Topic: Microsoft's Xbox Kinect - Nov 4th 2010

[vudu]

B.J. Blazkowicz

[EasyCure]

First real Natal compatible game confirmed?

In an interview with Joystiq, Microsoft's Phil Spencer said he wouldn't be surprised to see Project Natal integration in Fable 3. Another person who wouldn't be surprised? The guy in charge of Fable 3. Peter Molyneux told Game Kings that he was "leaving the most exciting gameplay stuff for later." He then added, "I am going to say it's going to use a controller, but I've never said it's not going to use Natal."

"And obviously what would probably happen if I started talking about this is you would see a little red dot appear moving on my forehead," Molyneux continued. "And then as I would start to speak the words then there would be a shotgun fire, and I would be assassinated. Quite clearly, it is that sensitive." But not so sensitive that he can't quite nearly confirm it in the next breath.

"Do you really think, knowing me, as maybe you do over the years, I wouldn't want to use something like Natal? I mean, that's just mad, man." Let's just lay it out here: The guy responsible for basically the only known Natal project is going to put some Natal segments in Fable 3. We all know this. It's going to happen. Try to look surprised when it's announced at whichever trade show next year.

Who's ever heard of a shotgun with a laser sight?

it'd be pretty tight if it had multiple sights that could predict where the shells would spread to.. just sayin.

[BlackNMild2k1]

or a bunch of little lasers to show where all the buck shot goes.
Someone would freak out and think there were a squad of trained snipers about to take them out.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Laser shotgun, duh.  It shoots lasershots.

[KDR_11k]

I think MS isn't really as tight as Nintendo on information, MS benefits from early hype for their products, Nintendo suffers because leaks give competitors time to steal their ideas. MS has nothing worth stealing

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Quote:

"Powerglove at least kept the car on the road…"

[Stogi]

I'm telling you, if you could some how integrate this technology INTO or better yet INSIDE a screen, it would be incredibly useful.

But for gaming? I just don't see it.

[Peachylala]

Quote:

"Powerglove at least kept the car on the road…"

From where? 

I think MS isn't really as tight as Nintendo on information, MS benefits from early hype for their products, Nintendo suffers because leaks give competitors time to steal their ideas and people will bitch about it because it's made by Nintendo. MS has nothing worth stealing

Fixed for honesty.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

From where?  From anyone that understands history.

[D_Average]

Now they they have the tech, Nintendo should revamp Rad Racer with a new enhanced Power Glove.  Now that's a peripheral I would buy!

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

There's a set of "Wii Boxing Gloves" you can buy where you can insert the Wii Remote over your fists.  That should do plenty for everyone.  If you angle it right, Mario Kart might work.

For those seeking to replicate that guy's haircut and jacket from The Wizard, good luck.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Mark Rein on Natal FPSers: "Why say a command out loud when you can make ridiculous hand gestures while taking your hand off the controller repeatedly!" - (paraphrase)

Team Xbox: Are you currently focusing on allowing your licensees to use Natal better, or have your studios had any time to start experimenting with the dev kits?
Mark Rein: Actually, we're just sitting down with them in the next two weeks I think, to bring our studio guys in to have a look. I have no idea what we're going to do from a game standpoint, but from an engine standpoint, it's definitely cool stuff and we will support it. I think any future Xbox games we make will have some Natal support. We always want to have something that exploits the unique capabilities of a platform.

[...]

Team Xbox: Do you think Natal has applications for traditional hardcore games, such as Gears of War or Halo?
Mark Rein: Yeah, I can totally see myself sitting in front of my TV using Natal to play games like Gears of War, Call of Duty, or whatever first-person shooter with my buddies. I want to do a hand signal that tells my friend, "Go over there." Instead of even saying it on Live, I just want to motion, "Go over there." Or if I want to throw a grenade, I just lift my right hand off the controller, throw the grenade, then put my hand back on the controller.

[...]

Team Xbox: And your hand will never run out of batteries either...
Mark Rein: Exactly, no need to find your remote. And it has voice activation too, so "TV on", "TV off", "Last.fm", "Twitter", whatever, just tell it commands and it will do each one. That's pretty cool too. And you know, I think they said they were going to ship Natal with every Xbox when they actually launch the thing, so everybody will have one. And then they are going to sell it to everybody who doesn't have one. Or try.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

So I will wave my hand to flag my teammate to "go over there"... causing my in-game avatar to jump into an incoming rocket.

