Xbox 360: developers split on the future of Natal
Project Natal has been in the media spotlight since last year and much more so than Sony’s wand controller. One of the big reasons is due to the promise sold by the Milo demo during E3. However, one can’t help wonder if Microsoft may have over-hyped the device before it can truly deliver?
Peter Molyneux has been in charge of hyping Project Natal, which isn’t all that surprising given his Fable legacy, and has done an excellent job. The product was displayed with a bang that had many excited at its potential. However, this excitement waned overtime as many including myself started looking at it with a critical eye.
This can be you
Develop, a trade publication dedicated to video gaming development efforts, recently put out an interesting piece where they polled developers in the community to see where they stand on Natal. As Microsoft alleges approximately 70 to 80 percent of the publishers are playing around with Natal dev kits currently.
However, it seems that the development community is somewhat split as far as the potential for Natal. Developers and media outlets have voiced that there is a growing fear that it may become a platform for shovelware.
The EpicBattleCry crew even commented on this fear as well during a recent podcast. Late last month developer Traveller’s Tales expressed concerns over the lag issue in Natal, which became amplified by Microsoft’s recent announcement.
The Guardian also recently indicated that there is a growing concern in the development community in regards to the processor taken out of Natal. Also, the site believes that most publishers will just tack on Natal onto existing franchises similar to the PS3’s Sixaxis functionality.
I have to agree with Joystiq and Weaseltron studio, that unless Microsoft pushes out a killer app for Natal, interest is going to wane considerably towards it.
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52 Responses to “Xbox 360: developers split on the future of Natal”
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January 17th, 2010
NATAL is going to fail i already know DEJA VU. Also the no controller thing is also not as good as some may think if you play Xbox on a crowded place NATAL is going to be useless no space to use. Sony nameless controller is more secure proof since is very similar to Wii’s controller which has proven a success.
OFF TOPIC
I now need to play Halo to help Haiti. I highly support Bungie for doing this we all should play Halo 24/7 is for a needed good cost. Please play it.
inquisitr.com/57353/play-halo-3-help-haiti/
MGS4 is still helping PS3 alot.
news.vgchartz.com/news.php?id=6596
January 17th, 2010
Well, in BlorgeVille they say that the Ivan_PSP’s small heart grew threw sizes that day.
January 17th, 2010
three*
god damnit why isnt there a edit button here
January 17th, 2010
Well, I will judge Natal once I get to try it. I want to play a normal, popular game with a normal 360 controller, then proceed to try it with Natal.
I won’t judge it off of the flood of mini-games that will come to show off it’s hardware. The first time I tried the Wii, it seemed pretty cool, but I grew to dislike it when I tried it with WaW, Galaxy, Zelda, etc. I tried swordfighting with the motion Plus in Futureshop, and instantly decided that it was nothing special whatsoever.
I hope that they deliver on their promises.
January 17th, 2010
Saber_HAHAha:
I suggest you try NATAL from a friend or some where else first don’t buy it the first day it launches.
January 17th, 2010
http://newstrendstoday.com/ps3-playstation-3-by-sony-great-price-great-system/02824
January 17th, 2010
As long as they keep games like Mass Effect in their repertoire they should be okay with experimenting on projects like Natal:
“Some days ago the latest issue of UK magazine GamesTM popped up on the internet with a surprising score. Mass Effect 2 is only the 9th game to receive a perfect score since the magazine started.
Perfect Scores since 2002
Metroid Prime
Burnout 3
Gears of War
God of War II
Bioshock
Grand Theft Auto IV
Fallout 3
Demon’s Souls
Mass Effect 2″
http://themindchannel.blogspot.com/2010/01/mass-effect-2-9th-game-to-get-perfect.html
January 17th, 2010
CarlB:
Do get to comfortable with the Mass Effect series most of the game on the list are multiplaform. Was was the main purpose for for that post. Blog…
January 17th, 2010
The main purpose is as stated: “As long as they keep games like Mass Effect in their repertoire they should be okay with experimenting on projects like Natal”
January 17th, 2010
Having watched films like Blade Runner and Minority Report I must admit I was impressed by Project Natal’s possible real life applications not just to video gaming but to daily living.
