Some sources I have deep within the confines of various MS compounds in the NW are telling me that Microsoft is beginning to move a lot more resources out of their normal departments and into areas releated to Project NATAL. It seems MS is looking to make a big push with this hardware and it goes against my previously thinking that NATAL existed somewhere between the PowerGlove and that big Number Mat Nintendo put out a long ass time ago.

Seems MS's eyes have been glazed over by the vision of Wii Fit and Wii Sports at the top of the NPD's since, like forever, and are making a SERIOUS push into the casual market. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I'm not a casual gamer. The most "casual" I get it Peggle and I play it HARDCORE! Cause thats how I roll.

Of course we all know that hardware doesn't mean squat unless there is good software to run on it so its up to MS to prove to developers that there is a viable market there. And in some ways there is. But in many other ways the only thing keeping the Wii alive is Wii Fit and Wii Sports. Mature or serious games have had abysmal sales on the Wii. Madworld hardly made a dent in anything. No More Hero's? More like "No More Profits".

Microsofts job right now is to make viable hardware seem viable to good developers. Xbox360 owners aren't going to put up with poorly made casual games, and those who would already own the Wii. I'm seeing a sink or swim moment for Microsoft here and it would be a shame for resources to be taken away from the XBOX 720 (?) in order to try to make this particular sinking ship sail.

-JC-