AfterDawn: Tech news

5 million Project Natal units available at launch?

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 11 Nov 2009 2:10 User comments (5)

5 million Project Natal units available at launch? According to a new MCV post, Microsoft is planning a November 2010 launch for its controller-free Project Natal, and will have 5 million units available at launch, alongside 14 games.
The details, say the site, come from a closed tour Microsoft has been having with UK publishers and studios showing off the technology in an effort to increase development.

The device will be available by itself for under £50 ($80 USD) with some publishers saying they expect it to retail for £30, as a way to bring in "impulse buyers." Natal will also be bundled with consoles and games.

So far, Activision, Bethesda, Capcom, Disney, EA, Konami, MTV, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ and Ubisoft have all committed to creating games for the new technology.

Previous Next  

5 user comments

111.11.2009 18:58

I wanna hear what kind of ideas people on AfterDawn have about Project Natal... as in ideas for what kind of NON-GIMMICKY titles could be made? By non-gimmicky, I mean, what GOOD games could come of this without just trying to sell to the casual gamers? Thawts?

212.11.2009 01:24
LissenUp
Inactive

Ok........so I just watched the video for this. What crap!!!


It's scharades with a video game. If I'm gonna play a driving game then I want to hold a wheel. That would be like having Kitt driving while I pretend to steer.

And...........what if I don't have a skateboard to scan?

The interactive video (calling friends) part is way cool though.

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 12 Nov 2009 @ 1:30

312.11.2009 05:15

Yeah...this looks downright dumb. I'm sure that I'm not the only one who tried the WiiWheel, and found it to be nothing like driving...this is even worse; not even a fake wheel!

I don't see how you could made a good game for this platform. Gamers want feedback...or at the very least, they want to know when they are pressing a button. Natal cannot even provide the level of feedback from the orriginal "Pong".

Martial arts games: Very few gamers can actualy do any of the moves; those who can want to feel the kick/punch/etc land, and their ballance and next moves are based on this.

Driving games: feedback is very important; the newer driving wheels simulate every pebble in the road to try to take maximum advantage of this. Even a $20 econo-wheel would provide a more realistic experience.

Shooting games: Not many people want to use their finger as a gun...especialy when you can get a lightgun for so cheap, and they still don't sell.

Adventure/MMORPG games: The whole point of playing on the 360/PS3/PC is that you don't have to get off your &ss; if you are going to stand up and walk arround, you might as well do it outside!

It's just another gimick; somewhere between the Nintendo Virtual Boy and Sony sixaxis...but it still might capture a few customers away from the Wii.

The reason they will launch with 5 million units is because the launch will be most of the total sales for Natal. Once the word gets out that the games are actualy worse than sixaxis games, and that it is nothing but a gimick, they will have lots of trouble selling it. By launching with 5 million units, they hope to make $400,000,000 gross...this should more than cover development costs.

412.11.2009 16:23

I'm gonna agree with KillerBug on this one. After you mentioned the Mario Kart Wii wheel especially. That thing was a piece of a crap. Bring back the GunCon please... what is everyone DOING!? Imagine a TimeCrisis game like in the arcades where there's actually recoil. I'd freak out (in a good way) lol. It's hard for me to reserve judgment even if it isn't out yet, but it smells a whole lot like gimmick.

Casual gamers are easier to please so maybe that's what developers have been aiming at for the past year or so. *shrug*

513.11.2009 23:40

Can't wait to get 2 and make Milo talk to Milo

Comments have been disabled for this article.

Latest news

VLC hits milestone: over 5 billion downloads VLC hits milestone: over 5 billion downloads (16 Mar 2024 4:31)
VLC Media Player, the versatile video-software powerhouse, has achieved a remarkable feat: it has been downloaded over 5 billion times.
2 user comments
Sideloading apps to Android gets easier, as Google settles its lawsuit Sideloading apps to Android gets easier, as Google settles its lawsuit (19 Dec 2023 11:09)
Google settled its lawsuit in September 2023, and one of the settlement terms was that the way applications are installed on Android from outside the Google Play Store must become simpler. In the future, installing APK files will be easier.
8 user comments
Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets (06 Jun 2023 9:19)
Roomba Combo j7+ is the very first Roomba model to combine robot vacuum with mopping features. And Roomba Combo j7+ does all that with a very clever trick, which tackles the problem with mopping and carpets. But is it any good? We found out.
Neato, the robot vacuum company, ends its operations Neato, the robot vacuum company, ends its operations (02 May 2023 3:38)
Neato Robotics has ceased its operations. American robot vacuum pioneer founded in 2005 has finally called it quits and company will cease its operations and sales. Only a skeleton crew will remain who will keep the servers running until 2028.
5 user comments
How to Send Messages to Yourself on WhatsApp How to Send Messages to Yourself on WhatsApp (20 Mar 2023 1:25)
The world's most popular messaging platform, Meta-owned WhatsApp has enabled sending messages to yourself. While at first, this might seem like an odd feature, it can be very useful in a lot of situations. ....
18 user comments

News archive