I like where technology is taking us.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Nintendo Leads, Sony Copies, Microsoft Follows
this article has nothing to do with Sony

While we may be nervous about Microsoft's Project Natal branding strategy -- remember, that's just a codename -- the suits in Redmond share no such concern. That's because the Natal project is following Nintendo's lead in more ways than just easy-to-play, motion-based technology. It's also following Nintendo's branding strategy.

On May 11, 2004 Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced the "Nintendo Revolution" to the E3 audience and, while he didn't show off the motion-based controller (we wouldn't see that for another sixteen months, at TGS 2005), he did promise "an unprecedented gameplay experience." The Revolution would offer "something no other machine has delivered before." The following May, over two years after first announcing the "Revolution," Nintendo revealed the product's final name just before E3: Wii.

When we asked Microsoft's Robbie Bach, "When can we stop calling it Natal?" at a recent Open House event, the exec wasn't shy about comparing the company's strategy to Nintendo's. "When Nintendo came out with the name 'Wii,' people sort of said 'Oh gosh, that's kind of a goofy, weird name.' I haven't heard a comment about it being a goofy name since the week after they announced the name," Bach said. "And suddenly, people just called it the 'Wii' and moved on." And, specifically, they've moved on to buying them en masse.

At this year's E3, just after Microsoft unveiled Natal, we heard a similar message from Albert Penello, director of global marketing for Xbox. "The gaming community that's paying attention at E3, they follow this stuff so closely I'm not worried about confusing them," Penello told Joystiq. "The guys who are actually going to buy this -- the mass consumer, if you will, that doesn't pay attention to this -- they have a three to six month attention span. So I'm not worried at all."

With Nintendo's successful (albeit enormously unorthodox) rebranding serving as a guide, Bach said, "I think whatever we decide to call Natal will become the name quickly." With a rumored fall launch (just like the Wii), and a "three to six month attention span" to take into account, one might expect to hear the real name for Project Natal somewhere around E3 this year. Or perhaps a little bit earlier, just like the Wii.

So should we start guessing at what ridiculous sounding name MS is gonna come up with to garner attention like the name "Wii" did when it was first announced?

[vudu]

MOOV

[BlackNMild2k1]

VVii

[oohhboy]

Shiit

[BlackNMild2k1]

MS Natal & Sony Sphere Price Predicted by Pachter

Over at IndustryGamers, everyone's favorite video game predicterer (we're still working on that one) Michael Pachter has taken the reigns of the site and offers his own extensive diatribe on the future of Sony and Microsoft's upcoming new tech: Project Natal and the PlayStation Motion Controller (rumored to be called Sphere). Pachter's assertion is that price will be Natal's biggest selling point and Microsoft will try to expand upon its market of established Xbox 360 owners by offering the device for $50. For Sony's doodad, Pachter says the company is "trying to create an answer to the success of the Wii."

Pachter even likens the future state of a Natal-enabled Xbox 360 to the current state of the iPhone -- with features like Twitter, Netflix, Last.fm and Facebook inside Microsoft's box and its intuitive inteface, he says casual or non-playing members of Xbox 360 households will become interested. And then when it's bundled with all new Xbox 360s, he says that'll expand Microsoft's reach even more.

The PlayStation Motion Controller has a steeper hill to climb up to release, as Pachter notes his belief that more hardware will cause Sony to demand more cash for the set-up. He predicts the price will be over $100, though stresses that both Microsoft and Sony need to keep "the consumer's cost relatively low in order to achieve broad penetration." We'd tell you to get your mind out of the gutter, but we know it's already in one -- pervert.

I doubt it's gonna retail for $50 and that surely isn't coming with any games.

As for Sony Sphere..... not the best name, but why ignore the obvious. Might as well acknowledge the giant glowing balls and make it a feature.

[SixthAngel]

I expect them to keep the X in there somewhere.

The Xeev.

[EasyCure]

they'll title it "jump" and get more of thos stupid "jump in" commercials out there, this time with people literally jumping.

[Stogi]

That would suck....unless they had this playing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-K3irNgcaA

[KDR_11k]

Shiit

No, that's the Zune.

[oohhboy]

Shiit

No, that's the Zune.

I am sorry. that was terribly crass of me. Homersexual would be a far more suitable name, and it's even got an X!

[KDR_11k]

The Zune was originally brown and has a squirt feature. I guess people also got reminded of Montezuma's Revenge.

[EasyCure]

That would suck....unless they had this playing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-K3irNgcaA

Oh ****.. you just took me back.