Who is looking forward to Natal?

[Lotheron]

And do you think it will be a game changer?

To be honest, I am. I think, if done right (and doesn't suck) and integrated into the current control structure as just an added layer, I think it will change the way games are played. This means while the controller is a primary input, body motion and movement will augment the controls. This could change as the controls are fine tuned, but I do not see that happening for a while.

I know that some games that are tried and true controller games may not make the jump to a semi-controller less environment, however, I think new games and IPs that begin with the control scheme from the beginning could bring a new era of gaming.

Or it could fail.

Is anyone else looking forward to seeing what the game makers come up with and if so what ideas do you think should be tried? What kind of games do you think will make the most sense having Natal elements in it either as an augmented control scheme or as a primary control scheme?

 

[Deeko]

Just to clarify - Wii was the game changer - Natal, if successful, is building on that platform. Yea, it removes the controller, but its based around the idea of motion being the control.

Anyway, I don't really like the whole motion control thing, so no....I'm not looking forward to it.

 

[DaveSimmons]

As Deeko said, Sony and MS are both followers here chasing the wii.

When I'm gaming I mostly want to sit back on my couch and push buttons, not dance around flailing my arms (with or without the Sony wands) so I'm not terribly excited by Natal or Sony's scheme.

 

[Beev]

I think it will flop immensely.

It won't die, of course, because companies tend to be stubborn (hell I think you can still buy NGage's...), but consumer interest is going to be absolutely dismal.

 

[Lotheron]

Just to clarify - Wii was the game changer - Natal, if successful, is building on that platform. Yea, it removes the controller, but its based around the idea of motion being the control.

Anyway, I don't really like the whole motion control thing, so no....I'm not looking forward to it.

While Wii was the first out of the gate, the system didn't really have the horsepower to do anything with advanced graphics/physics/etc. On top of that the most popular games that utilize the technology are the Wii sports/fitness games.

While I don't that it will replace a controller anytime soon, I think it could add another layer of immersion to games that no one has even thought of yet. While I'm not completely sold on the idea of controller-less gaming, I'm interested to see what the game makers come up with.

 

[Deeko]

While Wii was the first out of the gate, the system didn't really have the horsepower to do anything with advanced graphics/physics/etc. On top of that the most popular games that utilize the technology are the Wii sports/fitness games.

While I don't that it will replace a controller anytime soon, I think it could add another layer of immersion to games that no one has even thought of yet. While I'm not completely sold on the idea of controller-less gaming, I'm interested to see what the game makers come up with.

Yea, and when the iPhone first came out, it was an utter piece of shit, other than the fact that it had a new style of input (compared to competing smartphones - it was less powerful and far less capable. It just had a large capacitive multitouch screen). It was still considered the game changer in the mobile space. Of course future motion implentations will be more powerful than the Wii, or take the motion control idea further - my point is just that Wii was the revolutionary here.

 

[Thraxen]

Not sure. I'm curious to see what it can do, but the Wii has been a disappointment for me. As already noted, the best selling Wii motion controlled games are generally crap that appeals to kids or people looking for a fun workout device. Many of the best games only make token use of the motion controls (e.g. Galaxy). I actually think the IR's use for aiming has been of more use in games than the actual motion controls. I'd go as far as to say that the motion controls have actually crippled more games than they helped. Yeah, it caught on with the general public but I don't think game quality has been there.

So I am curious to see what Natal is capable of, but I'm setting my expectations low so I won't be disappointed when we are buried in a pile of casual crap and games that could have been much better with standard controls.

 

[purbeast0]

not i, and no.

i hope it flops.

 

[Kromis]

I am. Very.

I don't know how feasible this is but...

If Lionhead could license their technology for Milo, developers could take advantage of that AI and create some pretty interesting games.

I don't know if Microsoft would want to do this but hardcore games could use Natal in addition to the standard controller. In a game like Rainbow Six Vegas, you could use hand gestures to direct your squad mates.

Anyway, the key idea is to keep the controller but ADD in Natal for an added experience. If they can do this, they might be able to capture the hearts of both casual AND hardcore players!

If they DON'T do any of the above options, I will be very disappointed.

EDIT: LOL, I just realized that my post was the same thing as Lotheron! Should've just read the entire thread before I jumped in!

 

[purbeast0]

Kromis you do know that whole Milo thing was not real, right?

 

[Slick5150]

I think it will flop immensely.

It won't die, of course, because companies tend to be stubborn (hell I think you can still buy NGage's...), but consumer interest is going to be absolutely dismal.