It would be areal waste if they screw this up by rushing it before its time.
It could have been nice if it retained its own processor so it could also work not only with 360.
Remember Sony also works on a similar technology in cooperation with a Swedish company way before the Natal announcement.
January 17th, 2010
Although Natal is no where near Blade Runner or Minority Report tech lol I do get what you are trying say and I agree. It will be a real shame if M$ or Sony mess this small advancement up by letting there greed ruin it. I think they have dollar signs in there eyes and are more focus on riding nintendo’s money train than making real gaming progress. I really hope I am wrong but we will find out soon enough.
January 17th, 2010
Is it me, or is Milo looking a little “spotty” …..??
January 17th, 2010
spideydog
It’s natural, he’s maturing and entering the squeeky voiced adolescent phase.
All of this is just chatter, the big deal will be when we see it after a year or so, after Microsoft launch a few interesting titles and the 3rd party devs have begun to really think about how to use the options it gives
(especially now that garbage – ‘no controllers at all – has been booted into touch).
January 17th, 2010
“It’s natural, he’s maturing and entering the squeeky voiced adolescent phase.”
LOL – well if they don’t hurry up, he’ll be a bloke in mid-life crisis, driving a sport car convertible
January 17th, 2010
…from GT5
January 17th, 2010
I don’t know where I saw it, I think IGN, where they did a parody on Milo where some redneck was giving him bad advice and he ended up in prison.
January 18th, 2010
Yeah, there was another where he was b-slapping Solid Snake and had Kratos as a peon.
January 18th, 2010
“Yeah, there was another where he was b-slapping Solid Snake and had Kratos as a peon.”
fanboy wishes…..*yawn*
January 18th, 2010
“Yeah, there was another where he was b-slapping Solid Snake and had Kratos as a peon.”
haha and beating the crap out of the flying monkey from Eyepet.
January 18th, 2010
Voice Recognition:
Will Natal voice recognition understand you if you have a broad Scottish accent? Irish? Welsh? South African? Aussie? If you’re from the Deep South? If you speak perfect English but it’s your second language?
Or will each regional accent require a different voice recognition engine?
And what about all other languages?
This is a much much bigger job than simply using different voice actors.
Motion Control:
My 360 controller has 19 buttons and two joysticks.
How is that supposed to be mapped onto a human body when I’m playing e.g. an FPS?
Twitch your nose to reload? Wiggle your ears to change weapons? Raise your left eyebrow to fit the silencer?
My prediction: Motion-sensitive games will reach a new LOW in interaction.
And the demo video of those shiny happy people playing the car race sim by holding their arms straight out in front?
I wish I could have heard their comments: “How many more damn takes do we have to do? My freaking arms are falling off!”
Natal is BOGUS!
January 18th, 2010
@Harry,
Dude. That’s just cruel… what did that monkey ever do to you?
January 18th, 2010
Nothing like spanking the money
….. lol
January 18th, 2010
I’m sceptical about how successfull this will be, I’ll probably buy it regardless though.
I like being a sheep.
January 18th, 2010
i totally agree with screwbot
January 18th, 2010
I totally agree with Liquid.
January 18th, 2010
We were a little surprised to find that Microsoft had included a full-fledged speech recognition software module for free in the Windows Vista operating system. It seemed like the kind of software that Microsoft would sell separately. We figured that it must not be worth much if they’re throwing it in for free. Imagine our surprise when Windows Speech Recognition turned out to be one of the best products we reviewed. It was so good, in fact, that it earned our TopTenREVIEWS Silver Award in our review of voice recognition software.
