Natal looks very cool as an add-on to the existing controller technology...for example in FPS games to peek around corners...
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Which console has the coolest new motion concept?
- Thread starter spaceballl
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I saw someone say that MS should just build Natal into the NEXT XBOX. I pretty much agree with this...
Ya, Natal doesn't seem that impressive (tech-wise). It's just a stick with a camera and a microphone in it. I don't see two cameras, so it's practically an EyeToy with new software... But there has to be something else in that bar
Natal looked a bit choppy and glitchy, especially during the Mii, erm.. i mean Avatar section. They didnt have good software to show it off.
Wii Motion plus is the same thing, just more precise. Essentially an update to the existing wiimote.
Sony's performed great, they had good software to demo it with (its all about the software, folks), and looked like something from an old Star Trek episode, lol.
Wii Motion plus is the same thing, just more precise. Essentially an update to the existing wiimote.
Sony's performed great, they had good software to demo it with (its all about the software, folks), and looked like something from an old Star Trek episode, lol.
My thoughts exactly. Nintendo did alright for themselves with the Wii controller and its expansion port. It means that we get new peripherals for a lot less than a stand-alone peripheral.
If Microsoft wants this thing standard it will need to be in the next Xbox. But given that next gen is probably just 1-2 years off it still isn't too far away.
Dont go there girlfriend with the wii and extra peripherals
By the time you add up the cost of all those extra wii peripherals such as extra nunchuck if you buy a wii remote, balance board, motion plus, wii speak microphone etc.... Then it all works out just as expensive as a NATAL.Besides no-ones forcing you to spend $199 and the reality is that NATAL will not be standard this gen, thats a physical impossibilty. So if you don't want it, or it's too expensive, then stay away. Personally if M$ came out with a Killer App and bundled it with the NATAL then the price isn't too steep for me.
I mean its only as pricy as many other stuff like ROCKBAND etc...
Ya, Natal doesn't seem that impressive (tech-wise). It's just a stick with a camera and a microphone in it. I don't see two cameras, so it's practically an EyeToy with new software... But there has to be something else in that bar
are you sure you dont see 2 cameras?
@stainlessliquid - keep in mind that's just a marketing mock-up. The journalists who have had a chance to try natal have said that it looks like a projector. About the size of a mini projector. Now... that being said, if the mockup has two cameras on it, then it probably requires two cameras
Just watched the videos again. Sony's really looks the most usable to me. The tracking was spot-on!
Ya ya ya.... I was reading something and noticed that I was wrong. I thought one dot was the microphone. So it's got 1 VGA camera and 1 IR camera, I guess that's something new
It uses an infra red camera for this.
It's explained here: http://gizmodo.com/5277954/testing-project-natal-we-touched-the-intangible
I find the discussion about it a bit funny. Maybe it's because someone would expect Apple to make such a system but not Microsoft. If Jobs had announced it with words like: "And we use a controller for the iConsole. - No of course we don't use a controller. We use the best controlling device that exists: your body!" everyone would say how revolutionary it is, etc. But because it's Microsoft it's totally faked
Natal is the most ambitious and that's one reason I'm most interested by it. Nintendo is obviously trying to refine their tech w/Motion Plus and Sony seems to be trying to bring out a more refined 'remote and nun-chuck' experience, but MS is looking further down the line. Maybe too far down the line for current gen consoles but at least they have an impressive goal in sight.
One of the biggest short comings w/the way Nintendo and Sony are going, IMO, is you still need a controller in your hand so you are limited to only one or two 'points of contact' w/the game. If Natal becomes a reality you lose those limitations. The Natal-friendly version of Burnout is already an example of this. The player's hands steer and their feet work the gas & brake. As opposed to a Wii driving game where the gas/brake are still buttons. Or imagine a Wii Music like game for the Natal. A complete air-band w/o the need for remotes, nun-chucks and a balance board.
On a more everyday/mundane focus think about just doing basic interactions w/the console w/o needing a controller. Obviously MS is wanting to make the xbox a media center so think about how nice it would be to interface w/the 360 w/o needing to pick up a controller. Personally I think it would be pretty sweet to flop down on my couch and rent a movie or turn on some music all w/o having to pick up a remote or a controller.
MS definitely chose a path more likely to lead to failure, but if they pull it off I think it will be awesome.
Lethal
One of the biggest short comings w/the way Nintendo and Sony are going, IMO, is you still need a controller in your hand so you are limited to only one or two 'points of contact' w/the game. If Natal becomes a reality you lose those limitations. The Natal-friendly version of Burnout is already an example of this. The player's hands steer and their feet work the gas & brake. As opposed to a Wii driving game where the gas/brake are still buttons. Or imagine a Wii Music like game for the Natal. A complete air-band w/o the need for remotes, nun-chucks and a balance board.
On a more everyday/mundane focus think about just doing basic interactions w/the console w/o needing a controller. Obviously MS is wanting to make the xbox a media center so think about how nice it would be to interface w/the 360 w/o needing to pick up a controller. Personally I think it would be pretty sweet to flop down on my couch and rent a movie or turn on some music all w/o having to pick up a remote or a controller.
MS definitely chose a path more likely to lead to failure, but if they pull it off I think it will be awesome.
Lethal
For a lot of things you need a controller in your hand. Imagine trying to accurately drum in Rock Band when you cant feel the sticks, can see/feel the drum heads, and have no idea where the cymbals are floating until you hit them.
Natal is limited in its usefulness because in real life there are very few things you do wihout holding onto something else.