I think you're very, very wrong. I'm not sold on the thing personally yet, but they've already built an incredible buzz around the product, so if they can tap into that crowd that bought the Wii (and they will), the thing will sell like crazy.

 

[Kromis]

Kromis you do know that whole Milo thing was not real, right?

What do you mean by that?

 

[vshah]

i hope it doesn't flop, simply because tech like this is what will lead to the holodeck. imagine a natal system where imagery wasn't confined to a relatively small TV in front of you...

 

[Kabob]

I thought the Wii was going to be game changing as well...the novelty of the controls wore off on about day 2 of owning one.

Neat idea...but I just don't think the technology exists to impliment it very well yet.

 

[Queasy]

I'm not ready to make a judgment on whether or not Natal with be a hit or flop (same goes with Sony's motion controls). Too much is unknown and there is much yet to be shown.

I am however hopeful that it can be used for something entertaining and/or useful. I like the idea of using it to navigate menus a la Minority Report.

 

[Zargon]

I'm sure I'll buy one no matter what

 

[purbeast0]

What do you mean by that?

http://gamer.blorge.com/2009/06/07/exposed-natel-milo-smoke-and-mirrors-by-peter-molyneux/

google it, there is more information on it.

 

[Lotheron]

I thought the Wii was going to be game changing as well...the novelty of the controls wore off on about day 2 of owning one.

Neat idea...but I just don't think the technology exists to impliment[sic] it very well yet.

I think the technology is almost there, but I think its going to take an even longer time for suitable software to show up to compliment the hardware.

 

[herkulease]

I'll take a wait and look approach. With the wii, outside of Nintendo games there are view that really take the motion controls to the limits.

For the natal to be successful Microsoft can't half ass it for developers. Make it as easy as possible for them to work with it.

I expect that the majority of early releases natal will work in conjunction with a regular controller.

 

[SnipeMasterJ13]

I'm not in the least bit interested. I don't care of devs want to waste time building Natal specific games, but I just hope they don't ruin good games with gimmicky motion crap. I don't think there is one good game that I've played and thought would be better with a motion capture setup.

Believe me, if I could jump and fly around my living room like Ryu Hyabusa in Ninja Gaiden to control him I definitely would, but my guess is most games will be pretty cheesy.

That said, I'm only 23 and part of the already captured "hardcore" crowd. I'm definitely not part of the audience Nintendo got, and now MS is trying to get to.

 

[Kromis]

http://gamer.blorge.com/2009/06/07/exposed-natel-milo-smoke-and-mirrors-by-peter-molyneux/

google it, there is more information on it.

Thanks for that mate! God damn you Molyneux! God damn you to hell!

 

[arredondo]

Actually, all of you historians are incorrect. Of the three console makers, Sony was the first company to add motion controls to gaming. Check out their EyeToy from 2003 on the PS2:

http://g4tv.com/videos/8073/Eye-Toy-for-the-PS2/

Nintendo embraced the general idea of motion controls after that to make it a mass market success, and now Sony (wand-control 'Arc' + PSEye camera + stereoscopic 3D gaming glasses) and Microsoft (Natal, essentially a next-gen Sony EyeToy) want to try and standardize it into their machines. Neither one will have the impact of the Wii since the novelty factor for casual players is gone, but it's all still welcome IMHO.

Specifically on topic, Natal's biggest hurdle (besides pricing) will be the inherent lag that early tech demos showed. The PSEye is confirmed to have 1:1 pixel-accurate control with the Arc wand, but it'll be tough for MS to market Natal to the hardcore if the lag issue is not overcome in the final release.

 

[DaveSimmons]

And I had a tilt joystick for my Atari 800. We weren't saying the Wii was first console with any kind of motion support, it was the first to be "game changing": successful enough to matter.

Just like the iPhone + app store was game changing for smartphones. Not the first, just the first that mattered.

 

[arredondo]

As I said...

Of the three console makers, Sony was the first company to add motion controls to gaming.

 

[Thraxen]

As I said...

MS had the SideWinder Freestyle Pro in 1998 and Nintendo had the Power Glove in 1989. Granted, the SideWinder was for the PC, but MS has still experimented with motion controls in the past. As pointed out though, motion controls have been around for decades. What Nintendo did was a combination timing with better technology and taking the bold step of making motion controls the central theme of their platform rather than a peripheral. As much as I may dislike the Wii in general, I've got to give Nintendo credit for taking a chance like that. It has paid off big time.