Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Nielsen: Majority of gamers in the dark on Natal, Move]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/11/nielsen-majority-of-gamers-in-the-dark-on-natal-move/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/11/nielsen-majority-of-gamers-in-the-dark-on-natal-move/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/11/nielsen-majority-of-gamers-in-the-dark-on-natal-move/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Nielsen Company has released the results of a recent survey designed to gauge gamer awareness of Microsoft's Project Natal and Sony's PlayStation Move. Among the 2,400 gamers surveyed, 21 percent are currently aware of Natal, while 23 percent are aware of the Move. Things look a little better when restricting the results to those who actually own and play the 360 or PS3, with 39 percent of 360 gamers aware of Natal and 42 percent of PS3 gamers aware of the Move.

Of the gamers aware of the Move and Natal, those who actually own the respective console show more intent to purchase. 42 percent of 360 owners plan to purchase Natal, compared to only 35 percent of total gamers aware of the device. PS3 owners show a nearly identical 41 percent with intent to purchase, compared to 28 percent of all those aware. Strangely, even though both Natal and Move have publicly known launch windows, a surprisingly high number of respondents -- nearly 40 percent -- don't know when the products will be available.

Also noteworthy, respondents show a wide disparity as to what they believe the hardware prices will be. To the 6 percent who think Natal will be less than $25: you're going to be disappointed.

JoystiqNielsen: Majority of gamers in the dark on Natal, Move originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftmoveNatalNielsenplaystationPlayStation-Moveproject-natalps3SonyxboxFri, 11 Jun 2010 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Parade previews Natal, manic flailing ensues]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/04/parade-previews-natal-manic-flailing-ensues/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/04/parade-previews-natal-manic-flailing-ensues/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/04/parade-previews-natal-manic-flailing-ensues/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A.J. Jacobs of Parade -- along with his children -- recently got a chance to try out Project Natal. Here's the thing though, it's kind of hard to remember anything in the article once you've seen the accompanying video -- especially with Jacobs admitting he accidentally "smacked" one of his children during one of the mini-games. Still, Jacobs has some nice things to say about Natal, noting that it isn't "the invention of flight" that the Wii was, but rather "the invention of the jet engine."

After watching the video -- see it yourself after the break -- we hope he's right, because it certainly doesn't look like a jet engine. If anything, it looks like the people playing are standing behind a jet engine. We've had a few hands-on (or is it body-on?) experiences with Natal so far, and look forward to seeing how it's evolved in the past year once we step in front of its sensor at E3.

In related news, one of the games in the video appears to be River Rush, which was rumored back in April. The game has players riding in a raft and avoiding obstacles. Jacobs points out, however, that the demos he played may not actually be released as games.

Continue reading Parade previews Natal, manic flailing ensues

JoystiqParade previews Natal, manic flailing ensues originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftNatalParadeProject-NatalxboxXbox-360Fri, 04 Jun 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Crave announces bowling for Natal]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/28/crave-announces-bowling-for-natal/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/28/crave-announces-bowling-for-natal/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/28/crave-announces-bowling-for-natal/#comments We're sorry if the above headline is misleading, but we feel we should inform you of two things. One, Crave has not announced a game show entitled "Bowling for Natal," so don't expect to see everyday schlubs competing for a Natal on daytime TV anytime soon. Two, what Crave has announced, according to Multiplayer, is a bowling game that will support Microsoft's Project Natal.

More specifically, it's actually a Natal-ified version of Brunswick Pro Bowling, the PlayStation Move bowling title revealed earlier this year. While it was essentially inevitable that Natal would receive some kind of bowling game, we can't help but wonder how strange it will be to pretend to bowl without something to hold on to. If only there was some peripheral, something tangible we could use to enhance the experience.

But wait, there is!

JoystiqCrave announces bowling for Natal originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 May 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brunswick-pro-bowlingcraveMicrosoftnatalproject-natalXbox-360Fri, 28 May 2010 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Capcom president on E3 2010, new motion controllers]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/17/capcom-president-on-e3-2010-new-motion-controllers/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/17/capcom-president-on-e3-2010-new-motion-controllers/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/17/capcom-president-on-e3-2010-new-motion-controllers/#comments Speaking to the Financial Times (registration required) Capcom president Haruhiro Tsujimoto declared that the success of Microsoft and Sony's upcoming Natal and Move motion controllers depends on sound planning. "If there isn't a strong business model message from the platform holders about how they will develop [motion controllers] with users," said Tsujimoto, "then I don't think it will go well." In other words, Tsujimoto places the onus of success on the manufacturers of the motion controllers, and not necessarily on the games that will be created for them.

Tsujimoto also took time to reiterate Capcom's stance on overseas game developers, noting that the company will use them for sequels to established products. Regarding E3, Tsujimoto discussed a shift in the gaming industry toward downloadable titles, devices like the iPad and social networks. He added that Capcom will be heavily pursuing downloadable titles, the iPad and Facebook.

As for the likely star of Nintendo's E3 showings, the 3DS, Tsujimoto said he is "interested" to see what the device does "apart from 3D."

JoystiqCapcom president on E3 2010, new motion controllers originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 May 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcome3e3-2010haruhiro-tsujimotoMicrosoftmovenatalplaystation-moveproject-natalXbox-360Mon, 17 May 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Divnich makes E3 predictions, expo to be 'inflection point' for game industry]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/13/eedar-makes-e3-predictions-expo-to-be-inflection-point-for-ga/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/13/eedar-makes-e3-predictions-expo-to-be-inflection-point-for-ga/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/13/eedar-makes-e3-predictions-expo-to-be-inflection-point-for-ga/#comments In his latest Divnich Debrief column at IndustryGamers, EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich has made some predictions for E3 2010. Divnich sees this year's expo as a pivotal one for the industry, noting that new technologies like PlayStation Move, Project Natal and the 3DS must make a big splash. Otherwise, says Divnich, we may see industry funding driven toward sectors like MMOs and social gaming. Divnich sees the expo as an "inflection point" in gaming history, saying, "Either E3 2010 acts as a positive catalyst and boosts industry confidence, or it reinforces the negative notions about the long-term viability of traditional gaming."

Divnich makes a few predictions about the show, notably that Rockstar may reveal Grand Theft Auto 5, though it won't announce any hard street date if it does. Divnich believes, however, that you can expect a new teaser for Agent. Nintendo, meanwhile, will announce the official name of the 3DS and announce plans to launch the device in "at least two regions" this November. He also expects the unit will sell 5 million units by March 2011. Furthermore, Nintendo may finally show off its Vitality Sensor in more detail.

Beyond that, the show will likely revolve around Move, Project Natal and the 3DS. "Whatever the outcome or your own personal opinion, one thing is for certain," says Divnich, "E3 2010 is a must attend event for anyone with any vested interest in the video game space."

