you have electronic tracking on both ends, as in a physical device with another receiver tracking with the camera the input will never be completely lag free as it's having to process the human in front of it and work out what part of your body is what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaos mage Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 It will come to the PC, they already said. I'm there. I was over the Wii before it even came out. I know, it's fun, but it's also a pile of crap hardware wise and I've no interest in playing games that look like they were made ten years ago. I suspect they can and will pull it off, and the 'controller' market is doomed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V-99 ODST Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Those are bold words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaos mage Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 *shrug* I tend to believe in MS...they rarely disappoint me. I don't think they'd be getting everyones hopes up if they couldn't back it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_dandy_ Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 It's a gimmick - most people want to sit in a comfy seat and play a game, unless you have mates around or are having a party. I'm 33 years old with a beer belly, I don't want to be jumping up and down to play a game. If you had to jump up and down to play a game, maybe you wouldn't have a beer belly. I'm also of the beer-bellied kind myself, and I'm thinking something like this might not be a bad idea to get the kids off the couch... If that's the only exercise you get, it's still definitely better than nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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