Natal

[T'Generalissimo]

I think I can compound all the skepticism, uncertainty and suspicions of overhyping into one fairly simple statement; it was presented by Peter Molyneux.

 

[Avida]

Im not convinced by 'project natal' at all, despite the nice trailer its far too early to say the full version will be anything like that, moreover every peice of voice or motion-based control i've come across so far has been a huge letdown. It will likely come out was the next eyetoy/playstation eye.

To be honest im not at all a fan of this new direction in the industry for alternative control schemes and immersion - its highly ovverated and the tech and the people designing for it cant keep up right now, moreover if i want to be using my whole body to interface with a realistic virtual world i'd rather step outside and save myself however many hundred quid one of these devices will cost. - yes perhaps it might be good but looking at the Wii's example it will just bloat the market with gimmicks and shovelware. What the hell was wrong with controllers anyway? People do not game on consoles because they want to be active. That was one of my favorite things about games - you could do amazingly skillfull things, heroic, death defying things, without actually having to learn how to do them. Now looking forward to the skateing game shown in the advert im going to actually have to learn to skate somewhat beforebeing able to skate ingame, which i do not want to do, else i would actually skate. Its putting a middle ground between the quick blast of fun from a quick blast of power that is going beyond your limits in a virtual world, and the sence of genuine pride and achievement, as well as fun taken from actually expanding your limits in the real world. Those two extremes are either tip of a horseshoe curve on the graph of fun, project natal is going to combine elements of either side to make something not quite as good as either.
...Or maybe not, i could be wrong, but untill then i called it.

Although since then i've become a little more accepting toward it, i think it could be neat is used well, and used rarely, but i dont want that being the backbone of any console, genre or less-than-perfect game.

 

[Avida]

I think I can compound all the skepticism, uncertainty and suspicions of overhyping into one fairly simple statement; it was presented by Peter Molyneux.

Ok cancel the bit i wrote at the end of my last post, if he has anything to do with it my hope and me are outta here.

 

[Nargleblarg]

Don't believe it will work it's dreaming a bit too much.

 

[SteveDave]

I am very excited about the possibilities of this thing but to have Peter M. up there made me nervous because we know how much he can hype things up and not deliver.

 

[SteveDave]

Don't believe it will work it's dreaming a bit too much.

Nah if there is one big company that can make this work it is Micro. They've got the money to do this.

 

[Nargleblarg]

Don't believe it will work it's dreaming a bit too much.

Nah if there is one big company that can make this work it is Micro. They've got the money to do this.

Ya but the question is can they do all of this and make it cheap enough for the modern gamer.

 

[rockingnic]

This won't replace the hand held controller, well hopefully. I think this is just another "controller" type to enhance gameplay on some games and just interesting to use on others. Honestly, the original 360 controller would be the most common and best, for most games at least, nothing will replace it, at least not for me.

 

[Credge]

I remember when the Wii came out and everyone said the same thing they are saying here:

OH MY GOD IT'S REVOLUTIONARY!

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT THEY DO WITH THIS!

LOOK AT THE INTERACTIVITY!

 

[Uncompetative]

"This is a landmark in computer entertainment" - Peter Molyneux.

I don't see anything entertaining about this. Just another gimmick will only dumb down the subtlety we hardcore gamers are starting to see seep away with the Wiimote. Presumably this is just Project Dimitri, good only for creepy social interaction for people who lack real friends and pseudo-tactile pornography. I hate this.

 

[SteveDave]

Don't believe it will work it's dreaming a bit too much.

Nah if there is one big company that can make this work it is Micro. They've got the money to do this.

Ya but the question is can they do all of this and make it cheap enough for the modern gamer.

People bought the PS3, people will buy the Natal and I can't see this going above or at the same price as the 360 already is. This isn't just an add-on this is a reinvention of the 360. But I hear your point, economies around the world are in the shitter who knows what people will buy. But like Msoft said during the confrence people want to have fun more then ever.

 

[bad rider]

It's just too much. Im sure most of the ppl that have a 360 would simply prefer a controller with buttons. Its a gimmick. And Milo is a bit creepy to be honest. Real friends are better then milo. Although for the sims this would be EPIC lol. nonetheless i think Microsoft should be focusing using this tech to make untouchable mind blowing AI in just...games.
BTW i love how they keep talkign about This barrier that seperates you and your friends without natal and xbl from sharing moveis music and games. Hmm how about GO OUT TO THE MOVIES WITH YORU FRIENDS, GET OFF THE COUCH AND INVITE SOMEONE OVER FOR PETES SAKE.

I don't get why people rag on the whole watch movies at home with your friends on xbl, personally I don't want to say be watching sky on the xbox see something good on and then have ring up my friend to tell them to come round mine so they catch the last half of it with me.

On topic, it looks pretty good and like its working http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/e3-2009/5437978/E3-2009-Project-Natal-hands-on-preview.html

 

[gigastrike]

Well...at least it's less like the Wii than Sony's new waggle stick. Also, I'm 100% positive that this technology has been used for years now in this exact same way; and if it's anything like how I remember it, it's hard as hell.

 

[AMCization]

Microsoft: Ahh no, the band wagon is leaving, don't run off without me!

 

[DerpyDerpyDerp]

So much for my video game days being my lazy days I'm going to have to move all the time now.

 

[Eternal.fang]

The Natal looks great, and I notice a lot of people see the same flaws in it as I do so I won't go repeating them. And I use a Mac and I have a 360 so I am on fair grounds with Microsoft. They may not be the best with getting things to work but give them credit, they are trying something that no one else dared to try. Also after awhile I think they will hear the flaws everyone sees already, and they may just come up with a control system that interacts with Natal. And if they are smart and want more people to get the Natal they will add that controller into the Natal package. Also I doubt this is their settled name; after all the Wii was called the "Nintendo Revolution" when it was still being produced. As for Milo and the voice sensor you never know how far technology can jump over night. Everyone once thought cellphones and the airplane were "far too advanced to work". Voice synthesizing has gotten alot better over the years too, if you hear the voice synth for a mac it sounds close enough for the Milo to be possible. I am not saying the Natal is undeniably going to work, but it is a possibility that it may become what they say it is. But then again technology lately has been jumping ahead of themselves, and if it does work it will take awhile before we will have a "well-made Triple A game for it".

 

[Green Tentacle]

Dear Microsoft, please stop trying to be Nintendo. You have your thing, they have theirs. Just let it be.

The difference with this is that Project Natal is just a add-on peripheral to the 360. The wii however, you need your wii remote. So the difference is, I have the option to BUY the peripheral. Not act like an idiot in every fucking game I play.

 

[Da_Schwartz]

I still say natal is at least a year away from applying this to anything relevant and worth playing. That's being generous. By then who knows what the next big thing will be.

 

[D_987]

I still say natal is at least a year away from applying this to anything relevant and worth playing. That's being generous. By then who knows what the next big thing will be.

Your basing your view entirely on a tech. demo?

 

[Da_Schwartz]

I still say natal is at least a year away from applying this to anything relevant and worth playing. That's being generous. By then who knows what the next big thing will be.

Your basing your view entirely on a tech. demo?

Yes. Cause it was only a tech demo. A somewhat staged one at that. And keeping an open mind, being a bit realistic and putting hype aside. I just don't see this being relevant any time soon thats all. Cool sure, playable?? Doubtfull.