JoystiqDivnich makes E3 predictions, expo to be 'inflection point' for game industry originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 May 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>agentDSe3-2010eedarjesse-divnichMicrosoftmovenatalNintendoplaystation-moveproject-natalrockstarWiiXbox-360Thu, 13 May 2010 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Natal's worldwide October launch apparently outed by MS Saudi 'vendor' [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/11/natals-worldwide-october-launch-apparently-outed-by-ms-saudi-ex/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/11/natals-worldwide-october-launch-apparently-outed-by-ms-saudi-ex/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/11/natals-worldwide-october-launch-apparently-outed-by-ms-saudi-ex/#comments In an interview on Saudi television, the marketing manager for Microsoft's entertainment and devices division for the region revealed Project Natal's launch window: October 2010. GamerTagRadio has the clip of Microsoft's Syed Bilal Tariq saying, "We will be in a position to confirm the date after E3, which is in June. But definitely it is going to be October 2010 and we will have it in Saudi Arabia for sure."

The last official word we'd heard about the all-seeing, motion-tracking peripheral's launch date was "holiday season 2010." With E3 a little over a month away, we're expecting to learn specific dates soon -- likely at Natal's standalone press conference.

Update: G4 reports that according to Microsoft, "Syed Bilal Tariq is not a [Microsoft] employee ... He is a vendor employed through a third-party company on behalf of the Microsoft subsidiary in Saudi Arabia." The company also wouldn't comment on the alleged October launch window.

[Via Edge]

JoystiqNatal's worldwide October launch apparently outed by MS Saudi 'vendor' [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 May 2010 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftmotion-controlnatalproject-natalrelease-datesaudi-arabiasyed-bilal-tariqXbox-360Tue, 11 May 2010 09:25:00 EST<![CDATA[THQ CEO: Move & Natal games shouldn't be ports]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/05/thq-ceo-playstation-move-project-natal-games-shouldnt-be-ports/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/05/thq-ceo-playstation-move-project-natal-games-shouldnt-be-ports/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/05/thq-ceo-playstation-move-project-natal-games-shouldnt-be-ports/#commentsDuring an earnings conference call today, THQ CEO Brian Farrell told investors and press not to expect the publisher to release ports of its existing games for Project Natal or PlayStation Move. "What you will not see is porting of games to Natal, or I don't think you should see that," he said. "I think they should be specific, standalone game experiences that exploit that very new and significant technology. And the Move is the same way: You've got to do something unique and not just an add-on with respect to that platform."

Later in the call, however, Farrell did not entirely rule out ports of Wii games for PlayStation Move. When asked about the possibility of "Moving" games like De Blob (future iterations of which have been confirmed as multiplatform), Farrell said that THQ would "take advantage where we can in terms of development environments [and] take advantage of technology we already have," though he noted that because of the HD capabilities of the Xbox 360 and PS3, "just porting over those assets doesn't work." We'll see what THQ is developing with the new technologies next month, as Farrell said, "you'll like what we show at E3."

Even without porting, Farrell said that development costs for Natal and Move games were lower than on traditional games, "because, again, it's not about the technology, but it's about the gameplay." The big draw for Natal titles, he said, is the "interaction with digital objects." Farrell even alluded to passing the savings on to the consumer, rather than defaulting to a $60 retail price for future HD motion games published by THQ. He said that the company is "still deliberating internally on that" and "may not even announce those launch prices until much closer to the launch" of the games.

JoystiqTHQ CEO: Move & Natal games shouldn't be ports originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 May 2010 19:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brian-farrellde-blobMicrosoftmovenatalNintendoplaystation-moveportsproject-natalWiiXbox-360Wed, 05 May 2010 19:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: Natal test kit photos reveal 'motorized tilt mechanism,' power cord]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/20/rumor-natal-test-kit-photos-reveal-motorized-tilt-mechanism/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/20/rumor-natal-test-kit-photos-reveal-motorized-tilt-mechanism/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/20/rumor-natal-test-kit-photos-reveal-motorized-tilt-mechanism/#comments Motion camera meta-voyeurism news now, with an alleged Project Natal test kit capturing every movement of a man ... taking pictures of it. According to Italian gaming site Multiplayer.it, the photos originate from a tester, who was tasked with having an unreciprocated conversation with the Xbox 360 peripheral in order to test its speech recognition capabilities.

The surprisingly cheerful documentation included with the supposed test kit explicitly warns against tilting the camera manually, as it's already equipped with a "motorized tilt mechanism" -- all the better to see you with, my dear. The "Quick Start Guide" also shows how the early model of the camera connects to an Xbox 360 development kit via USB and a power outlet via a split cable.

It's not known how representative these photos are of early Project Natal development kits, nor how much of it will change by the time the final product arrives this holiday. Microsoft did not comment on the veracity of the images, with a representative telling Joystiq: "We announced earlier this year that Project Natal will launch this holiday, and our teams are working hard to bring the best experiences to life. We have nothing further to announce at this time."

[Via Engadget]

JoystiqRumor: Natal test kit photos reveal 'motorized tilt mechanism,' power cord originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftmotion-controlnatalpower-cordproject-natalrumorspeech-recognitionXbox-360Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft shows how Natal recognizes players, gender]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/15/microsoft-shows-how-natal-recognizes-players-gender/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/15/microsoft-shows-how-natal-recognizes-players-gender/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/15/microsoft-shows-how-natal-recognizes-players-gender/#comments Have you ever wondered what Project Natal actually sees through its beady, robotic eyes? A direct feed of the Natal's point-of-view was recently revealed to the audience of Microsoft Israel R&D's "Think Next" convention yesterday afternoon. Just past the jump, you can check out NextGen-News' video of a live demonstration from Microsoft VP of Hardware and Technology Dr. Ilan Spillinger and a female participant, both of whose genders and movements were successfully identified and Avatar-ified by Natal.

Watch the video after the jump to see Spillinger get more excited by this technology than anyone has ever been excited for anything else on the planet, ever.

[Via Engadget]

Continue reading Microsoft shows how Natal recognizes players, gender

JoystiqMicrosoft shows how Natal recognizes players, gender originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>genderIlan-Spillingermicrosoftnatalproject-natalresearch-and-developmenttech-demovideoXbox-360Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:44:00 EST<![CDATA[Hudson's Lost in Shadow may come to PS3, 360; dev team 'brainstorming' Move, Natal titles]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/09/hudson-lost-in-shadow-may-come-to-ps3-and-xbox-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/09/hudson-lost-in-shadow-may-come-to-ps3-and-xbox-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/09/hudson-lost-in-shadow-may-come-to-ps3-and-xbox-360/#comments Speaking with Joystiq at yesterday's Konami Gamers Night event, Hudson producer Shinichi Kasahara told us that he hopes his upcoming Wii title Lost in Shadow will someday see release on both PS3 and Xbox 360. When asked whether or not his team has any interest in developing for the HD consoles and their motion controllers, Kasahara said, "In addition to hopefully transferring [Lost in Shadow] to those consoles, we are also actually already brainstorming a couple of different ideas that we're probably going to develop for Natal and Move."

Look for our hands-on with the Wii version of Lost in Shadow and our full interview with Kasahara-san coming soon.

