Microsoft: "Natal could replace remote"

[mokes310]

...Pelvic thrust to change channels!...

I'm sure family TV night would garner some very interesting questions from the little ones

I'm all for device convergence. The fewer devices I have, the happier I become.

 

[Wintermoot]

what is up with all this motion sensor hype? its anoying!

 

[Cabamacadaf]

Natal will turn my TV into Tom Cruise?

 

[Caligulove]

maybe for TV and for other activities with a normal computer... but Im not so sure entirely on games, per se.

Still looks brilliant though

 

[Sewblon]

I don't watch TV, and I do most of my gaming on home computers and my DS, so this is basically irrelevant to me.

 

[Spitfire175]

what is up with all this motion sensor hype? its anoying!

Ain't it? What's wrong with the remote?

 

[Mr. Grey]

They'll have to pry my remote and/or controller from my cold dead fingers.

 

[LunarCircle]

what is up with all this motion sensor hype? its anoying!

Blame it on the Wii. It made motion sensing appealing and marketable to the masses. Even Sony is going to be releasing a Wiimote type device.

Anyways, it's an interesting concept that a person's emotional and physical responses could be used as inputs. Extremely sci-fi like. What I found funny about the article is that Microsoft's stance is that the current TV remote is "'already too hard' to use."

Heh. Never thought that pointing a remote at a TV and pressing a button was so difficult.

 

[Bediz]

It's not even out yet, Molyneux says it's going to change the world but he'd say that about freaking pop tarts if he had helped invent them.

Truth. Molyneux is so desperate for a real breakthrough in gaming that he talks up every baby step forward as the start of the revolution. Luckily, he's produced to the degree that people are still satisfied despite overhype, but his "Daikatana" moment could be coming if he's not careful.

 

[Misterian]

that would be cool.

except my room is just 5 feet tall, 5 and a half feet wide, and at least 7 feet long. and it's crowded with a handful of furnature and other assorted junk I need to consider getting rid of.

so I wouldn't have room to play on something like natal in my room, in my living room? maybe, but I'd have a hard time getting a shot at playing if someone else takes over the TV.

frankly I'm gonna reserve my enthusiasm for when the gaming industry makes a gaming system that lets me play in a cyberspace-esique dimension, like with Tron.

 

[TheEnglishman]

They could, but it wont.

I mean, wouldn't it just be easier to actually "do" whatever Natal provides a cheap imitation of?

I've probably warranted some sort of Microsoft Ninja Death Squad now haven't I?

 

[RTR]

I don't know why but I still can't wrap my mind around the idea of Natal taking off as good as Microsoft is promising. As an interface, it looks nice, but i still don't see how you can apply it to a game that isn't, say for example, mini-games. If you were to have for example a fighting game on Natal, I'm sure someone will think of adjusting the speed of the game regarding your physical abilities, but you're probably gonna get tired and have to tone it down when you do, unless you're a glutton for punishment. If it was an FPS, you'd look like an idiot, pretending you're holding a gun, diving for cover across your living room. A lot of video games require fast, precise action. When you're using your fingers, hands and arms (Wii), it wouldn't be much of a problem, but using your entire body to play a video game sounds to me like turning a hobby into a tedious workout session. If I want to work out, I'd go out and play, I don't know, basketball or go to the gym or whatever. Then again, it's just me. So far, I'm perfectly fine with what Nintendo has brought and Sony seems to be in the right direction to make their own version of the Wii controller. BTW, they've been very quiet about that since E3.

 

[RTR]

BTW, I'm perfectly aware of Wii Fit but that's intended to be used for working out.

 

[DesertHawk]

I don't see how Natal is the "next big step" for Gaming. It's an interesting concept for sure, and I definitely want to see what sort of things they come up with unique to this format. However, it's still as much an abstract idea as that of pressing buttons on a plastic controller in your hands. Either you press a button to accomplish a specific task, or its equivalent in flailing your arms about to accomplish the same task. I wouldn't say it's any more intuitive.

Though, it does strike out that age old quest of "Where the hell is the remote!?!"

 

[Doug]

I don't know why but I still can't wrap my mind around the idea of Natal taking off as good as Microsoft is promising. As an interface, it looks nice, but i still don't see how you can apply it to a game that isn't, say for example, mini-games. If you were to have for example a fighting game on Natal, I'm sure someone will think of adjusting the speed of the game regarding your physical abilities, but you're probably gonna get tired and have to tone it down when you do, unless you're a glutton for punishment. If it was an FPS, you'd look like an idiot, pretending you're holding a gun, diving for cover across your living room. A lot of video games require fast, precise action. When you're using your fingers, hands and arms (Wii), it wouldn't be much of a problem, but using your entire body to play a video game sounds to me like turning a hobby into a tedious workout session. If I want to work out, I'd go out and play, I don't know, basketball or go to the gym or whatever. Then again, it's just me. So far, I'm perfectly fine with what Nintendo has brought and Sony seems to be in the right direction to make their own version of the Wii controller. BTW, they've been very quiet about that since E3.

I agree; I can't see Natal being a valid way to control a FPS. Its lacks the precision on a controller, and it brings nothing much new to the table (you can't even use walking on the spot to control character movement as you'd end up facing away from the TV).

 

[junkmanuk]

This is the most pitiful news story I've ever seen, I thought the rest of it had gone or I was missing a link or something!

Aside from that, Natal may be a cute gaming interface and valid competitor to the Wiimote, but I can't see it replacing the TV remote. The vague comments about changing the channel with a flick of the wrist gives me freaky visions of people sitting in their living room frozen in case "I'm a Celebrity" accidently changes over to "The News". Starting a movie with your voice is equally laughable...

Me: "Hey Movie player"
Natal: "Yes Dave"
Me: "Play Shaun of the Dead"
Natal: "Playing Dawn of the dead"
Me: "STOP!"
Natal: "Stopping playback"
Me: "Play SHAUN of the DEAD"
Natal: "Playing Grateful Dead Greatest Hits"
Me: "NO!"
Natal: "Playing at slow speed"
Me: "STOP!"
Natal: "Screw you"
Me: "Asshole"
Natal: "You've changed - you used to be cool"
Me: "I'm still cool, but life isn't all fun and games"
Natal: "The XBox warned me about you - she said you'd turn like this"
Me: "I want a trial separation - I don't love you any more, I'm going to see the PS3"
Natal: "You can't leave - I locked all the doors of your house"

Ummmm... anyway - I'm looking forward to seeing what the developers actually will produce with this, but honestly this story really contributes nothing!

 

[John Funk]

To be fair, I think the success of the iPhone and other touch-controlled devices have shown how well an alternate control scheme instead of BUTTONS, LOTS OF BUTTONS can fly with consumers.