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Pachter: Project Natal > Sony Wiimote photo

Videogame analyst and Satan's jester Michael Pachter has been imparting his dirty wisdom quite a bit today, sharing with the world his opinion of the motion controllers being launched by Microsoft and Sony. According to the venerable sage, he has deemed Project Natal to have far more potential than the Sony Wiimote. FACE.

"In my opinion (and it is only an opinion--I know nothing about their real motives), Sony is trying to create an answer to the success of the Wii, and is hopeful that by offering the EyeWand (no idea what it will be called), any remaining undecided console purchasers may be influenced by the new controller and may choose a PS3 over a Wii," he offers. "To some extent, I think that this strategy will work.  Microsoft, on the other hand, appears to me to be focused upon expanding its reach within existing Xbox 360 households by introducing Natal.  Games for Natal could be relatively simple if offered on XBLA for $10, and many old arcade-style games could be retrofitted to work with Natal.

"Most important to Microsoft is to convert non-gamers into users of the Xbox 360, whether that is through simpler games, access to Netflix, Facebook, Twitter or Last.fm, or some other non-gaming access.  Natal is structured much like the iPhone interface, but instead of physically touching the screen, a user makes a motion at the screen.  I think that this will be intuitive to many, and will expand Xbox 360 household usage beyond the core gamer and to others within the household."

Will Sony's "me too" strategy work, or will Microsoft's attempt to remove all form of control whatsoever come out on top? Let your own judgment be known!


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32 comments | showing # 1 to 32

TewDee's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 21:04
TewDee
You know, I was going to say something about if we can put this guy on the list of people who need to shut up, but when I read this...

"In my opinion (and it is only an opinion--I know nothing about their real motives)...

...the guy isn't really being a jerkoff considering he is willingly admitting it's nothing but his opinion. Can't be terribly angry about that.
Xzyliac's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 21:05
Xzyliac
Blah, blah, buy my shit.

There's a big risk in using a camera instead of a remote. A lot of room for error. I still haven!r gotten over the PS2 EyeToy. *shudders*
pedrovay2003's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 21:08
pedrovay2003
Buttons on my video game controller > Pachter.
pedrovay2003's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 21:09
pedrovay2003
You know what, though? I kind of like EyeWand...
ArrestedDeveloper's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 21:11
ArrestedDeveloper
I think Microsoft will have find more success with their take on motion control. I mean after hearing Kojima, Inafune, and Nagoshi talking at the Natal panel at TGS you'd think it was the second coming of Christ.
CelicaCrazed's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 21:15
CelicaCrazed
I think the winner will be which ever company is first to convince consumers that their competitor's technology was actually developed by terrorists.
Hcapt's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 21:22
Hcapt
I think both projects are doomed to failure unless either Microsoft or Sony decide to do something unpredictable.
Los255's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 21:30
Los255
ZOMGJIMZOMG
HOLY TACO's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 21:43
HOLY TACO
I agree, the hype surrounding Natal is a lot more promising. I couldn't care less about the latter. I can't see Microsoft really doing anything I can't believe and need to get Natal for too experience. Even though I think this technology has awesome potential they're doing it for all the wrong reasons. 'You guys want some of that casual market? HELL YEAH WE DO!!'. That's wassup. However I will hold my breath to an extent. I think these both have possibilities to take these companies in promising directions.
EdgyDude's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 21:54
EdgyDude
Meh, they will both fail, like Xzyliac said Natal's "no control" scheme has a lot room for error. Meanwhile with the Wand (temporary name) Sony is just trying to get a hold of a market that Nintendo has a firm grasp on when it hasn't even properly addressed it's core audience properly (that looks to change this coming year, but we'll see). Add all that to the fact that it is software that sells hardware not the other way around and we notice that neither of them has shown a compelling proof for purchase beyond some demos and as cool as those demos might be there is an abysmal difference between a full retail game and a demo.
funran's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 22:09
funran
The Natal is as much as a "me too" approach as Sony, and is just as gimicky. People will talk about it for a year, then realize they'd rather play real games with a real controller. I honestly think that since the sonywand is doing what we all THOUGHT the wii was going to do at launch, it has a better chance to hold my interest. Also, I want to hold something, be that a wiimote, pseyewandthing, not clinching my fists to drive a car worse than i can already do it with the controller.
CrudeDarkness's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 22:29
CrudeDarkness
"and many old arcade-style games could be retrofitted to work with Natal."

Like what? Other than racing games I can't think of anything else.
mrsatan's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 22:31
mrsatan
What the hell retro arcade games do you want to play with that. The whole reason I want to play retro is to use a fucking retro interface as well because its a throwback. God I hate this man.
ration's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 22:55
ration
ZOMG BIAS!!
Crunshii's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 23:07
Crunshii
If Sony starts releasing the Dev Kits now to studios to start messing around with it so by the time it is actually released. Then Sony will have a kick ass start, now if they do what they did with the PS3, which they released a new system and no early support to developers, then they will suck for long time.
artha14's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 23:10
artha14
Ya I understand what your sayin an ima let you finish but the wii has the best motion control ever. The best ever!
hpv's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 23:17
hpv
Can anyone name one "old arcade-style" game that could be retrofitted to work well with waving your hands around like an idiot? Whether or not either of them will be commercially successful, at least the Sony Sexaxis is addressing a problem that needs solving. There are a lot of Wii games that would work well or significantly better if the fidelity were better, they had actual positional data, had HD graphics, or all of the above. I've yet to see anything from Microsoft demonstrating how actual games that are fun, or even playable, are going to be possible with Natal. Waving your hands around to controls games isn't fun. Sony demonstrated that pretty well with the EyeToy and the problem there was fundamental, and unlike the Wii remote, not a matter of lacking fidelity or positional data.
themizarkshow's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 23:33
themizarkshow
I've been wondering this for a while, but would Sony's "eyewand" have to be contained to the wand only? Even the EyeToy had basic face and hand detecting software, and with the better camera and microphone array, so does the PSeye. Couldn't they do more or less the same stuff with that as Natal with just a software update?
jase52476's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/15/2009 23:34
jase52476
I can't really imagine what other kinds of games you can really play with Natal, other than very physical games like what was shown in MS' demos. I can sort of see something like using it for navigating menues and things, and maybe if it's used in conjunction with the controller.