JoystiqHudson's Lost in Shadow may come to PS3, 360; dev team 'brainstorming' Move, Natal titles originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hudsonkonami-gamers-night-2010lost-in-shadowMicrosoftmovenatalplaystation-moveproject-natalXbox-360Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[2K Sports is planning to support motion controls]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/01/2k-sports-is-planning-to-support-motion-controls/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/01/2k-sports-is-planning-to-support-motion-controls/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/01/2k-sports-is-planning-to-support-motion-controls/#comments An interesting landscape is starting to take shape out there, thanks to the fresh wave of motion-control technology coming to gaming this year: the PlayStation Move and Microsoft's Project Natal. And there's no other genre that calls for an immediate association to motion-control gaming than sports, right?

2K Sports' VP of Marketing Jason Argent recently talked with the[a]listdaily about the new tech and its potential for sports games. Argent confirmed that 2K Sports would in fact be employing the tech, though there's no time-line as of yet. Argent only offered that we all should "stay tuned" for more info.

For certain games -- hockey, baseball and boxing -- we'd say utilizing the tech makes sense, but how could it make for a fun football or basketball experience? Well, 2K Sports, forgive the pun but the ball's in your court.

[Via Industry Gamers]

Joystiq2K Sports is planning to support motion controls originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Apr 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2k-games2k-sportsMicrosoftmotion-controlmotion-controlsmovenatalplaystation-moveproject-nataltake-twoXbox-360Thu, 01 Apr 2010 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft to host E3 Natal event June 13, media briefing June 14]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/25/microsoft-to-host-e3-natal-event-june-13-media-briefing-june-14/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/25/microsoft-to-host-e3-natal-event-june-13-media-briefing-june-14/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/25/microsoft-to-host-e3-natal-event-june-13-media-briefing-june-14/#comments Microsoft has sent out a "save the date" email announcing its major events leading up to E3 2010 (June 15-17). The first event, the "World Premiere 'Project Natal' for Xbox 360 Experience," is open to all ages and will be held on Sunday, June 13 at the Galen Center in Los Angeles. No further details have been provided, though Microsoft announced earlier this month that it's bringing "the full lineup" of Natal titles to E3.

The following morning, on Monday, June 14, Microsoft will hold its annual E3 media briefing at the Wiltern Theater. The event will be restricted to ages 18 and older. With the media getting a taste of Natal the night before, it should be interesting to see what Microsoft has up its sleeve for the actual briefing. Expect more details on both events in the near future.

JoystiqMicrosoft to host E3 Natal event June 13, media briefing June 14 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>e3e3-2010media-briefingmicrosoftnatalpress-conferenceproject-natalXbox-360Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Molyneux says Natal focus testing is 'almost impossible']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/24/molyneux-says-natal-focus-testing-is-almost-impossible/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/24/molyneux-says-natal-focus-testing-is-almost-impossible/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/24/molyneux-says-natal-focus-testing-is-almost-impossible/#comments Peter Molyneux says that the biggest problem with Project Natal isn't the difficulty in programming for a new technology, but the potential users themselves. Speaking with the Times Online, Molyneux says that the Natal tech is "so different and new that trying to get a focus group to look at it and respond is almost impossible." Perhaps it's not just that people aren't responding to the likes of Milo, it's that they don't realize he will respond to them.

Molyneux clarifies that his team is still working on the to-be-announced project, which we saw "glimpses" of at E3, and that they've increased "emotional engagement" since then. "The only way I see you at the moment is through your thumbs," he says. But Natal lets a virtual character see everything from body movement to facial expression, and that, says Molyneux, allows his team to "design experiences that truly resonate with you as an individual, rather than with a mass of people." While its an intriguing concept, such an open-ended design makes for a lot of pressure on the developer to ensure accessible to all kinds of individuals. Good thing there's plenty of time to pencil in more focus groups before Natal's holiday launch.

[Via TVGB]

JoystiqMolyneux says Natal focus testing is 'almost impossible' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>focus-groupsMicrosoftmilonatalpeter-molyneuxproject-natalXbox-360Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:26:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft bringing 'the full lineup' of Natal titles to E3]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/09/microsoft-bringing-the-full-lineup-of-natal-titles-to-e3/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/09/microsoft-bringing-the-full-lineup-of-natal-titles-to-e3/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/09/microsoft-bringing-the-full-lineup-of-natal-titles-to-e3/#comments GDC 2010 is the hotness this week, but according to Microsoft's Mindy Mount (speaking at a tech conference in NYC), E3 should be fun this year, too. As you might expect, Microsoft is bringing "the full lineup" of Project Natal titles to the convention in June.

We know there are a whole bunch of developers working on Natal titles, including EA, Capcom, Forza Motorport's Turn 10, and SpawnPoint Studios. Mount promises that Microsoft is "putting some of our best people on coming up with great game ideas for this, and we're going to have some great stuff." We'll start working out now to make sure we have enough stamina to flail our limbs all week long.

JoystiqMicrosoft bringing 'the full lineup' of Natal titles to E3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomconventiondeveloperse3-2010eaea-activeElectronic-Artsfable-3fable-iiigdc-2010microsoftmindy-mountnatalproject-natalspawnpoint-studiosturn-10Xbox-360Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Molyneux combats fear of Natal input lag]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/05/molyneux-combats-fear-of-natal-input-lag/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/05/molyneux-combats-fear-of-natal-input-lag/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/05/molyneux-combats-fear-of-natal-input-lag/#comments The problem of input latency is something that keeps popping up in coverage of Microsoft's Project Natal. It's something we noticed when demoing Natal at TGS last year, something Microsoft promised to address before launch. Apparently, certain outlets are still noticing latency issues, which has prompted both Microsoft and Peter Molyneux to come to the peripheral's defense. The comments come in response to reactions from a recent event held in London for non-enthusiast press.

Speaking to GI.biz (account required), Molyneux noted his "frustration" at seeing the press use a version of Natal that has since been "exceeded many times over." Said Molyneux, "So very often you get a position that what a person's looking at is two, three, four months, a year old and you kind of want to go, 'no, no, it's 10 times better than that!'" He added that there have been "countless" revisions to Natal's camera and software since X10, which was held just weeks ago. Furthermore a Microsoft source told GI.biz that the unit demonstrated in London was "one-tenth as responsive" as the current revision.

Microsoft doesn't have any Natal presentations planned for GDC next week, but maybe, just maybe Molyneux will show us how far the peripheral has come during his panel on intuitive game design.

JoystiqMolyneux combats fear of Natal input lag originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fablefable-3gdc-2010LionheadLionhead-StudiosMicrosoftmicrosoft-game-studiosnatalproject-natalXbox-360Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Pachter: Natal more than $50 after all, DSi XL won't sell]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/25/pachter-natal-more-than-50-after-all-dsi-xl-wont-sell/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/25/pachter-natal-more-than-50-after-all-dsi-xl-wont-sell/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/25/pachter-natal-more-than-50-after-all-dsi-xl-wont-sell/#comments In a stunning show that game industry analysts indeed are fallible human beings, Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter has changed his mind on Natal's supposed price. The prolific analyst prognosticated last year that price would be the primary factor in moving Natal hardware, leading him to predict that it would launch for less than $50. However, he now tells IndustryGamers that it will likely cost more, noting, "consumers will come to believe that the product and software has a lot of value." Furthermore, Pachter says that the higher that Microsoft and Sony price their motion controls, the less likely a consumer is to buy the competing product. In other words, if you spend $100 on Natal, you probably won't be too keen to plunk down another $100 for Sony's motion controller (and vice versa).

