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Forums - Microsoft Discussion - Microsoft’s Project Natal: Bigger and Badder Than We Thought

thabigdon24 said:
JaggedSac said:
thabigdon24 said:
I really hope that MS does shift its focus to casual and leave sony as the only hardcore option. It would benefit sony to give them less competition, and they would probably pick up a few franchises in the process. Heck, MS can duke it out with ninty and leave sony in its own " blue ocean ".

Can you give me examples of how MS focuses on the hardcore?


MS focuses on the hardcore just as much as Sony does.  In some ways, especially with all of the online play that is Microsoft's bread and butter, they are more hardcore because they demand that online users have broadband, and have equipped consoles with headsets.  A shift to casual games will be stressful for MS......they will have to abandon what has worked well, and become an innovative company, a creative company like Ninty versus the focus on things like online play that it has going for it now. 

 

You won't want to use Natal for online.....it will probably be kinda imprecise.   

Headsets come with the console.  Online does not make anything hardcore.  1 vs 100 says hello.

MS is quite varied in the genres and types of experiences that they produce.



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It's likely that MS would continue their barebones "Arcade / Core" SKU when Natal comes out. There is a reason they are holding the line on its pricing now when they could obviously lower it right now.

I imagine this is why they are rumored to be introducing a new $400 SKU (it would keep the average sales price inflated).

Assuming this comes out in approximately 1 year (Fall 2010)

I think the pricing will be

$149 xbox arcade (no HDD / no Natal)

$199 - $229 xbox 120GB elite w/ Natal bundle (I am assuming the cheapest bundle with Natal will be the exact same price as what I project he Wii will be selling for)

$249 - $299 xbox "Super Elite" 250 GB or larger HDD + Natal bundle (perhaps with an additional extra included and will be at the price point of the cheapest PS3.)



Natal reminds me of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y_Jp6PxsSQ

That clip shows what happened when Microsoft tried to introduce voice recognition into Vista, where your keyboard would no longer be required.



Yes, but Windows 7 has VR software that is simply amazing. incidentally, it is basically the same software that is used in Natal.



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Don't forget your helmet there, Master Chief!

crumas2 said:


Who would want to play using a different control interface? What about no feedback. This is too funny, and the weakest argument of them all. Now everybody watch what happens in this next process:

1. I explain how silly the "no feedback/new control interface" argument is... the Wii uses a radically new control interface, and is selling more games and consoles this gen than the competitors. And moving your arm around to play tennis, bowling, Zelda, etc. seems to work well, provides no "feedback", and millions upon millions of consumers have bought into it.

1) The Wiimote was available from the beginning, meaning that every Wii owner has one. This obviously isn't the case with the 360. Millions upon millions upon millions of 360 owners won't have one. This means that devs aren't going to put a lot of effort into it because it would be to risky to make software for something that only a small fraction of the user base will have.

2) Nintendo made sure that software was there from jump to take advantage of the Wiimote and Nunchuk. To be more specific, software that appeals to every demographic. Microsoft hasn't even managed to do this with a standard controller. Their software appeals exclusively to core and hardcore gamers, and every game that they've made that was supposed to have more appeal like Lips, Scene It, Banjo & Kazooie, Kameo, and Viva Pinata has failed miserably to do so.

Bottom line, no add-on that was released mid-generation has ever had any real impact, and my first paragraph pretty much explains why.



 

Consoles owned: Saturn, Dreamcast, PS1, PS2, PSP, DS, PS3

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Yes, but perhaps this one will. It may be paving the way for the next console. Who knows, MS isn't stupid, they did their homework.



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Don't forget your helmet there, Master Chief!

ramses01 said:
Sigh, NATAL topics always bring out those who lack any vision. IF MS DELIVERS on the promise shown at E3, NATAL will be the most significant gaming launch since the 2600.

Delivering includes the following for the conceptually challenged.

Bundled with Valhalla 360 arcades at $199 and available with 1 killer app at no more than $79.99 for existing owners (although $99 would be sweet if it included wireless).
Notice I said killer app, which doesn't necessarily mean game!
NATAL will supplement and compliment the controller, where beneficial, for Core games.
NATAL will introduce new experiences for the casual crowd.

THIS!

It's amazing the amount of people who come in here and say "dur I don't see how this can work with and FPS game"  What you're basicly saying is you have a sever lack of imagination... just because YOU can't think of a way to make it work and be fun doesn't mean some of the most creative minds in the world wont think of all kinds of awesome things to do with it... be it full body maping or face maping with real 3D evironments without having to have a special TV at all... even an SD TV... an example of this



^We pay them to create so that we can consume. They are the ones getting payed to wow us. Not the other way around.



nitekrawler1285 said:
^We pay them to create so that we can consume. They are the ones getting payed to wow us. Not the other way around.


That guy is working on Project Natal



DM235 said:
I still don't understand any of the hype surrounding Natal. Aside from an interesting way to navigate menus or pick movies, why would anyone care about playing games without a controller? Do you play tennis by flapping your hands? Do you drive a car without a steering wheel? Maybe there are people out there who have deep aspirations to becoming a mime can finally live out their dreams, but I'm not one of those people. I agree that a 16-button controller may be intimidating for some people, but I think the Wii's approach with steering wheels and tennis rackets, where the standard controller fits inside them, is more "natural".

Besides, I can see Natal backfiring when you do some sort of hand gesture to rub it in to a friend after beating them, only to have Natal misinterpret it and either cause you to crash or lob a hand grenade at yourself.

Maybe Microsoft will amaze us all, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Natal can scan objects, so insted of releasing about 50 different peripherals, you can scan in your own bat, skateboad, tennis racket, gold club, ect and use that.

yes the main aim is "no controller" but obviously Microsoft are giving options (as they always do)