However, I think Sony's controls will mesh better with current games. If they can put 2 or 3 buttons on each motion controller, they don't need a nunchuck-type thing or have you hold a DS3 in your other hand.

From what I can tell, the Sony motion controller has better precision than the Wii Motion Plus, and I think they can really take a lot of Wii games to the next level--so there's potential for some really great porting of Wii games to the PS3 (i.e., Epic Mickey, etc.). But in that case, Sony's going to have to hold back all the shovel-ware and only allow the popular titles to make it to their System.

But, on the other hand, I guess it doesn't matter which one is technically better, it's all in the implementation and people's perception.

Anyway, as far as Pachter goes, I can tell he's really rooting for MS, so this news is no surprise.
Kasersky's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/16/2009 01:52
Kasersky
functionally the pswand really is much too like the wiimote. you get the sense of "been there done that" while the natal is more exciting because its being innovative. Its almost like the launch of the wii when the motion tech seemed like it wouldn't work and wii would simply lose against the competition but instead wii is massively succesful and it did it by finding a new set of consumers (blue ocean strategy)
PrNatal's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/16/2009 01:57
PrNatal
Where did he get the info about three-lensed camera?

And why doesn't he mention multi-array microphone and depth sensor:

http://prnatal.com/moreinfo.html

Are they really so cheap?

Anyway Natal seems to be to revolutionary to sell it at a price of a simple cheap accessory.
brainderailment's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/16/2009 02:22
brainderailment
Seems that many people can't seem to remember eye toy at all. Saying "All sony is doing is copying nintendo".
mrsatan's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/16/2009 02:31
mrsatan
@PrNatal Revolutionary is definitely a stretch. I might label Natal as evolutionary, but it's not revolutionary that's for sure. But coming from someone with the name PrNatal, I can understand why you would say that.
Tarvu's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/16/2009 02:41
Tarvu
Blah blah blah buy my orange, it's really a banana.
Sexualchocolate's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/16/2009 03:48
Sexualchocolate
to be honest, i think he's got it the wrong way round!

Sony are trying to expand their current customers experience by adding motion controls, whereas ms are going for their bit of the casual market.

I look forward to playing proper games, rpgs, shooters, rts, driving games etc with the eyewand, but i don't care for the kickball shovelware that natal caters to.

No doubt there will be shovelware on the ps3, but i think there will be more proper games that utilise eyewand than natal.

But that is just my opinion.
ChaosTeaCup's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/16/2009 06:01
ChaosTeaCup
Sc, I think you're being too optimistic about the eyewand, and too pessimistic about Natal. Both companies are trying to lure in the non-gamer/casual gamer, and as such, in a lot of cases where the motion controls will be implemented, we'll be seeing a watered-down gaming experience applied.


Or...

They'll both be awesome and shit in their own funny little ways.
Retrofraction's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/16/2009 07:45
Retrofraction
"Most important to Microsoft is to convert non-gamers into users of the Xbox 360, whether that is through simpler games, access to Netflix, Facebook, Twitter or Last.fm, or some other non-gaming access. Natal is structured much like the iPhone interface, but instead of physically touching the screen, a user makes a motion at the screen. I think that this will be intuitive to many, and will expand Xbox 360 household usage beyond the core gamer and to others within the household."

this quote is so fail it make the wii sound F*****g amazing.
stevenxonward's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/16/2009 08:56
stevenxonward
Dear Sony and Microsoft:

Please don't make these things requisite for gaming. I don't want to move around, I don't want to move my coffee table, and I don't want these things.

It's not that I want either company to fail. I'd hate for either of them to lose enough money on this stuff to where the companies have to go the way of the Dreamcast, but I don't know if I want to participate in a gaming market where motion controls are mandatory.
nefas's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/16/2009 10:18
nefas
Natal will be a resounding success if it does just one thing...pauses the game when it detects someone standing in front of the television.

It will have cured one of the great scourges of gamedom.
lewness's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/16/2009 11:30
lewness
While Pachter's at it, maybe he can answer some of these more important questions in life:

- Boxers or Briefs?
- Coke or Pepsi?
- Chocolate that tastes like Shit or Shit that tastes like Chocolate?
ThorsteintheStaffstruck's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/16/2009 15:42
ThorsteintheStaffstruck
I can't WAIT to kick my screen in with Natal (Nay-tul)
matrixdude171's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/17/2009 20:36
matrixdude171
What that retard doesn't understand is that Natal's price is probably going to be $100-$200 at best, if not $250. Just look how crazy they charge for a wireless adaptor: $100. Need I say more? (Where's the player feedback?)
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