Pachter also tackles the DSi XL. He has some choice words for the beefy handheld, pointing out the $60 difference between the DS Lite and DSi XL models. "I'm not sure that bigger screens provide the value that Nintendo thinks," says Pachter, adding his belief that the entire DS line is due for a price cut. He concludes the device won't succeed at launch "since it costs only $10 less than a Wii."

Other topics discussed include Richard Garriott's foray into social media, the marketing of Dante's Inferno and the specter of third party success on the Wii -- "most third party Wii games just plain suck," says Pachter.

JoystiqPachter: Natal more than $50 after all, DSi XL won't sell originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analystdsi-xlmichael-pachterMicrosoftnatalNintendoplaystation-motion-controllerProject-NatalWiiXbox-360Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:54:00 EST<![CDATA[Disney won't rule out Epic Mickey on 360, PS3]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/18/disney-wont-rule-out-epic-mickey-on-360-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/18/disney-wont-rule-out-epic-mickey-on-360-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/18/disney-wont-rule-out-epic-mickey-on-360-ps3/#comments When Warren Spector's first Junction Point Studios title, Disney Epic Mickey, was revealed, many gamers were miffed to learn that the game was exclusive to the Wii -- especially after being inundated with some spectacular concept art for the game. It looks like there is still some hope that the game will hit the Xbox 360 and PS3, according to Disney's Graham Hopper.

Hopper tells Gamasutra that one of the game's core concepts is its "ink and paint mechanic", making it ideal for the Wii. However, now that both Xbox 360 and PS3 will soon support motion controls of their own, things might be different. "If we started it 6 months ago we would have potentially thought differently about it," said Hopper. He noted that Disney has "a very large audience base that has Wiis in their home" but that the company isn't ruling out the possibility of a future port to other platforms.

Making all of this a bit stranger, as Joystiq readers will recall, is that Epic Mickey actually started out as a project for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. The game switched to Wii development in 2008 when Disney raised the possibility of a port. At the time, Spector told the company that many of the design ideas wouldn't work on the console, noting that a Wii version would have to "be its own game." Disney apparently agreed, deciding to make the game Wii exclusive. Here we are two years later, and the game just might come full circle.

JoystiqDisney won't rule out Epic Mickey on 360, PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arcdisney-epic-mickeyepic-mickeyjunction-point-studiosMicrosoftnatalNintendoplaystation-motion-controllerproject-natalWiiXbox-360Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft's SpawnPoint Studios working on Natal launch title]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/12/microsofts-spawnpoint-studios-working-on-natal-launch-title/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/12/microsofts-spawnpoint-studios-working-on-natal-launch-title/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/12/microsofts-spawnpoint-studios-working-on-natal-launch-title/#comments So that's what they're doing! A pair of job listings on Microsoft's career site have revealed that the mysterious SpawnPoint Studios is currently hiring for a Project Natal launch title. The listings don't reveal any details about the title, though they do ask specifically for someone to "work on a Natal launch title, built from the ground up in MGS / SpawnPoint Studios." The listing notes further that potential employees will work with "a very strong team fresh off AAA titles, starting a new project in a start-up like environment."

This is the most we've heard about the studio since Microsoft's Phil Spencer first dropped its name in a Joystiq interview last year. Spencer then intimated that SpawnPoint was "really doing a lot of the Natal work." Later in the same year, we tried to pry some SpawnPoint info from 343 Industries' Frank O'Connor with little success.

So, SpawnPoint remains something of a mystery for now, though it sounds like we're guaranteed to know more come the launch of Natal. Hopefully, we'll hear something sooner.

[Via VGTribune]

Source - Software Development Engineer-Senior-MGS-Project Natal Job
Source - Software Development Engineer-MGS-Project Natal Job

JoystiqMicrosoft's SpawnPoint Studios working on Natal launch title originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Microsoftmicrosoft-game-studiosnatalproject-natalspawnpoint-studiosXbox-360Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Former EyeToy exec warns of the difficulties facing Natal, 'Arc']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/08/former-eyetoy-exec-warns-of-the-difficulties-facing-natal-arc/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/08/former-eyetoy-exec-warns-of-the-difficulties-facing-natal-arc/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/08/former-eyetoy-exec-warns-of-the-difficulties-facing-natal-arc/#comments In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Jamie MacDonald, former Vice President of Sony Worldwide Studios (the company responsible for EyeToy), gave out a few pointers to Sony and Microsoft regarding their respective motion controllers. MacDonald warned that gamers are expecting more from the 360 and PS3's motion gaming than they do from the Wii, due to both consoles' beefier hardware. However, he also warned about implementing "traditional long-form gameplay," lengthy sessions of which would leave players "completely knackered."

MacDonald's wisest words came when speaking about pricing the two pieces of hardware. He suggested they follow Sony's strategy with EyeToy, where the peripheral and a piece of software came bundled for the price of a normal game, which kept consumers from "paying a premium for the hardware." That's a sweet thought, but it's a little presumptive -- after all, we've yet to hear a price for the two devices. (Hell, we haven't even heard a name for one of them.)

JoystiqFormer EyeToy exec warns of the difficulties facing Natal, 'Arc' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eyetoyjamie-macdonaldmicrosoftnatalplaystation-arcplaystation-arc-motion-controllerplaystation-motion-controllerproject-natalsonyXbox-360Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Molyneux: Fable 3 news at X10 will make you 'super pissed off']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/07/molyneux-fable-3-news-at-x10-will-make-you-super-pissed-off/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/07/molyneux-fable-3-news-at-x10-will-make-you-super-pissed-off/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/07/molyneux-fable-3-news-at-x10-will-make-you-super-pissed-off/#comments Speaking to Gamereactor, Lionhead maestro Peter Molyneux revealed that there will be some big Fable 3 news at the X10 event this week. "There's some very, very big things happening in Fable," said Molyneux, "Bigger than you think, and it's going to really upset people." Molyneux added that he is "really scared" about telling people the news, saying, "They're going to get super pissed off, they really are." Still, he concluded that it's "the right thing to do," and confirmed that he will be demonstrating the mystery announcement at X10 in San Francisco. Joystiq's theory: The entire story of Fable 2 was a dream sequence. Whatever it is, we'll be delivering the news directly from X10, so Joystiq's staff and readers can all get pissed off together.

In the meantime, be sure to watch the whole interview, which also contains some really interesting talk about Project Natal.

