Where the hell do they hand out the professional analyst jobs, because I want me some of that. All you have to do is stand up, say something relatively inflammatory and the internet will quote your opinion on things. Case in point is gaming analyst Doug Creutz who has let his opinion be known on both Microsoft and Sony's upcoming motion control features for their new games. He sides with Sony, saying that their motion controls are "superior from a gaming perspective."
"Natal appeared to me to be a technological solution in search of a problem," Creutz said while speaking with Gamasutra. "Do I really care if I can navigate my Netflix queue without using a controller? I had a very hard time envisioning playing Modern Warfare 3 using Natal. By contrast, I had a very easy time envisioning it (and enjoying it) using Sony's control/motion capture scheme.
"Microsoft appears to be trying to steal casual gamers away from Nintendo, which is a difficult proposition given that you're essentially asking casual gamers to upgrade twice during the cycle (assuming they already own a Wii). In contrast, Sony is squarely targeting the core gamer market, which is what they need to be doing," he concluded.
I hate to say it, but I totally agree, and the line about a solution in search of a problem is spot on. I want to play serious games with my Wii Remote and I'm looking forward to playing serious games with Sony's controls if they work, but the more I see of Natal the less enthused I am about it as a method to do anything but jump around my living room.
Matthew Razak is Destructoid's Associate editor and co-founder of film site
Flixist. He began as community member "cowzilla" and was since sequestered to write brainy features material. He lives in Los Angeles with his beautiful wife.
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Contest:
10:00 PM on 06.27.2009
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I think the Sony camp actually said something like "there needed to be buttons", and on that, they're exactly right.
I'll stick with my Xbox controller and keyboard. Beats wagglan any day of the week.
Let's be a little bit more enthusiastic about new technologies!
The Sony motion controller is just a digievolution of the Wiimote. Sony is trying to expand into the hardcore gamer market, but Microsof already have her chunk of the core gamers, so she is trying for the casual's.
Anyway, we should stop talking until they release the damn thing.
People keep saying that the age of exclusives is over. Perhaps the next generation's games will HAVE to be exclusive because each console has an original proprietary means to control your onscreen avatar.
Like the Playstation Eye.
And Wikipedia lists these games as compatible w/Playstation Eye. I haven't counted them all, but it looks like there are more than one or 2.
2009
Eyedentify
EyePet
Fight Night Round 4
2008
Buzz!: Quiz TV (compatible with Playstation 2 EyeToy)
Burnout Paradise[14] (Used to share personal snapshot after winning/losing against other players online. (Also compatible with Playstation 2 EyeToy))
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 [15] (Used to upload personal image for the character)
High Stakes Poker[16] (used to see others)
LittleBigPlanet (Used to create levels, also compatible with PlayStation 2 EyeToy)
FaceBreaker (Used to upload personal image for the character)
PES 2009 (Used to upload personal image for the character, 'Become a Legend' mode)
SingStar Vol. 2 (Used to record video and take snapshots and upload online)
2007
Aqua Vita/Aquatopia
Ember[10]
Mesmerize - January 17, 2008 (North America)[17]
Operation Creature Feature[18] - October 25, 2007[5]
The Eye of Judgment[2]
The Trials of Topoq
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08[19]
Tori-Emaki
SingStar[20]
Sky Blue[10]
Snakeball[18]
PES 2008[21]
Natal was at E3 behind closed doors, and yes, people actually got to try it out.
Speaking of tactile and force feedback, Novint Falcon's are making a big push with some Valve support among others now. I can't see myself paying for one, but actually being able to physically interact with an environment like that is interesting and I think could be the one way to really do a proper sword fighting game.
WAIT A FUCKING SECOND EYEDENTIFY IS ACTUALLY COMING OUT THIS YEAR!? I could of sworn that game was vaporware since we hadn't heard anything since e305... I remember it being one of the coolest game concepts I had seen at that show aside from the "ZOMG KILLZONE 2 IS/ISNT CG"
but nonetheless i find it lolable the analyst would like to play call of duty with wands - surprise, it's a wiimote painted black and call of duty is already on the wii. motion control in core games have been tried and are more frustrating than fun. no more heroes is awesome and in part it was due to the fact that it didn't base combat on motion controll; you tap A to swing your beam katana and finished your enemies with a small jerk in a given direction.
Sony's tech though, I think was much more impressive. I can see myself utilizing that setup. Not to flame either side here but, am I the only one who thought the sony camera could most likely do what Natal is slated to do? It would just need the appropriate software to do it. As I just saw Natal being a camera and microphone, which the ps eye has. Hell the PS2 Eyetoy had that, much lower quality than the natal or ps eye was but still, it had it.
Sony has always been fond of taking pages out of Nintendo's book so I wouldn't at all be surprised if it happened.
This is literally the next step in entertainment. You can have games where the controller and gestures work hand in hand and you dont have to waggle from that
Sony learned that controller-less games don't work, and they pointed that out during their demonstration. And as far as people saying Natal can be used in conjunction with the 360 controller, that's probably true -- But then what's the point of having the camera?
I thought the same thing about the Eye. It's almost definitely capable of doing what Natal can do.
Not that I think Sony's solution is perfect but its very clear that its 1:1 game play and its lower computation requirements (find the sphere and estimate its distance) make it much more suitable for more complex games. There is still an overhead though and I believe that even if it did appear in a Modern Warfare title that something would have to give in the experience, such as resolution or framerate.
I enjoy playing my games with a controller, motion control (even on the Wii, which has the market cornered) is too erratic most of the time.
Natal also reminds of the Sega Activator, which sucked so badly.
On the other hand the input methods provided by Natal have already been shown to offer nothing outside of an extremely limited range of applications, all of which are gimmicks. Regardless of fidelity, it's just an EyeToy all over again. And idiots thinking that you'll make a motion with your hand to throw a grenade as if that were a good idea, haven't we learned ANYTHING from the irrational exuberance we saw around the Wii? Turning your head to move the camera in game? How are you going to look at the screen while turning away from it, son? Please.
It's generous to say Natal is a solution in search of a problem. Sony's device is at least addressing a problem that not only makes sense before an implementation, but has an implementation that has shown to work, if imperfectly with in the products already released to market.
Regardless, I'm still only viewing each as forays into the casual market. I'd not want to control any of my games with either.
I think many casual players who are sick of the Wii may try Natal if the pricing is better than for the Dildo Wand. It looks like something that would be easier to pick up for your mom or granny. We won't see any good or "hardcore" game for either tech in years anyway, so whatever :)
Having said that, I think Natal is vastly superior than Sony's thingy and will undoubtly have a higher appeal to the casuals.
I do all my gaming on a projector, so using Natal to jump around in front of a sensor will be impossible if I'm blocking my screen.
I know I'm in a huge minority here, but it's true. Just glad I own all three systems, I guess.
Natal makes you actually do those things, which defeats the purpose. If your flipping around your living room on a fake skateboard, go outside and learn how to actually skateboard.
I agree that I think Sonys solution would be more fun and functional. Also that people could see it as a BRD player, game console and 'just like that Wii thing the Jonses have'. They still better pack one in on top of dropping that price.
If history is doomed to repeat itself they'll both fail miserably anyway. People will never enjoy paying for more equipment for things they already own, and developers will never like investing in games that can only be played with said equipment.
In the future, all MS need to catch up to Sony is come up with the same controller that sony makes, and bam, MS will surpass sony on that sense.