XBOX 360 to get a second life with project Natal next year.
13 November, 2009
This week, UK gaming industry publisher MCV has broken the news that in November 2010 the Xbox add-on known as “Natal” (the black thing lower in the picture) will be released. According to MCW 5 million Natal units wil ship globally and there will be at least 14 games supported by the hardware.
Why you should care
Simply put, Natal enables you to talk to your TV, and it will recognize what you say. Also, you will be able to have it interpret motions you make. Don’t think Wii, think Minority Report. It can even see you smile or frown, and react accordingly. Natal is actually a set of very sensitive depth-vision cameras that do facial recognition and voice recognition as well. This is some extremely complicated technology in a low-cost device. What that means is demonstrated in this must-see video.
14 games ready for launch.
After the unveiling of Natal, Activision, Bethesda, Capcom, Disney, EA, Konami, MTV, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ and Ubisoft all committed to make games for the device. Basically, these are all the large publishers in the gaming industry. To see how the technology is used to create a realistic conversation between a human and a computer character, do check out Lionhead’s excellent “Milo” demo (skip to 1:17).
Super-low price.
Even if it is technologically very advanced, the device should cost under 60 Euro when sold solo. One publishing source says Microsoft is “trying to get as close as possible to the ‘impulse buy’” price level. Another even says the camera could retail for just 35 Euro. This is almost unbelieve for a device with multiple cameras, motion sensors, a microphone and a custom processor which provides full-body 3D motion.
November date makes sense.
Why? Well, it’s just in time for the Holiday season, it gives a decent amount of time for promotion after E3 2010 (the most important games sector trade show) and holding out as long as that could make component costs get low enough to hit that 35 Euro price point. Also, it’s five years after the XBOX 360 launched. Natal can be a way to lengthen the lifespan of the XBOX 360 hardware without resorting to a new console launch. The first Xbox was sold in the UK for only three years before 360 hit.
A new generation
XBOX Studios boss Phil Spencer earlier this year: “The 360 still ‘hasn’t peaked. When Natal arrives it will feel like a new generation has come,” he said. “I see it like the launch of 360 in November ‘05. Consumers don’t want another $400 box right now.” The competition, Sony, has said it will launch a motion-sensing wand for the Playstation 3 in spring 2010, well before Natal. It will work together with the – somewhat buggy - PlayStation Eye camera . However, so far the Japanese firm has released no details of what the wand/camera combination will be capable of.
Hardcore?
To make Natal succeed, it is critical that there are enough applications for the hardware. I have a Sony Eyetoy camera connected to my Playstation 3, but since there are so few applications that work with it I never really use it. Neither do I see hardcore gamers controlling “Modern Warfare 3” with Natal in a year. They will still use a controller. Just maybe a hybrid will come up, where you will still select weapons and fire with the controller - but can move your body to duck bullets.
Critical for success
The real success of Natal will sooner come from a different demographic: the casual audience. The applications for this segment will determine whether Natal will be a success. Easy connection to social networks, browsing movies with a hand gesture, opening up your PC content on the Xbox with just one word, or even shopping for a costume or dress and trying it on virtually… Now that would turn some heads.
Microsoft needs support.
To get things like online shopping done however, Microsoft needs support from e-tailers like Amazon or Pixmania. This is how Natal widens the focus for the XBOX folks at Microsoft, from the games crowd to a wider array of online partners. They too, need to be convinced of the possibilities of the technology – and that it will appeal to a mass-market. Microsoft has one more year to make sure those companies get Natal right – and act on the opportunity.
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