[Via VG247]

JoystiqMolyneux: Fable 3 news at X10 will make you 'super pissed off' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fablefable-3lionheadlionhead-studiosMicrosoftmicrosoft-game-studiosnatalpeter-molyneuxproject-natalx10Xbox-360Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MotoGP dev keen on Natal head tracking, 3DTV]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/03/motogp-dev-keen-on-natal-head-tracking-3dtv/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/03/motogp-dev-keen-on-natal-head-tracking-3dtv/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/03/motogp-dev-keen-on-natal-head-tracking-3dtv/#comments Speaking to CVG, MotoGP lead designer Greg Bryant discussed the future of the series on both the Xbox 360 and PS3. Bryant said the development team plans to incorporate Natal support into MotoGP 10/11 in order to implement head tracking. According to Bryant, "the future for [Natal] is through head tracking in racing games." As for future iterations on the PS3, he noted that the team plans to use stereoscopic 3D and "theoretically" enable head tracking with the Playstation Eye.

Honestly, if it turns out anything like this, consider us stoked.

JoystiqMotoGP dev keen on Natal head tracking, 3DTV originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3-dcapcomMicrosoftmoto-gpmotogp-1011natalplaystation-eyeproject-natalXbox-360Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Forza Motorsport dev working with Natal tech]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/19/forza-motorsport-dev-working-with-natal-tech/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/19/forza-motorsport-dev-working-with-natal-tech/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/19/forza-motorsport-dev-working-with-natal-tech/#comments It may not be the most shocking turn of events, but we would be remiss not point out that Turn 10 -- the studio behind the Forza Motorsport series -- is dabbling in Natal development. The evidence comes by way of a Turn 10 job listing for a business development manager. The listing, discovered by Total Video Games, is looking for someone to "set strategy and drive high quality game content for our Next Generation games including the NATAL platform."

Considering that Forza Motorsport series is the only product that Turn 10 has created for Microsoft thus far, it's probably safe to assume Natal support will work its way into future iterations of the series. Microsoft has already proven that Natal can be utilized in driving games with its Burnout Paradise demo, though its hard to imagine the motion capture peripheral will have the precision for something as technical as Forza.

But who says Natal has to be used for steering? It could be used for secondary activities like shifting, changing the radio station or, most obviously, flipping the bird. We're sure Xbox Live members would just love it.

[Via G4tv]

JoystiqForza Motorsport dev working with Natal tech originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Forzaforza-4forza-motorsportkinect-forzamgsMicrosoftmicrosoft-game-studiosnatalproject-natalturn-10Xbox-360Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Capcom updating old brand for Natal, not treating it as a 'gimmick']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/13/capcom-updating-old-brand-for-natal-not-treating-it-as-a-gimmi/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/13/capcom-updating-old-brand-for-natal-not-treating-it-as-a-gimmi/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/13/capcom-updating-old-brand-for-natal-not-treating-it-as-a-gimmi/#comments Capcom informed G4 at CES that it's certainly working on "stuff" for Microsoft's Project Natal, including a "brand we haven't seen in a while." The publisher's VP of strategic planning and business development, Christian Svensson, explained that it's creating something "from the ground up for Natal." As he put it, "We're not looking at Natal as 'okay, here's a little Natal gimmick that we've worked into some existing game.'"

Svensson added that Keiji Inafune, Mega Man's papa and head of R&D at Capcom, is "really excited" about working with the peripheral (as demonstrated during Tokyo Game Show's Xbox 360 Creator Panel). Not that Capcom is planning to rush the process, mind you. "We're gonna cook something and it's gonna to take a while to cook."

JoystiqCapcom updating old brand for Natal, not treating it as a 'gimmick' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomchristian-svenssonkeiji-inafuneMicrosoftnatalproject-natalXbox-360Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Bach: 70-80% of publishers working on Natal-based games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/bach-70-80-of-publishers-working-on-natal-based-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/bach-70-80-of-publishers-working-on-natal-based-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/12/bach-70-80-of-publishers-working-on-natal-based-games/#comments In an interview with Financial Post, Microsoft president of entertainment and devices Robbie Bach said "something like 70% or 80% of the publishers in the world" are already working on Natal-based games. The interview followed Microsoft's CES 2010 keynote during which Bach announced the hands-free controller for the Xbox 360 would launch during the 2010 holiday season. Bach also respectfully outlined what he believes is the major difference between Microsoft and Nintendo's respective business models: third-party success. "Our model is certainly about third-party publishers making money. We design our system for third-party publishers," he told the Canadian news outlet. "[Nintendo makes] most of their money through first-party games that Nintendo produces. That's absolutely their business model. And it's a great business model, it's just different, but it makes it hard for third-party publishers."

As for upcoming Natal-based games, Bach said Microsoft's first-party developers are focused on the hardware to help lead other developers down an "innovative" path. "We want to have a few titles from Microsoft that show the way and then we want the breadth and power of the ecosystem from our partners to bring lots of new ideas, new innovations, new concepts to the marketplace."

Microsoft's Project Natal appears to be a direct response to a mainstream audience that has turned to Nintendo's hardware when spending disposable income. Considering the Xbox 360 and PS3 have effectively cracked the third-party code, Microsoft's focus continues to be set on capturing a demographic that may feel intimidated by the hardware and its core (read: jerkface) players.

JoystiqBach: 70-80% of publishers working on Natal-based games originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>financial-postMicrosoftnatalproject-natalrobbie-bachthird-partyXbox-360Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Natal to use 10-15 percent of Xbox 360's computing resources]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/07/natal-to-use-10-15-percent-of-xbox-360-cpu-power/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/07/natal-to-use-10-15-percent-of-xbox-360-cpu-power/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/07/natal-to-use-10-15-percent-of-xbox-360-cpu-power/#comments A few details about Project Natal's technical capabilities slipped out alongside the holiday 2010 release window at Microsoft's CES press conference. The most revealing of these specifics is that the hardware will only siphon 10 to 15 percent of the 360's computing resources, according to a statement from Natal lead developer Alex Kipman. "Natal has to work on the existing hardware without taking too much hardware processing away from the games developers," Kipman added.

However, according to a report obtained by GamesIndustry, the processing power could have been further reduced. The original build for Natal included a chip that processed the "bone system," assumed responsible for creating a skeleton of the player in front of the device's glossy eye. However, in an attempt to lower costs, the chip was removed from the device's final build, putting that processing onus on the software that will utilize Natal.

In other words, it's extremely unlikely that any software will be able to have Natal support patched into it -- a fact that Digital Foundry's Richard Leadbetter says could help "serve to focus developers on Natal-specific concepts as opposed to revisiting old classics."

Update: Updated language to reflect that of the original source -- Natal will use 10 - 15 percent of the 360's overall computing power, not just its CPU.

JoystiqNatal to use 10-15 percent of Xbox 360's computing resources originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ces-2010compatibilitycpudevicehardwaremicrosoftnatalperipheralproject-natalXbox-360Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft says Project Natal coming 'holiday season 2010']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/06/microsoft-says-project-natal-coming-holiday-season-2010/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/06/microsoft-says-project-natal-coming-holiday-season-2010/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/06/microsoft-says-project-natal-coming-holiday-season-2010/#commentsAccording to a press release summing up Microsoft's CES 2010 keynote that dropped just before Ballmer took the stage, the company will be releasing Project Natal in "holiday season 2010." We heard earlier today about what year the future controller would be arriving, but now, folks, now we know during which group of months it'll be arriving at retail.