I just have this frightening vision that two system generations down the road, holding a controller in our hands will be a distant nostalgic memory, while we are spastically jumping and twitching around the entire living room yelling voice commands at our TVs.
I just have this frightening vision that two system generations down the road, holding a controller in our hands will be a distant nostalgic memory, while we are spastically jumping and twitching around the entire living room yelling voice commands at our TVs.
And then at E3 2020 they'll introduce the revolutionary system where you no longer have to jump around like an electrocuted epileptic at a barn-dance, and they will call it 'the gamepad' and it will allow us to play games without all the physical exercise....
Controllers make things easier. Playing a racing game like a mime is a gimmick in its purest form. Would you want to get rid of the steering wheel and pedals in your car and drive on guess work? Or try to accurately play a guitar without a guitar in your hands? Having physical controls isnt a bad thing, besides Natal is still going to require controls so you can actually move around in the game world... making it the same as Sony's.
There are things where not having controls will work, like boxing, but I cant think of many examples.
Naw...at E3 2020, they debut the headset where you can just think what you want to do and not even move. Simply lay on a couch and don't move a muscle...control everything with your mind.
Of course motion based controls won't replace a real controller for every application, but there are instances where motion based can be better, IMO. Off the top of my head some types of games that can be more fun w/motion controllers would be tennis, golf, boxing, bowling, driving, rail/light gun shooters, RTS, skate/ski/snowboard, dance games, fishing, party games, etc.. If they can work the kinks out I even think FPS's could be better w/motion based controls than w/a game pad. A game like Rock Band I don't think would be doable w/o the fake guitars and drums, but that's why I used a game that relied much less on precision, Wii Music, in my example.
Would you want to get rid of the steering wheel and pedals in your car and drive using a gamepad?
For driving games my first choice would be a steering wheel + pedals accessory, my second choice would be good motion controls and my third choice would be a gamepad. The biggest thing lacking from motion control is obviously force feedback and/or rumble, but steering/pedal peripherals can be expensive, bulky to store, and annoying to properly setup so that's a trade off I'd probably be willing to make since I'm more of a casual driving game player and not an enthusiast.
I actually think MS will release a wand style controller for use w/more complex games that require buttons, but unlike the PS3 and Wii the 360 won't be limited to just tracking the controller for motion-based input.
Lethal
I'd agree. In the racing game alone, there would be some many issues. How long can you comfortably hold your arms like that? How would you change gears? If you scratch your nose, do you fly off the track and die?
I'm sure many of the concepts would work in casual gaming, but for most genres a gamepad, or mouse and keyboard would be far more fun, and accurate.
Looks like classic Microsoft FUD to me. Sony and Nintendo else is doing motion control, so let's put together a cool vapourware demo that distracts everyone from them. IF anything comes of it, it'll look absolutely nothing like the Natal demo; but people will probably have forgotten by then. Gamers are like goldfish.
I recently played Mario Kart Wii and the Cars driving game for hours on end w/my 6yr old nephew and neither one of us cramped up.
As far as shifting gears goes you could just make a stick-shift motion (which is what you do in the Natal version of Burnout to activate your boost) so it appears you can work the 'wheel' w/one hand. Which leaves your other hand free to scratch your nose, shift, or grab a drink. What happens when you take one hand away from the gamepad while playing a racing game? For the company w/the best motion control tech today I'd rank it Nintendo, Sony, MS. But for the company with, per the thread title, the 'coolest new motion concept' I have to give that to MS. The concept of Natal is much more intriguing to me then what Nintendo or Sony showed at E3.
Lethal
Natal is probably the coolest idea, but they have a lot of kinks to work out before it would be even remotely usable. It would require quite a bit of precessing to be able to track minute gestures i assume. What if im playing Burnout and reach to my right to grab my glass of tea? To the game it may look like im trying to shift.
Right now, Sony's looks like the best bet. Wii Motion Plus is cool, but Wii Sports is the only game that seems to get motion controls down correctly. Im really looking forward to Wii Sports Resort.
Right now, Sony's looks like the best bet. Wii Motion Plus is cool, but Wii Sports is the only game that seems to get motion controls down correctly. Im really looking forward to Wii Sports Resort.
What if you are holding a gamepad in your hands and you reach for your drink? What if you are holding a PS3 'wand' in each hand and reach for a drink? What if you are holding a Wii remote in your hands and reach for a drink? If Natal can tell the difference between "I need a cool drink of tea" and "I need to shift" it's got a one up over the competition. If it can't it's no worse than everyone else.
Can any Wii driving games use the balance board for gas/brake?
In the near future I think Sony is going to be in the best position because they'll have a motion controller and a gamepad for the PS3. IMO too many Wii games have lame waggle or gesture mechanics instead of a simple button press because there isn't a proper gamepad for the Wii. I wouldn't be surprised if any release of Natal for the 360 is kludgy but that the next-gen Xbox will offer a much more refined version.
All this is definitely a far cry from the Le Stick I had for my Atari 2600 though.
Lethal
My concerns exactly. I can happily play Mario Kart Wii and similar games without getting cramps (although I rest my elbows on my legs or whatever, rather than holding them straight out). It's the precise stuff like changing gear, checking rear view, changing camera angle, precise acceleration, hand brake turns... Basically everything that isn't steering that I can see being problematic. You need feedback for some things. You need to know where the gear bit starts and ends, you need to know where the 0% acceleration and 100% acceleration ends are. There does need to be tactile feedback.
However... If its tied in with a regular controller and tilting it made a change on screen then yea, but that is just accomplishing what the Wii and PS3 already does.
Natal. I don't get it (yet).