Catching up with EA CEO John Riccitiello, IndustryGamers talked with him about the upcoming future of motion controllers. The boys at EA have been playing around with both Sony and Microsoft's technologies for a while, and they first were informed about the projects about 15 months ago.
Since then, they've been experimenting left and right. In talking about Project Natal, he said, "it's certainly very compelling for a number of game concepts I've got in my mind and my teams are working on. ... I think the challenges around it is that there's a lot to be worked out – it's not something consumers have interacted with before." Natal's ambition was really shown off with Peter Molyneux showing off Milo. After seeing it in the press conference, I fully expected it to be something that was buggy, but I have a gut feeling Microsoft has put a lot more into it than I'm expecting, and the hands-on reports will prove that initial expectation wrong.
Meanwhile, Riccitiello considered Sony's motion controller "a great bridge technology," providing users with an experience that's unlike what they've used previously, but at the same time, "it doesn't require quite the leap of faith that Natal does." At this point, though, all we're seeing is a technical demo, and so we don't have anywhere as great an idea of how the technology will play out as we do with Project Natal.
Both technologies, to me at least, seem to be trying to do a bit more with motion than the Wii is managing. Just because Nintendo did it first does not mean they can do it best. But it seems to me, as well as to Riccitiello, that each of the companies are carving out their own distinct niches when it comes to motion technology. It's certainly a boon for us: with this generation's lifecycle only approaching half-way through, this technology should really be something special by the end of the generation.
Contest:
8:40 AM on 06.03.2009
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I don't like the idea of pretending you've got a golf club in your hand or a sword and sheild or something, however if you're actually holding something it feels a lot more real.
I'm backing Sony's "wands" providing they change up the wand design sharpish!
Hare and tortoise anyone?
As bad as Nintendo is in other areas, such as getting quality 3rd-party support on their systems, Nintendo has dominated in innovating how we control our games. The directional pad, analog stick, rumble pack, touch screen, motion control...Nintendo brought these controls to mainstream gaming.
So while I'm excited with what I saw from Sony and Microsoft and their new ideas for controlling games, counting out Nintendo in this respect would be foolish.
What exactly prohibits you from holding something with Natal? The PS3 NEEDS different colored tipped wands. Because its basically mo-cap.
I think it's a bit too early to dismiss Natal. Btw, I am not dismissing Sony's dildo's either.
Fuck that - unreliable peice of shit - covered up and "fixed" by changing the error's name.
Simply put, you bring out a console, that you make money on selling at £129 - you have it made by club fisted chinese children and cut every possible manufacturing corner to price your competition out of the market. meanwhile screwing over the consumer who invest in you.
everyone knows the power glove was the best motion sensor ever, the NATAL doesn't stand a chance against the power glove.
; )
Honestly, fanboyism aside, the Microshaft motion control blew me away when i first saw it, until I saw Sony's entry and thought about all the eyetoy arm waving and imagined all the "whoops, didn't catch that because i was stood side on and it didn't "see" my arm behind my body" that I'd imagine will be part of Natal.
like the Wii's brilliant way of letting you play an outstanding round of Tiger Woods until that last putt on the 18th and it misreads your waggle and spoons it, spoiling your round.
Mo-cap
Gloves FTW.
It's just the 'Revolution Controller' all over again. It is impressive at first glance, but in practice 75% of us or more aren't interested in giving up our couches and controllers.
the only video(xbox), the video + controller(ps3), and the only controller(wiimote)
how the hell are developper supposed to develop multiplatform game now ?
i mean now everybodi will have the opportunity to enjoy the power of the wii on any systeme (sarcasme) but each game will have to be exclusive?
it's like if the PS3 had only one analog stick they could'nt adapte the360 game on it...
if we go down the motion control crappy road shouldn't there be only one standard ?
developper could invest in great game to go on all platform ?
now i fell it's like the blu ray/hd dvd story again
two technologi for the same thing and stupid "only available on hd dvd" or "in blu ray format"
and in the end everybodi wait and stick to dvd
That's what I want is not motion controls for the 4 weird "casual" games they make for it and a pile of shovelware.
I want Motion control that I can play through PROPER games with, you know, gamers games.
Sony - making motion control for hardcore gamers.
Microshaft - trying to get some of that casual gamer cash of Nintendo.
Nintendo - paving the mo-co way.
Benus: The Wii remote uses video, too. It just puts the camera in the controller and the LEDs on the television instead of the other way around. And you do realize that there was only an HD-DVD format at all because Microsoft was trying to cock-block Sony with an inferior standard without any intention of supporting it or a hope to win, right?
The point is Natal has some fantastic possibilities for interaction. Everyone seems to still think motion sensing is a gimmick but then they want to stick to the same game over and over. A billion Halos, twenty call of duties, a trillion marios...
Sure, they may not end up working, but it's just exiciting to see new, experimental technology and let your imagination run wild with ideas. You remember you're imagination don't you?
I think it was Dark Knight that sold faster on Blu-Ray than on DVD. Blu-Ray has taken the "new HD media" title whether your console reads them or not.