The release explicitly states that the still-codenamed Natal project is "scheduled to be available in holiday season 2010," adding that Natal "is only the most recent example of Microsoft's work creating natural user interfaces." With any luck, by E3 we'll have an actual name and maybe even a specific month for when we'll get to check it out at home! Until then, we'll have to get by with the inspirational video about Natal's origins created for today's release, embedded above.

JoystiqMicrosoft says Project Natal coming 'holiday season 2010' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cesces-2010ces2010microsoftnatalproject-natalrelease-datesteve-ballmerXbox-360Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Traveler's Tales director assesses Sony and Microsoft motion control]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/18/travelers-tales-director-assesses-sony-and-microsoft-motion-con/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/18/travelers-tales-director-assesses-sony-and-microsoft-motion-con/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/18/travelers-tales-director-assesses-sony-and-microsoft-motion-con/#comments Speaking to Develop, Traveller's Tales director Jon Burton voiced concerns about Microsoft's motion control solution, Project Natal. Specifically, Burton stated that Natal's lack of controller input as well as input lag could limit the kinds of games made for it, though he did admit that the device is "exceedingly clever." Burton prefers Sony's motion controller, noting that it will be "cheap, accurate and will put buttons at your fingertips," which should make it suitable for a wide range of games.

Still, Burton admits he was "stunned" by the technical wizardry of Natal. With the experience of having his own motion capture studio at TT, Burton states that getting "anything resembling mo-cap" in real-time from a single camera is "nothing short of amazing."

For what it's worth, Burton has not used a final version of the device. We noted Natal's input lag when we tried it at TGS earlier this year, where Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda assured us the final product would iron out, or at least ameliorate, the issue.

JoystiqTraveler's Tales director assesses Sony and Microsoft motion control originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Jon-BurtonMicrosoftnatalplaystation-motion-controllerproject-nataltravellers-talesXbox-360Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft's Marc Whitten sees Natal replacing television remote controls]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/28/microsofts-marc-whitten-sees-natal-replacing-television-remote/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/28/microsofts-marc-whitten-sees-natal-replacing-television-remote/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/28/microsofts-marc-whitten-sees-natal-replacing-television-remote/#comments Speaking to a room full of executives focused on "the business of online video" at this year's Streaming Media West trade show, it's easy to understand how Xbox Live GM Marc Whitten could fall into hyperbole regarding the implications of Project Natal. "I believe that this will be the largest leap of TV experience since the remote control," Whitten said on the subject, reports Yahoo Tech. "With the flick of my wrist I can change a channel ... with the power of my voice I can start a movie."

Aside from the more obvious implications to television using technology that can interpret voice and motion, he sees a future where Natal will recognize individual voices in a room and allow for a variety of human input - from "laughter" to "the number of people in a room" and everything in between. "Watching a movie is a passive input, but a TV should understand what you're trying to do." We don't know about you, Marc, but we're a bit worried about the implications of our television understanding what some of us are trying to do.

[Via Edge]

JoystiqMicrosoft's Marc Whitten sees Natal replacing television remote controls originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>marc-whittenMicrosoftnatalproject-natalremote-controlstreaming-media-westtelevisionXbox-360Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft: Natal launch details 'not accurate']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/17/microsoft-natal-launch-details-not-accurate/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/17/microsoft-natal-launch-details-not-accurate/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/17/microsoft-natal-launch-details-not-accurate/#comments While reports circulated last week that Project Natal would launch sometime in November 2010, Xbox UK boss Neil Thompson says the details were only rumors. Speaking with Eurogamer at a launch event in London for the console's new social media applications, Thompson said the rumors "weren't accurate" and claimed Microsoft has yet to determine "a lot of things" related to the launch of its new motion-sensing technology.

According to the rumors, Microsoft was set to ship around five million Project Natal units next fall, alongside 14 supporting titles at a price point that could go as low as $50 (£30). When asked about the rumored details and price, Xbox's head of Europe, Chris Lewis, jokingly added, "Now you know better than to listen to that stuff! We will announce in good time."

However, Lewis did remind Eurogamer that Microsoft is striving for "unique" and "compelling" experiences with the technology. "That has to happen and will happen," he said. As long as whatever "happens" doesn't follow Microsoft's traditional Xbox 360 peripheral pricing scheme, we'll be happy.

JoystiqMicrosoft: Natal launch details 'not accurate' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chris-lewiseuropemicrosoftnatalneil-thompsonpricingproject-natalrelease-dateukXbox-360Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Time picks Natal as one of 2009's best inventions]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/12/time-picks-natal-as-one-of-2009s-best-inventions/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/12/time-picks-natal-as-one-of-2009s-best-inventions/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/12/time-picks-natal-as-one-of-2009s-best-inventions/#comments
Sitting on Time Magazine's 50 Best Inventions of 2009 amongst notables like the world's first AIDS vaccine (still in trials) and meat farms seems like an awkward place for Microsoft's Project Natal. But that's exactly where it resides, paired with glowing praise for its boundary-breaking implications.

"Since time immemorial ... one barrier that has stood between gamers and total Tron-like immersion in their video games has been the controller," the piece posits, going on to say that Natal will break that barrier by allowing the player one-to-one access between the game and the game's controls. "You move your hand, and the Master Chief (or whoever) moves his hand. It's that simple. And that cool." Though we're excited for the many prospects Project Natal seems to offer, we're a bit more intrigued by teleportation.

And yes, that's seriously on the list.

JoystiqTime picks Natal as one of 2009's best inventions originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>50-best-inventions-of-2009awardsinventionsmicrosoftnatalproject-nataltime-magazineXbox-360Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Terminal Reality seeking programmers for 'seriously high-quality' Natal project]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/05/terminal-reality-seeking-programmers-for-seriously-high-quality/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/05/terminal-reality-seeking-programmers-for-seriously-high-quality/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/05/terminal-reality-seeking-programmers-for-seriously-high-quality/#comments Wait a minute. Now we're confused. We thought one of the major development incentives for joining the motion revolution was to conserve resources in the production department. When your players are busy flailing and flapping -- surging with euphoric endorphins -- they don't exactly notice that you've scaled back on the fancy schmancy rendering and physics; all that excessive cutting edge tech. Heck, they'd barely notice if you repurposed and resold them a game you'd made 5 years ago.

Motion control, man, it's about getting back to our roots -- a simpler time -- when games were, like, about connecting with our bodies, you know? So when we caught wind of a job opportunity posted by Ghostbusters developer Terminal Reality and calling for experienced Xbox Live programmers to create "an exciting AAA Natal title," we were sorta like, whoa, guys, you're kinda missing the point.

Check this: "If you have a passion to create seriously high-quality action/adventure titles, we're interested in hearing from you!" Really ... passion? That makes it sound like there will be sweat involved -- that's the players' job now. You guys gotta dial it down, maybe dig up some of that old BloodRayne code, put a little "kick-punch-slap" control in there ... Save. Press. Box. Ship. Done.

