Badboy1979

@ mahouneko - I think they're reffering to the matchmaking, party, chat servers that MS runs... this was brought to light recently with the PS3 MW2 matchmaking servers crashing on the first day of launch because they were handled by a 3rd party company. All that kind of stuff is run in-house for MS (which also helps on Devs since they don't have to worry about it when coding for the 360) and is probably why they could take on 2 million simultaneous users without problems.

@ Darth Bradwart - all the previews I've read so far from sites like Engadget, IGN, 1up have been positive... actually some have said what TIME was saying... they were skeptical at first but after getting hands on with it, they think it might work.

What gamers are you talking about that have had hands on experience and not just voicing their opinion without something to back it up?

Apparently, TIME, who, ya know actually got hands on experience with the device and software, thinks it works and works well enough to be ONE OF (note, they didn't say 'THE') best inventions of 2009.

From what I've seen and read on the tech, I'm willing to side with them until further notice.

@ da coo kid - Personally, I think the fact that they're treating it like a console launch is a good thing. For one, the 2 consoles that MS have made have both been sold at a price lower than the manufacturing cost at launch (ie. sold at a loss).

Also, seeing that they want initial market penatration, they'll be more incline to sell Natal at a reasonable price. With things, like the Wifi adapter and the hard drives, MS is not really concerned how many they get into users hands... thus they can sell those at a premium cost. With Natal, there gonna want to build 3rd party support so they want to get as many sold as possible. Similar to how consoles are at launch... you want to build ur install base.

If I had to guess, I'd say Natal is going to come in under $100.00. Hopefully :)

Personally, I don't want a web browser on the 360 (although since I have media center I could "install" one that way onto the 360)... I don't even use the one on my PS3.

It's just tedious... using the controller to browse the web on a console. Why would I want to do that when there's a computer a few feet a way which I could use. Like I've said before, it's like comparing the use of the Facebook app on a iphone to using the safari browser on the iphone. Who would want to keep using facebook.com thru safari on the touch interface when you have an integrated app that caters to the UI and input of the device.

It's the same thing... yeah I could pull up last.fm on PS3 browser but why would I wanna do that when I can pull in up on my 360 in 7 secs and then use the media remote to skip thru songs, navigate the menus, stop the station, "heart" a track I like, etc... all without having to zoom in on a browser, move around a mouse pointer, hook up more clutter to my media device like a keyboard/mouse. The same thing applies to each "app" that they add to the NXE... it just makes it so much easier to use on a console with a controller/remote and a big screen display.

Just my opinion tho.

If you mean by the "dashboard" features (which include online offerings, etc) on each, then I'm not too sure Sony will catch up to MS... not only did Microsoft have a headstart with providing a "unified" online console service but MS is also software company first and lately they've done pretty good in the area with things like Windows 7, Zune HD, and the NXE when it comes to mass appeal. Sony is a hardware company first which is probably why the PS3 is built like a tank and doesn't have the hardware problems that the 360 has experienced.

In a perfect world, we'd get a console built by a joint venture between them... MS using their software experience and Sony using their hardware talent... awww, I can dream.

Overall, tho I think both of them are great consoles that play off of their strengths well.

I take it that you're not in the Xbox preview program... this is a great first step with merging the XMB with facebook features, but currently the integration with the NXE is ahead since it's a full on app where you can view your photo albums, update ur status, post comments, with the friends who are on XBL but not your facebook friend, and vice versa etc.

Right now, after this update, we're still going to need to open up the PS3 browser to use facebook. The only thing integrated will be allow games to post to our profiles things like trophy updates, psn purchases, and game events.

With all the things facebook is doing with their connect APIs, I'm sure that both the 360 and the PS3 will end up with great apps in the end. PS3 just has a ways to go still.

@ Johnny

1) I'm talking about the software within Natal... not sure if you know or not but it has it's own processor built in and it's running software onboard the camera.

2) Neither has other items on that list... AIDS vaccine, atom teleportation, etc.

3) The promo video was pre-rendered, sure, but I really hope you're not suggesting that on stage demos (BAM there it is and the block/kickball demo) were

4) Please explain how it isn't pratical when it's right there demo'ing how it can be applied in simplest form? I know some of us won't all our games to have the best graphics ever, the best sound ever, the best whatever ever... but the BOTTOM LINE is that video games just need to be fun... whether they make you "look stupid" or not.

5) MS was already working on Natal BEFORE they bought 3DV.

6) I know you're probably set in your opinion which you're entitle to... I'm looking at this from a tech junkie standpoint and what I've seen in the demo's and research I've done is pretty amazing.

What can Natal do? As I said, it's bringing what normally would be an expensive and complex process (full motion capture) to the consumer at a retail price (one that might be reasonable if predictions and inside sources are to be believed)

@ Johnny - TIME is probably naming Natal as one of the best inventions of 2009 because of the tech and concept behind it. Personally, I've never seen a device heading for retail do what Natal has been demonstrated to do in the motion control field (of course, some people will say it was staged, paid off, etc). Plus, as stated by other gaming journalists, it's the software that MS has been developing that's really the star of the Natal project... it's enabling what use to take multiple cameras and full body capture suits to be done with a device that might retail to consumers for $100 or less.

I'm glad there's still some people on Joystiq who actually put thought into their comments... since the merger of all the Fanboy versions, the comment sections on the main hub have dipped dramatically in quality, IMO.