There are a few simple reasons why Windows Speech Recognition ranked so well. The first is accuracy. Windows Speech Recognition transcribed our voices to text faster and better than any of the other programs in this review. Not only do the spoken commands elicit prompt and accurate responses, but the dictation mode was the most accurate in our tests. It was able to keep up with us speaking at normal speeds without needing to enunciate or emphasize words. And it handled a lot of the jargon and uncommon words we threw at it.
The other reason Windows Speech Recognition ranked so well in this review is the amount of features. The tutorial and voice training modules work well to acclimate the program to your voice, and from there on Windows Speech Recognition continually improves itself as you use it. The more you speak, the better it gets at recognizing how you speak. The commands are numerous enough that they’re hard to remember at first, but once you become accustomed to them they become a real asset. You can do more with Windows Speech Recognition than any other program, with the exception of the #1 product, Dragon Naturally Speaking.
The features and accuracy of Windows Speech Recognition certainly make Vista more useful, even considering all the poor reviews the OS has received. Even if Vista doesn’t work like a dream, Windows Speech Recognition comes close.
Standout Features
The best dictation accuracy
Easy navigation structure
Numbered commands
Continually learns to understand your voice better
http://voice-recognition-software-review.toptenreviews.com/windows-speech-recognition-review.html
January 18th, 2010
Reviews say that Windows Speech Recognition is nearly as powerful as Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 (starting at *Est. $45 for the Standard version) and has similar accuracy. Its biggest advantage is that it is included free as part of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems that are standard on most new computers. The version in Windows 7 is largely unchanged, though some small improvements — such as an expanded dictionary — are noted in early reviews. Experts almost unanimously conclude that Windows Speech Recognition is a very good program and in some ways — such as in the user interface and tutorial modules — better than Dragon’s NaturallySpeaking 10, though most say that power users are better off with NaturallySpeaking.
PCMag.com delivers the best comparative review of Windows Speech Recognition, in an article that documents a series of performance tests comparing the Windows program to Nuance Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10. Though it’s not comparative, Glen Salzman has an outstanding review and startup guide on BrightHub.com. StevePavlina.com and TopTenReviews.com editors have useful but less comprehensive reports. GadgetUserBlog.com has one of the few early write-ups of the version of Windows Speech Recognition in Windows 7.
January 18th, 2010
How does MS’s new shizzle in cars work these days?
I’d love one of those systems in my car… Fuckin hate playing with the radio on the highway
January 18th, 2010
I hear Sync is unmatched, and consistently growing in capabilities…
January 19th, 2010
Natal wins it’s first award
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/1367-Awards-for-2009
January 19th, 2010
I mentioned something similar on Friday. The lag may end up killing the potential for developers to have real time response to certain types of games. I guess we have to wait and see, but some developers have already expressed concerns and have said that Sony’s solution is better.
h**p://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/18/travelers-tales-director-assesses-sony-and-microsoft-motion-con/
January 19th, 2010
it was stated that the faster you move the bigger the lag is…this will be a big issue for devs
January 19th, 2010
So Natal is not only heavily into motion capture but voice recognition too?
Just thinking about the automatas for it makes me feel overwhelmed.
January 19th, 2010
Amazing.
All these definite negative opinions on a new system which nobody has seen and isn’t even out yet & is still obviously in the prototype stage.
January 19th, 2010
HH
most devs have already recieved the Natal kit from MS..wonder why a pretty good number of publisher/devs are already working on Natal games?
January 19th, 2010
The negative opinions are coming from the developers. They have seen Natal up and running.
We didn’t see Happy run to the defense of GT5 when negatives complaints for a game that no one played yet were abundant.
January 19th, 2010
Perhaps I was too vague HH, it´s an impressive feat. Looks like biometrics will receive a boost in 2010 once it is touched by gaming.
January 20th, 2010
The positive opinions are coming from the same developers as well after seeing Natal up and running.
Wand should be more backwards compatible with existing games, while they will have to make new games for Natal.