[Via Shogun Gamer; thanks, Ian]

JoystiqTerminal Reality seeking programmers for 'seriously high-quality' Natal project originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaajobsMicrosoftnatalproject-natalterminal-realitytriXbox-360xbox-liveThu, 05 Nov 2009 12:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Molyneux confirms Natal support in Fable 3]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/21/molyneux-confirms-natal-support-in-fable-iii/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/21/molyneux-confirms-natal-support-in-fable-iii/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/21/molyneux-confirms-natal-support-in-fable-iii/#comments Shocking absolutely no one, Peter Molyneux has confirmed that Fable 3 will support Project Natal in some fashion. The confirmation came during a lecture at BAFTA in London. The news was confirmed by Eurogamer's Johnny Minkley, who tweeted the info during the event itself. Molyneux also reportedly showed off Milo and proved that Natal is capable of scanning objects (people, presumably) in bad lighting.

Molyneux himself hinted at the possible inclusion of Natal in Fable 3 as recently as two weeks ago, though he neglected to confirm it for fear of a quick, sniper-borne death.

So that's that then: Fable 3 will use Project Natal. Of course, we don't speak for everyone, but we can't wait to pretend to fart in front of a crowd of adoring, virtual townsfolk.

[Via VG247]

JoystiqMolyneux confirms Natal support in Fable 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fablefable-3Microsoftmicrosoft-game-studiosnatalpeter-molyneuxproject-natalXbox-360Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Pachter: Project Natal will cost $50, 'Sphere' no more than $100 [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/pachter-project-natal-will-cost-50-sphere-will-be-over-100/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/pachter-project-natal-will-cost-50-sphere-will-be-over-100/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/pachter-project-natal-will-cost-50-sphere-will-be-over-100/#comments
Over at IndustryGamers, everyone's favorite video game predicterer (we're still working on that one) Michael Pachter has taken the reigns of the site and offers his own extensive diatribe on the future of Sony and Microsoft's upcoming new tech: Project Natal and the PlayStation Motion Controller (rumored to be called Sphere). Pachter's assertion is that price will be Natal's biggest selling point and Microsoft will try to expand upon its market of established Xbox 360 owners by offering the device for $50. For Sony's doodad, Pachter says the company is "trying to create an answer to the success of the Wii."

Pachter even likens the future state of a Natal-enabled Xbox 360 to the current state of the iPhone -- with features like Twitter, Netflix, Last.fm and Facebook inside Microsoft's box and its intuitive interface, he says casual or non-playing members of Xbox 360 households will become interested. And then when it's bundled with all new Xbox 360s, he says that'll expand Microsoft's reach even more.

For the motion-controlled competition, Pachter says he'd be surprised if Sony's asking price was over $100, and stresses that both Microsoft and Sony need to keep "the consumer's cost relatively low in order to achieve broad penetration."

[Update: Corrected Pachter's belief that the motion controller would be no more than $100. We sincerely apologize for the misinterpretation and the consequent misinformation.]

JoystiqPachter: Project Natal will cost $50, 'Sphere' no more than $100 [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facebookiphonelast-fmmichael-pachterMicrosoftnatalnetflixpachterplaystation-motion-controllerproject-natalspheretwitterXbox-360Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft discusses Wii-esque Project Natal branding strategy]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/microsoft-discusses-wii-esque-project-natal-branding-strategy/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/microsoft-discusses-wii-esque-project-natal-branding-strategy/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/microsoft-discusses-wii-esque-project-natal-branding-strategy/#comments While we may be nervous about Microsoft's Project Natal branding strategy -- remember, that's just a codename -- the suits in Redmond share no such concern. That's because the Natal project is following Nintendo's lead in more ways than just easy-to-play, motion-based technology. It's also following Nintendo's branding strategy.

On May 11, 2004 Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced the "Nintendo Revolution" to the E3 audience and, while he didn't show off the motion-based controller (we wouldn't see that for another sixteen months, at TGS 2005), he did promise "an unprecedented gameplay experience." The Revolution would offer "something no other machine has delivered before." The following May, over two years after first announcing the "Revolution," Nintendo revealed the product's final name just before E3: Wii.

When we asked Microsoft's Robbie Bach, "When can we stop calling it Natal?" at a recent Open House event, the exec wasn't shy about comparing the company's strategy to Nintendo's. "When Nintendo came out with the name 'Wii,' people sort of said 'Oh gosh, that's kind of a goofy, weird name.' I haven't heard a comment about it being a goofy name since the week after they announced the name," Bach said. "And suddenly, people just called it the 'Wii' and moved on." And, specifically, they've moved on to buying them en masse.

Continue reading Microsoft discusses Wii-esque Project Natal branding strategy

JoystiqMicrosoft discusses Wii-esque Project Natal branding strategy originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Albert-PenellobrandingMicrosoftnamingnatalProject-NatalRobbie-BachXbox-360Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Indie game 'Storm' strikes XBLA, PSN, WiiWare, iPhone]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/05/indie-game-storm-strikes-xbla-psn-wiiware-iphone/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/05/indie-game-storm-strikes-xbla-psn-wiiware-iphone/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/05/indie-game-storm-strikes-xbla-psn-wiiware-iphone/#comments
Terence Lee, creator of Storm, joins the growing list of independent game developers lucky enough to find a publisher. His game, created specifically for an independent games competition at 2BeeGames.com, will find refuge on PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, WiiWare and iPhone next year via a new publishing deal announced by Zoo Games. We talked with Lee about the indie games scene, and what we can expect from the console version.

What is Storm? How did the concept come about?
Storm is a game where you use weather elements, like wind, rain, and lightning, to solve physics puzzles. I had been playing around with some physics sandbox games, like Garry's Mod, and I found that these games were all based on experimenting with mechanical interactions. I wondered if an organic style could also be fun. And what's more organic than a storm? Plus storms bring lightning and every game needs explosions.

Gallery: Storm

Continue reading Indie game 'Storm' strikes XBLA, PSN, WiiWare, iPhone

JoystiqIndie game 'Storm' strikes XBLA, PSN, WiiWare, iPhone originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2beegamesAppleindieiPodMicrosoftnatalNintendoProject-Natalpsnstormterence-leeWiiwiiwarexblaXbox-360zoo-gamesMon, 05 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Don't expect old 360 games to add Natal support]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/25/dont-expect-old-360-games-to-add-natal-support/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/25/dont-expect-old-360-games-to-add-natal-support/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/25/dont-expect-old-360-games-to-add-natal-support/#comments Speaking to Destructoid, Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda had some bad news for gamers hoping to see old Xbox 360 game updated with Natal controls. The Natal team has been able to effectively implement motion controls in older titles -- like Beautiful Katamari and Space Invaders Extreme -- but Tsunoda intimated that it required large portions of code to be changed. According to Tsunoda, it's not something that developers could easily patch into older titles. In other words, if you want your favorite pre-Natal title to support motion control, you'll have to hope for a full-fledged re-release from the publisher.