It's almost like saying, 5 years ago, that DVD's will never be as good as VHS!
Once everyone has got HD TV's Blu-ray sales will take over, it's a nice bonus that all your DVD's will play in a blu-ray player too! unlike the VHS -> DVD switch.
I for one know 4 people who live on my road who own at least 20 Blu-rays, each. I only have about 10, but that's still 90+ Blu-rays, (only films, games on top of that) in a single road in a little midlands village.
Plus I know bvery few people on my road. God knows how many other houses are building up blu-ray collections!
Blu-Ray is here and it's here to stay. Sure sales have drooped in the financial crisis, there are still plenty of people with players who will continue buying up Blu-Rays once our belts can be loosened a little.
Microshaft - trying to get some of that casual gamer cash of Nintendo.
Nintendo - paving the mo-co way."
Hmmmmm...More like:
Sony - trying to get out of third place.
Microsoft - Trying to get into second place.
Nintendo - trying to refine a fallible system.
I don't really care for any motion controls.
I just want to shoot people in the face.
Sony's thing was similar to Natal (3D movement), but focuses the control into your hand, which I like. Something to hold makes more sense then just pretending to hold something. How would a motion sensing FPS or Non party game even work well?
It seems that Sony and MS both want in on the wii's action, but MS specfically wants to be in on the "party" / "casual" market. Sony wants in on the love as well, but seems to want to apply these controls into "gamer games" and "big budget titles" instead of just the casual market. Party games seem like an afterthought to them (although they will be there).
Sony - trying to get out of third place.
Microsoft - Trying to get into second place.
Nintendo - trying to refine a fallible system.
Take those ideas to Japan, watch the PS3 outsell the Errorbox 10-1 every week and tell me Sony is in 3rd place. Sony only struggle in the USA, and partially EUR - because Europeans copy yanks and yanks are fucking retarded.
"My fwend has one and i can shoot him in the face! And it's cheap I'ma buy that!"
Microsoft - trying to get into first place.
SC - to counter your blu-ray arguement slightly. I live in north London. I have very many aquaintances, and quite a few friends locally. Of all these, I know 6 people who own PS3s, all of which are fairly casual gamers, one being hardcore (has an xbox too - obsessed with KZ2 at the mo, but played mostly COD4 on xbox up to). None of them use their system for watching Blu-ray films. One of them is a total film freak, and has so many dvds with no intention of replacing with blu-ray. He does, however have one blu-ray film - Juno - bought at my insistence, ironically. So there you go: I live in the capital, and don't really know anyone who watches blu-ray. I do believe, though, that Blu-ray is an excellent medium for games due to storage, but I'm yet to be convinced that it is the future of film media. But if Neil Young (a personal hero) says everybody should get blu-ray, I kind of take notice. Then again, Neil Young was an avid supporter of Gulf War 1, despite his previous pacifistic stance, so he's not the most reliable dude.
But this has gone off topic (thanks, Sexchocs) so Imma shut up, already.
Sony - Bluray drive dies on you within 3 years of 'normal' use
MS - Solder and/or dvd drive dies on you within 3 years
Wii - I guess it could die at some point, but then you'd have to use it..
The whole motion stuff will be interesting to see how it develops. Cya in 4 years motion games!
Exactly, I think that PN could be used better for interacting with NPC's in games more than motion control.
A game that uses both a traditional controller AND natal at the same time. Perhaps in the next rainbow six game, to lean around cover you just lean to the left, but you're still using the controlloer to shoot. Could be cool.
Even more enticing: What about Left 4 Dead 3 using NATAL to read your facial expressions, gauge your level of stress/fear/excitement, and have the Director AI adjust the game to increase or decrease it fo maximum effect?
It just seems more open to me technologically then having yet another wand to wave around. This is all provided that it works as advertised of course.
"The whole "No-one bough Blu-ray's" argument is bullshit. "
i mean it at the time back in 2006, not right now ...
my point is the third party developper will probably have to think about a way that work on both xbox and ps3 motion systeme instead of focusing on "how do i get the best of one systeme"
meaning you will end up only using the camera on the ps3 and not the dildo because the xbox don't have one....
or you will use the dildo on the ps3, and will have to compensate by having the controller in your hand and the camera on the 360 to catch up.
Only exclusive game will really embrace the potential of the stuff on each systeme so approximately one game a year.
Anyway, don't you guys with PS3's remember to back up your saves! Quick go do it now!
When I play video games, I want to hold a controller. I don't care what it's shaped like, but I want one. My arms and hands and legs don't have buttons built into them --- Buttons help. They're not a limitation like the Lionhead guy was saying, in my opinion.
I feel exactly the same besides my tv is like holy to me imagine getting drunk...with some friends. Oww lets play that game and at the end of the story you end up kicking your HD-TV of its stand.The sony controller seems like the more accurate way of controlling and more usefull in genres i happen to enjoy.
Not that i'm sold on it i'm still more a regular joypad person...