Each day brings us yet another step closer to Microsoft's chilling vision of the future -- a future where we're expected to jump around like spastic mimes in order to play videogames that were once so simple to enjoy. Joining in with the "me too" motion control craze, a number of developers have come out in support of Natal, Gears of War studio Epic Games being among them.
"We're just sitting down with [Natal] in the next two weeks I think, to bring our studio guys in to have a look. I have no idea what we're going to do from a game standpoint, but from an engine standpoint, it's definitely cool stuff and we will support it," explains Epic VP Mark Rein. "I think any future Xbox games we make will have some Natal support. We always want to have something that exploits the unique capabilities of a platform.
"I think everyone will do something that exploits Natal once it's out there and everyone has it. So will people be able to benefit from it? Yes. And then if they want to make that 'oh my god' really cool Natal experience, well, we got the engine for that. I'm pretty psyched about it."
Epic has often stated it didn't want to develop for the Wii because it's not their thing, but it seems that waggle controls with hi-def graphics might be right up the studio's alley. I just dread to think how the homoerotic love between GoW's Marcus and Dom will be played out with motion control.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
9:40 AM on 10.09.2009
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Anyone know if controllers are an option yet for Natal games?
It's all well and dandy that Epic has gone on record stating that they plan to put some Natal support in their future games, but this is rediculous. The wii, which invented motion controls, did not appear in the news half as often as Natal has, and the only game that has been announced for Natal is Milo.
Either show me the games or please stop functioning as a free advertiser. I don't care about Natal's potential, I just want to be shown a few games that prove Natal is somehow more noteworthy than the wii.
I pity the poor guy who gets caught thrusting his hips toward the TV during one of these interactive scenes.
They could hardly say, "shh, don't tell the soft, but we reckon that Natal is a bag of wank"
"Buy Microsoft's stuff. And if you're making stuff so people will buy Microsoft's stuff buy our stuff to make it! Everybody wins!"
Then they just so happen to be super psyched about it now that has Microsoft has come up with this idea completely of their own accord.
Always trying to make something out of nothing, you crazy pathetic fanboys.
Nothing but quality.
Happy Friday people.
I'll be one of them.
Fanboys still suck.
Followed by some tracing of Marcus' facial scar.
Followed by some man on man buttlove.
If Natal signals the end of good games on the Xbox, then I'll bitch, but until then, I'll leave the incessant complaining about new-fangledness to my granny.
For the record, I don't care for motion control in any form, but knowing fuck-all about what Natal will actually bring, I'll wait until I'm more informed before I write it off.
Yeah, that's worth $100.
That's the point. Nobody knows anything about Natal, because there hasn't been any actual news about it since Milo. We've seen a bunch of tech demos, and we have a bunch of developers expressing an interest in Natal, but besides Milo, not a single piece of software has been announced as even compatible with Natal. And I really think the articles about Natal should stop at least until there is some software revealed that will be playable on Natal.
That's GOW with natal in a nutshell
I hope you understand that, Epic.
I agree with Im Ok that motion control is not a bad idea in and of itself. However I dont think there are many titles that really need it, and trying to shoehorn it in will just make it frustrating. And any game that tries to use both the motion control and the standard controller will fail utterly. It's been proven in the past with accessories like the nintendo light gun.
But the important piece to take away from this article, in my opinion, is that Epic Games has proven themselves to be graphics whores. That's the major difference between the Wii and PS3/360, that you cant render 300 different shades of mud. If third party developers had supported the Wii from the beginning maybe Id have more than three good games for the damn thing.
One thing that will be interesting to see is if the Wii starts getting games going to the PS3/360 that use the motion control. The controllers will be the same/similar, so can't think of any reason they wouldnt.
Oh. Right. Graphics whores.
They aren't telling us anything about Natal. All that's being stated is that they plan to support Natal. Everyone's been saying that they are interested in/ supporting Natal, but not a single company other than Microsoft has actually shown us anything that supports Natal in any way.
It's like the thing with Ubisoft, where they said that they plan to strongly support the Wii, and then dumped as much shovelware as they had time to make onto the system while deligating every single AAA title to a different system.
This isn't news, it's Epic's marketting department promising an ambiguous something awesome while not actually showing us any games.