That's definitely a blow for those hoping to enjoy some of their favorite games with motion control, especially considering Sony can patch motion control into older PS3 titles. Here's hoping Namco sees the light and releases Beautiful Natal-amari once Project Natal hits retail shelves.

JoystiqDon't expect old 360 games to add Natal support originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kudo-tsunodaMicrosoftnatalproject-nataltgs-2009Xbox-360Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[TGS 2009: Body-on: Project Natal (with Space Invaders Extreme!)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/25/tgs-2009-body-on-project-natal-with-space-invaders-extreme/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/25/tgs-2009-body-on-project-natal-with-space-invaders-extreme/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/25/tgs-2009-body-on-project-natal-with-space-invaders-extreme/#comments Explaining Project Natal's mantra of fun and accessibility can't be the easiest task in the world, especially since it has to be done while ricocheting about in front of a motion-detecting camera. And despite that, creative director Kudo Tsunoda makes it look easy, calmly elaborating on Natal's goals and features while he dances about in a room full of journalists.

We've heard it before: Natal is Microsoft's sledgehammer, swung straight into the walls that years of button pressing and circle strafing have slowly erected around traditional gaming. We've seen similar attacks from Nintendo's Wii, as well as from the massive genre of the Instrument Protagonist, but Microsoft is hoping for much more than a dent. In the wall. Do you get it? It's like a metaphor and stuff.

The bizarre problem with Natal in its early state is that it, um, works. The technology is clearly functional -- heck, it's vaguely magical -- which makes the absence of truly compelling software almost immediately disappointing. Anyone can simply hop in front of the camera, which never seems to stop and ask, "Who are you and where did you come from -- and why are you so fat compared to the last person?" You're recognized within seconds and can start playing a moment later. And then you slap flying balls.

It's a bit of an unfair demand considering the product's not due until 2010, but the impatience is testament to the convincing nature of the technology itself. In the meantime, Microsoft is exploring Natal's tricks in two existing games: Beautiful Katamari and Space Invaders Extreme.

Gallery: Space Invaders Extreme (XBLA)

Continue reading TGS 2009: Body-on: Project Natal (with Space Invaders Extreme!)

JoystiqTGS 2009: Body-on: Project Natal (with Space Invaders Extreme!) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beautiful-katamarikudo-tsunodaMicrosoftnatalproject-natalspace-invadersspace-invaders-extremetgstgs-2009Xbox-360Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:01:00 EST<![CDATA[TGS 2009: Xbox 360 Creator Panel Discussion recap]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/24/tgs-2009-xbox-360-creator-panel-discussion-recap/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/24/tgs-2009-xbox-360-creator-panel-discussion-recap/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/24/tgs-2009-xbox-360-creator-panel-discussion-recap/#comments
Dubbed a "public brainstorming session" in a sorry-I-couldn't-make-it introductory video from Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business VP, Don Mattrick, the Xbox 360 Creator Discussion Panel saw three esteemed Japanese game developers share their dreams and designs for Project Natal.

It was immediately noted that no ideas or concepts -- erupting from Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid), Keiji Inafune (Mega Man, Dead Rising) and Toshihiro Nagoshi (Monkey Ball, Yakuza) -- should be considered actual, in-development concepts. Which is just as well, because it didn't take long for the trio to joke about a motion-enabled female feel-'em-up (see above gesture for context).

Keiji Inafune was the one to bring it up, noting that the evolution of controllers was "way behind the evolution of graphics." According to Inafune, "Body language is part of this important evolution. With Natal we can involve ourselves. I'm getting really excited and show it in my body or action. Instead of pressing the button, it can be truly immersive experience."

Gallery: TGS 2009: Xbox 360 Creator Panel Discussion

Continue reading TGS 2009: Xbox 360 Creator Panel Discussion recap

JoystiqTGS 2009: Xbox 360 Creator Panel Discussion recap originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hideo-kojimakeiji-inafuneMicrosoftnatalproject-nataltgs-2009toshihiro-nagoshiXbox-360Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:01:00 EST<![CDATA[TGS 2009: Microsoft's Phil Spencer easily envisions Fable, Natal crossover ]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/24/microsofts-phil-spencer-easily-envisions-fable-natal-crossover/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/24/microsofts-phil-spencer-easily-envisions-fable-natal-crossover/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/24/microsofts-phil-spencer-easily-envisions-fable-natal-crossover/#comments
Microsoft Game Studios' corporate vice president, Phil Spencer, doesn't seem like the easily startled type. In fact, on the list of things that wouldn't catch him off guard, the incorporation of Project Natal into a high-profile, Xbox 360-exclusive franchise probably doesn't sit very high. Perhaps a few spots below lots of people buying a new Halo game.

During a Tokyo Game Show interview (look for the full transcript soon), Spencer told Joystiq that the innovation fostered inside Lionhead Studios made it a good match for Microsoft's forthcoming motion control system. "You know, Lionhead's been a real innovation studio for us," he said. "We have the release of Fable 2 episodic this week, where they're taking Fable 2 and breaking it up into chunks, allowing people to buy the content at their pace. Fable 2, I thought, was a great release, with the orbs they added with Live, adding new functionality to the franchise. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if Natal found its way into future iterations of Fable."

Whether or not motion functionality will show up in 2010's Fable 3 is a matter of speculation, though your role as king in that game would certainly lend itself to some interesting ... regal maneuvers. Waving your hand to permanently dispense with an annoying peasant? That's our kind of role playing.

JoystiqTGS 2009: Microsoft's Phil Spencer easily envisions Fable, Natal crossover originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Actionfable-2fable-3lionheadlionhead-studiosMGSMicrosoftmicrosoft-game-studiosnatalphil-spencerproject-natalrpgtgs-2009Xbox-360Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Square Enix head predicts new Wii in 2011, says motion 'impact' for Xbox, PlayStation will be 'small']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/21/square-enix-head-predicts-new-wii-in-2011-says-motion-impact/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/21/square-enix-head-predicts-new-wii-in-2011-says-motion-impact/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/21/square-enix-head-predicts-new-wii-in-2011-says-motion-impact/#comments The new motion controllers for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are likely to make big appearances at this year's Tokyo Game Show. While both Microsoft and Sony are attempting to take away some of Nintendo's mindshare with its new controllers, Square Enix head Yoichi Wada believes neither company will be truly successful. "Present game machines already have a lot of functions: they are a network terminal, a Blu-ray or DVD player, and a gaming machine. Compared to these three pillars, the [new motion] controllers are quite limited, so the impact may be small," Wada told the Financial Times.

Wada also believes that the three platforms will start looking more like each other by the year 2011, when he believes Nintendo will release the fabled successor of the Wii. The system will add features found on the PS3/360, and may also introduce a brand new controller. It'll certainly be interesting to see what moves consumers when an HD Nintendo system exists concurrently with motion-enabled Microsoft and Sony systems.

JoystiqSquare Enix head predicts new Wii in 2011, says motion 'impact' for Xbox, PlayStation will be 'small' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>MicrosoftnatalNintendoplaystation-motion-controllerproject-natalsquare-enixwiiwii-hdXbox-360yoichi-wadaMon, 21 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EST