January 20th, 2010
phranc – “The negative opinions are coming from the developers”
can you post a links to the article you read? i’d like to believe you , but you ps3 fanboys have been caught in too many lies to be considered credible.
thanks.
January 20th, 2010
sony’s motion controls just got delayed until “the fall”…ouch..
January 20th, 2010
“Wand should be more backwards compatible with existing games, while they will have to make new games for Natal.”
I agree completely. Well completely is not quite what I meant. I believe the wand will get a lot more wii remakes than Natal, but natal will try and incorporate it’s control function into more of the Hardcore games which will ultimately fail. For instance. Lag while playing Geo Wars is game breaking. No one will choose to play the game that way. The same can be said for holding your hands out in front of you to steer an air wheel will be novelty at best. It will have the same perception as the sixaxis for the hardcore games in that respect IMO.
They will do more than that I’m sure though. And thats where Natal will really shine.
January 20th, 2010
@phranc, I also agree to a point. They’ve already stated it will not replace traditional physical controls in traditional games like the ones you mention or others. Wii-remakes don’t make any sense either, since the wiimote is said to have much less lag than Natal.
January 20th, 2010
It will have to be unique with the lack of buttons for an input method. It’ll be interesting to say the least.
January 20th, 2010
“sony’s motion controls just got delayed until ‘the fall’…ouch.”
I saw that as well… it makes sense to give devs more time to build a significant launch library with the tech, maybe tweak the design a little, build a marketing campaign and some buzz, and still be the “hot” item to get for the holidays instead of fizzling out over the summer, let alone giving it a greater chance to compete and perhaps win out over Natal.
I still think God of War III could be it’s initial “killer app”, if they could get it right… but maybe the best way to do that would be to delay God of War III to fall as well (instead of patch it later), building hype and anticipation, then releasing them both… the delay certainly wouldn’t be unprecedented, and it could give them a very nice edge for the holidays. I said before that I thought Natal would outsell and be more successful than Wand, but if the time frame has changed then it’s a whole new ball game for the Wand, with a much greater chance of success.
In other words, I think the delay is a very positive sign of increased effort and support behind Wand, and brilliant strategy on Sony’s part.
January 20th, 2010
Carlb,
I’m sorry..I fail to see (even after reading that) why GOW3 should be released in the Fall. What requires patching?
What I read, only 3D might be added at a later date. With Sony not supporting 3D until Summer, it can get patched in that respect.
That still doesn’t have much to do with the Wand though.
And I agree. It’s a great idea to delay the launch of the wand until they have games for it. Spring 2010 estimate was made a while ago and due to lack of titles shown as of now I don’t really believe that was a reasonable estimate.
January 20th, 2010
“What requires patching?”
For it to work with the Wands.
January 20th, 2010
What are you trying to kill people? The GOW games can hurt fingers from the button mashing. Imagine flailing around. You’d be dead of a heart attack before the end of the first level.
January 20th, 2010
The Wand will just ruin the game just like the sixaxis ruined Lair.
January 20th, 2010
Good point… so… another “killer app” for the Wands? …got it… Demon’s Souls 2 (and a patch for Demon’s Souls 1).
January 20th, 2010
Speaking of lair, when I first saw some video if natal running on more hardcore type games I thought ms would create it’s own lair.
You know. Release a game with only that type of control to try and force natal on people and get crucified for doing it like lair before them.
January 20th, 2010
Now demons souls. That could work. 1 to 1 with swordplay.
They of course would have to also allow traditional controls too.
January 28th, 2010
Now the news is out that Nintendo rejected Natal years ago before the company that developed it sold the idea to MS. That’s really really funny ha ha ha.
I have to say something in Apple’s favor: they never discuss a product before it’s released. But Microsoft have released demonstration videos of a product that doesn’t even exist! There is no Natal – not running on an xbox 360 anyway. See Youtube “Milo Fake” if you haven’t already.
I’ve decided this: on the day Natal is released, I’m gonna rush down to the store…and buy a PS3.