Of course, turning your body into a controller is something Sega wanted to do back in the days of the Genesis. With Microsoft and Sony taking care of the hard part, perhaps it's time to bust out all those unused Activator concept games.
Sega hopes to activate Natal, Sony Motion plans in early 2010
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
on Sep 4th 2009 2:30PM
60
Of course, turning your body into a controller is something Sega wanted to do back in the days of the Genesis. With Microsoft and Sony taking care of the hard part, perhaps it's time to bust out all those unused Activator concept games.
Reader Comments (60)
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 4:44PM joeboosauce said
Too bad NATAL is doesn't do 3D motion. The playstation controller detects movement on the z-axis which is what you need. Otherwise, it is just 2D motion. Doesn't the Wii also do 3D motion?
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 6:58PM (Unverified) said
NATAL does 3D motion. Why do you think that it has two cameras to track your movements?
As a side note, in addition to the Activator, we should also remember that Sega did the DreamEye before Sony's EyeToy. The DreamEye functioned separately as a 3MP camera too! Then you could email the pictures to your friends straight from your Dreamcast!
Let's also not forget the original Samba Maracas that triangulated their position based off of radio-like sensors like they do in the arcade 'light guns'.
Reply
As a side note, in addition to the Activator, we should also remember that Sega did the DreamEye before Sony's EyeToy. The DreamEye functioned separately as a 3MP camera too! Then you could email the pictures to your friends straight from your Dreamcast!
Let's also not forget the original Samba Maracas that triangulated their position based off of radio-like sensors like they do in the arcade 'light guns'.
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 2:44PM (Unverified) said
I'd be excited too if it meant my company could triple their shovelware output.
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 4:13PM (Unverified) said
Khan, I agree, but let's be honest. A lot of people view the Wii's overabundance of casual shovelware as Nintendo's fault, and, in some ways, they're right. Nintendo lets any ol' game on their platform. Case in point, they let the game Chicken Shoot, a former Flash game, onto the Wii with almost no improvements. As much as I love Nintendo's first party output, they really need a better QA program if they want the bias to go away.
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 7:03PM Diggs said
Obviously both Microsoft and Sony are doing this whole motion thing because of Nintendo's success with the Wii. This is a good thing. However, I just think this is just going to be a fad like the Rubik's Cube. It will be fun and awesome for a short while, but in the end true gamers will resort back to their regular controllers. I don't own a Wii, but 3 of my friends that do haven't even touched their Wiis for months. All 3 have told me that the novelty wears off. Mind you, this just coming from my 3 friends. Not saying this is the general consensus. But after borrowing a friend's Wii myself, I was bored after one week.
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 7:21PM Diggs said
Just to add to my last comment, I got bored with Wii because of the Wiimote and nunchuck controllers. I do love Ninty and used my GameCube's Wavebird controller to play various games like Eternal Darkness and Zelda. Thank God Ninty still supports backwards compatibility for all of the classic GameCube games which my new PS3 Slim doesn't. Good on you Nintendo. Bad on you Sony. And yes, I love my Xbox too. :-)
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 2:38PM maxpontiac said
Microsoft needs a controller. Have they not been paying attention with the Wii?
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 2:39PM Captain Planet Planeteer Power said
Have you not seen Project Natal?
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 3:00PM (Unverified) said
I guess Captain Planet can't tell the difference between a camera and a controller.
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 3:01PM (Unverified) said
Don't you have a dog? Imagine that doggy walking in running in front of the camera.
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 3:07PM (Unverified) said
Just give the dog to Milo and he'll never bother you again.
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 2:38PM Captain Planet Planeteer Power said
Oh man, I can't wait to see what [more] bastardized versions of Sonic games they do for this...
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 2:39PM (Unverified) said
i hope a flounder company like sega can make a really innovative and cool title for natal.
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 2:47PM ChiTownRuler23 said
Natal's beady lil eyes creep me out for some reason, but yah Sega should dump any ideas they have about making a sonic game with natal and just remake altered beast into 3D on Natal.
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 2:52PM (Unverified) said
Natal will destroy sony's Harry Potter Wand. Microsoft is taking A.I. to a whole nother level with Natal.
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 3:02PM (Unverified) said
If Luke Skywalker said it then yeah it's a real word.
UNCLE OWEN: You must understand I need you here, Luke.
LUKE: But it's a whole 'nother year...
BOOYAH
Reply
UNCLE OWEN: You must understand I need you here, Luke.
LUKE: But it's a whole 'nother year...
BOOYAH
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 3:10PM Ashitaka said
I've said it once and I'll say it again: keep worshipping your glorified eye-toy.
And btw, did you watch the Sega activator training video? Or the Natal demonstration at E3 with Breakout? That's what you're gonna look like when you're playing a game. Just sayin'
Reply
And btw, did you watch the Sega activator training video? Or the Natal demonstration at E3 with Breakout? That's what you're gonna look like when you're playing a game. Just sayin'
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 3:45PM Scratchcard said
Sony fanboys jealous cuz they don't know what the bottom of an avatar's shoe looks like.
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 5:04PM (Unverified) said
That'd be a logical arguement Neji...except for the fact that the eye toy already gives full body capabilities, PLUS the motion controller adding precise movement.
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 7:53PM (Unverified) said
I'm really surprised no one's responded lewdly to me yet.
Reply
Posted: Sep 5th 2009 5:47PM (Unverified) said
we thought we would let that one go.
(we meaning the collective fanboy comment base)
feel free to add more to the meaning...
Reply
(we meaning the collective fanboy comment base)
feel free to add more to the meaning...
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 3:08PM (Unverified) said
I remember the Activator. It was an awesome workout because it sucked so much. Fighting games like Eternal Champions were the best with the Activator...you moved so much you would die the same time your character did.
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 3:17PM (Unverified) said
lmfao wow I'm surprised I never heard of the activator.. it looks ridiculously complicated to use and tedious to set up hahahaa.. I love the commercial, classic 90's.
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 3:19PM Lucky The Fox said
So now they have Lionhead, Rare and Sega creating content for Natal? With their reputation in the last ten or so years, what could possibly go wrong?
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 3:33PM kentuckyfried said
They should focus in on releasing Yakuza 3 in the states first....
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 3:52PM Dr Perry Ulysses Cox said
I still don't understand how I'm supposed to control a character in first or third-person view with just Natal. Anyone? However, if they bundle Natal with Nutella, I will buy the shit out if it.
Reply
Posted: Sep 4th 2009 5:51PM (Unverified) said
Khan thats not right, look at the hyped up marketing again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2qlHoxPioM
No controller required and You are the controller dont forget those 2 buzzwords Microsoft were throwing around..
Every time I see that video I cringe its so full of bullshit.
Reply
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2qlHoxPioM
No controller required and You are the controller dont forget those 2 buzzwords Microsoft were throwing around..
Every time I see that video I cringe its so full of bullshit.
Sorry, you must be logged in to leave a comment.
Featured Stories
The most popular posts
in the last 7 days
- Vita 'UMD Passport' won't be offered in US 220 comments
- Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning review: A tempting fate 153 comments
- David Jaffe leaves Eat Sleep Play, layoffs hit developer [Update] 108 comments
- Don't call it a remake: Final Fantasy X is a 'remaster,' to be clear 95 comments
- Battleship movie adapted into FPS by Double Helix 93 comments
