E3 2009: Xbox 360′s ‘Project Natal’: Some Thoughts
June 2, 2009
E3 2009 kicked off in earnest today with a strong performance from Microsoft in their press conference. Alongside a bevy of new game announcements came the first look at their long-awaited answer to Nintendo’s Wii motion-control technology, a camera-based add-on to the Xbox 360 tentatively dubbed Natal. While I’ll be offering my tuppence worth on the performance of all three platform holders later on in the week, I offer below a few scattered, initial thoughts on the implications new device, details of which are available here courtesy of Eurogamer.
- Firstly, assuming that the promo video isn’t enormously exaggerating the abilities of the motion-tracking tech, then I think its fair to say that this is pretty impressive stuff. Full-body 1:1 motion tracking of individual limbs is a major step forward in itself, but if Microsoft have brought voice control to an acceptable level of accuracy and reliability- and thats a very big if- then that could be pretty revolutionary in itself.
- It reaffirms Microsoft’s committment to prolonging this console generation. This device could easily have been incorporated into a new next-gen system. Given that it presumably won’t see release until next year, this could significantly extend the Xbox 360′s lifespan.
- Natal is obviously an effort to grab some of Nintendo’s lucrative casual market, a segment which has eluded Microsoft so far. Nintendo will be worried- and there’s a significant chance it may cause them to bring their plans forward for the Wii’s successor. The inherent limitations of the Wii’s internal OS can’t be refreshed and revamped the way Microsoft and Sony are able to constantly update the capabilities of their consoles. Nintendo may decide that MotionPlus isn’t quite enough to give the Wii a few more years of market dominance.
- I would however question the usefulness of the Natal tech for the Xbox’s hardcore contingent (which is Microsoft’s bread and butter). Call of Duty, Gears of War and Halo aren’t going to ditch the controller entirely- and unless they do, gamers can’t do a whole lot of useful interacting with the Natal system with their hands full of Xbox controller. Unless sticking out your tongue to reloads your gun counts as useful (oh, and I’m patenting that idea).
- Jettisoning the controller entirely represents a considerably greater break from gaming tradition than Nintendo’s Wii Remote. While the Remote uses buttons in conjunction with motions, Natal is motion-only. No matter how good the underlying tech is, this strongly suggests that it is casual and party games that will be the focus of Natal-compatible software.
- Oh, and Don Mattrick’s smugness is seriously irritating.
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“. . . but if Microsoft have brought voice control to an acceptable level of accuracy and reliability- and thats a very big if- then that could be pretty revolutionary in itself.”
Apparently some people have play tested and Milo’s comprehension isn’t perfect, though apparently it is a very early build of what the game will eventually be.
While motion only games might not mean a lot to Microsoft’s core audience, incorporating it into traditional games could make a massive difference. Some of the fiddling that results from translating PC games control system to a console could become a thing of the past.
Another example might be using the controller for traditional shooting abilities in the likes of Mass Effect, Star Wars or Bioshock, while using motion controls for tek powers and force abilities.