So here's the deal: based on a realistic interpretation of how the Natal/Kinect technology works--having seen the tech demos, E3, etc--outline a game design around it. For my part, I see Natal/Kinect as being (potentially) a way to eliminate the controller barrier and introduce serious-minded and complex games to otherwise non-game-playing audiences, in the way that the Wii was supposed to have done.
So.
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Run&Gun
The player's avatar is positioned in the lower center quadrant of the screen, with the camera looking down from behind on the game field. The object of the game is to make it through a pre-defined course as fast as possible while fighting enemies. In terms of aesthetic, this would resemble your typical early-2000's action movie 'hallway fight scene' / 'running battle', ala The Matrix, Equilibrium, or any movie featuring chicks in spandex fighting vampires.
The basic set-up would be about what you would except: players run in place to move the avatar forward, while pointing with their finger-guns to aim--using a fast-tilt-backwards 'recoil' gesture to fire. The player runs down a long (series of) corridor(s) while dispatching bad-guys. Getting shot slows you down. Getting shot too much stops you completely--forcing you to fight the guys in front of you before you can get back up to speed.
At more complex levels of play, bad guys start coming in from the side. Using N/K's face-mapping software, the player can angle his or her head slightly to re-orient the camera to either side, allowing the player to strafe enemies while still running.
There are other possibilities once you've got this basic system in place.
Examples:
Jumping towards an enemy while aiming at him causes the avatar to do a head-leap. Jumping and planting your feet sideways (and/or leaning back) causes the Avatar to slide underneath/between groups of enemies while firing.
A two-arms-thrown-out/forward gesture could cause the avatar to throw objects--explosives or, taking a cue from movies like Equilibrium, standing ammo clips, to reload mid-slide-combo.
It would be nice see some kind of flipping/cartwheeling mechanic, though I'm not sure how that could be worked out, as anything like that would kind of involve the player hitting the Awesome Shit button, followed by the avatar doing Awesome Shit while the player stands there scratching his ass.
Anywho.
The object is to get through the run as quickly as possible, while taking minimal damage and dispatching as many enemies as you can. At the end of a run, the player is given a grade (your typical Japanese "F"-"S" scale) which awards points based on rounds fired, combos, variation, etc.
For multi-player, you could have a 'chicken' mode where two players make a straight run at one another; first to die loses. Or a co-op mode, where both players run on opposite sides of the same hall.
Allow the player to buy/unlock cool avatar clothes while playing--floor-length trench-coats, shades, etc. Maybe introduce a sword as DLC--though that might be a little too involved to work into the mechanics of the game.
Most importantly, ALLOW THE PLAYER TO PLAY WITH HIS OR HER OWN AVATAR, and utilize the Natal/Kinect as a gameplay bridge between the two. That's a must.
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So that's my basic idea.
Let's hear yours!
So.
------------------------------------
Run&Gun
The player's avatar is positioned in the lower center quadrant of the screen, with the camera looking down from behind on the game field. The object of the game is to make it through a pre-defined course as fast as possible while fighting enemies. In terms of aesthetic, this would resemble your typical early-2000's action movie 'hallway fight scene' / 'running battle', ala The Matrix, Equilibrium, or any movie featuring chicks in spandex fighting vampires.
The basic set-up would be about what you would except: players run in place to move the avatar forward, while pointing with their finger-guns to aim--using a fast-tilt-backwards 'recoil' gesture to fire. The player runs down a long (series of) corridor(s) while dispatching bad-guys. Getting shot slows you down. Getting shot too much stops you completely--forcing you to fight the guys in front of you before you can get back up to speed.
At more complex levels of play, bad guys start coming in from the side. Using N/K's face-mapping software, the player can angle his or her head slightly to re-orient the camera to either side, allowing the player to strafe enemies while still running.
There are other possibilities once you've got this basic system in place.
Examples:
Jumping towards an enemy while aiming at him causes the avatar to do a head-leap. Jumping and planting your feet sideways (and/or leaning back) causes the Avatar to slide underneath/between groups of enemies while firing.
A two-arms-thrown-out/forward gesture could cause the avatar to throw objects--explosives or, taking a cue from movies like Equilibrium, standing ammo clips, to reload mid-slide-combo.
It would be nice see some kind of flipping/cartwheeling mechanic, though I'm not sure how that could be worked out, as anything like that would kind of involve the player hitting the Awesome Shit button, followed by the avatar doing Awesome Shit while the player stands there scratching his ass.
Anywho.
The object is to get through the run as quickly as possible, while taking minimal damage and dispatching as many enemies as you can. At the end of a run, the player is given a grade (your typical Japanese "F"-"S" scale) which awards points based on rounds fired, combos, variation, etc.
For multi-player, you could have a 'chicken' mode where two players make a straight run at one another; first to die loses. Or a co-op mode, where both players run on opposite sides of the same hall.
Allow the player to buy/unlock cool avatar clothes while playing--floor-length trench-coats, shades, etc. Maybe introduce a sword as DLC--though that might be a little too involved to work into the mechanics of the game.
Most importantly, ALLOW THE PLAYER TO PLAY WITH HIS OR HER OWN AVATAR, and utilize the Natal/Kinect as a gameplay bridge between the two. That's a must.
----------------------------
So that's my basic idea.
Let's hear yours!
