Project Natal - All hype, no inovation?

[Venom]

It's not about whether or not the technology behind Natal is new, it's about the implementation.

Remember that the Wii controller's motion sensing was in no way a new technology. We have had motion controllers of the sort for many years. However, Nintendo's shone due to their excellent implementation of the technology.

If Microsoft can do the same with Natal, as they are suggesting they have done, they will have a winner on their hands.

This is true , and I do think that what they are trying to achieve is well within reason and available in terms of current tech.

[Dark_Knight]

i'm really not interested in iFlap.

i want to play games not do a workout. there is enough gyms, dojos and dance floors for that.

lol...so which one do you goto?

[Necuno]

lol...so which one do you goto?

let see.

currently
virgin - faerie glen / menlyn
and lol "meditating at home"

used to
latin look 's dance floor [restarting soon, just shuffling my cards around]
private dojo [going over to mma sometime this year hopefully]

quite keen on
taking on rock climbing, horse riding and or archery . not to mention something like macs (Medieval Armed Combat).

[mcryan]

As far as I am concerned, it really doesn't have to do with how great the software or the hardware is, but rather how it enables us to interact with our Xbox.

Take the iPhone for example, and I know many of you Nokia fan boys might argue this, but it revolutionized the way we INTERACT with our phones. The ease that we can do things, and using soft gestures rather than pressure sensitive touch. We could all of a sudden flick through our photo albums, scroll with our finger, pinch and squeeze to zoom.

Sure, the hardware was behind, the first one didn't even have 3G! It sported a shitty camera, so did the following 3G model.

So, as I see it, Natal is aiming to change the way we play games, the way we interact with our consoles. Whatever the hardware and software is behind it, if MS can pull off something smooth, easy and fun for people to do, it will be a winner.

[yoless]

lol, just had a rant about this in the article's comment section, now I see this where the discussion is happening

[larch]

seriously imitations can't compare with the real thing. however thanks for the cookie

some baffling reason i get the picture of singing praises with natal on a sunday

the "hardcore" pc gamers are going to have to change their line now

"zomg your iFlap keels my AAA"

or

"iFlap pwange me; i haz keyboard and mouse"




yes. can't wait for strip poker 3d with iFap

I think you are missing the point of NATAL, but then again you seem to hate it before you even saw what it can do.

[phoenix]

Hmmm....no processor in the Natal hardware?
The gadget-freak in me feels let down.
I wonder how much the release version will differ from what we saw at E3.

As far as processing power and graphics are concerned, I am guessing that
many of the Natal titles [some of which might come out on XBLA] will be aimed at those who don't take their gaming
quite so seriously and that they might be similar to the games on sees on the Wii,
only in HD ansd with better motion control.

[Tsar]

i'm really not interested in iFlap.

i want to play games not do a workout. there is enough gyms, dojos and dance floors for that.

I agree. I really don't see Natal getting any were.

[Dohc-WP]

this guy is very sensefull

Yoless
on 01/02/2010 12:52:16
what a crap article.

firstly, your title and conclusion are 2 different things. Will Natal be game changing, maybe (I concede that it may be gimmick) but is it an achievement? most definitely yes.

do your research please, comparing this to the EyeToy and other camera systems is retarded because they don't even do the same thing!
All you need to do is read like the first paragraph of it in wiki to find out

The depth sensor consists of an infrared projector combined with a monochrome CMOS sensor, and allows the Project Natal sensor to see in 3D under any ambient light conditions.[1][14] The sensing range of the depth sensor is adjustable, with the Project Natal software capable of automatically calibrating the sensor based on gameplay and the player's physical environment, such as the presence of chairs.

That's 3D sensing. yes 3D. MUCH more useful as a game controlling device as it allows for far many kinds of movements that just waving your hands in 2D with the EyeToy.

Add to that the promised voice recognition and other voice commansds.

Also, just becaase they've shed the processing to the Xbox (I concede, not the best of ideas) and not in Natal itself doesn't make it the periperal itself less useful, you software install/update or whatever is part of the package so how can you treat the 2 things differently?

I agree whoever wrote the article doesnt know a thing about hardware and is totally clueless on how Natal really works. Article seems like it was written by a sony fanboi and not someone who is objective and who did proper research regarding the natal hardware.

[larch]

I agree whoever wrote the article doesnt know a thing about hardware and is totally clueless on how Natal really works. Article seems like it was written by a sony fanboi and not someone who is objective and who did proper research regarding the natal hardware.

That goes for most of the people who is shooting it down in this thread. But then again I think gamers are intimidated by something new like NATAL because its an unknown entity in the gaming world. The very same thing happened with the Wii and because it has the word "motion" sensing in it they think the 360 is become "less hardcore" and more "casual" its all about the ego`s.

NATAL has some amazing applications I mean full body motion sensing in a game just think about it! Playing a adventure game like Myst or Riven using NATAL that would be an experience.