I think your jumping the gun there on Natal. I'm not trying to be a hater, but nobody has any idea if Natal will work well when it's released and even if it does, what it will mean for VR. All Natal is is another way to experience a 2D or 3D game on a flat surface. My Wii doesn't give me an incredible sense of depth, and if I wasn't holding the controller it would do even less. The whole point of VR is to immerse yourself in something that isn't real but is tangible. Playing a game without a controller is just that, nothing more. Additionally I think a lot of people won't be drawn to the idea of NOT using a controller because your playing a game. A controller is something that helps connect you to that that world, and taking it away will just create another form of dissonance between gamers, much like the Wii has. I think the Wii is great, but I don't play it as much as my PS3 or 360. As a core gamer I think the idea of motion controls are ludicrous, and no controller at all is even worse. It's one thing to play a fighting sim without a controller in your hands and your body is that method, but driving games, FPS', TPS', sports games would be fine. But your still playing a game inside your living room, and that's where the actual problem lies. If Microsoft(or any console manufacturer) can take away the living room, then there truly is no need for a controller and Natal will be much more effective. Otherwise it's just going to water down the experience of gaming for 99.99% of core gamers and that's pretty much everyone who owns a 360 or PS3. And that's assuming that Natal works incredibly well on ALL it's games. Until it's relased and there are more than simulated, pre-recorded(sometimes) tech showings, that's all it is. I hope for the sake of future gaming its the most extraordinary thing ever to help get that push but it probably won't be, and it will way too expensive.
I didn't get a chance to try out the more advanced E3 builds but I've had access to a devkit for the past few months. Like Wii remotes, the Balance Board, light guns, analog sticks, triggers, and having more than two face buttons, the success of Natal is inextricably linked to whether game developers embrace it as a gimmick or a legitimate control scheme.
Since almost nothing has been written ground-up for Natal, it's important to remember that most of the demonstrated usages have been shoe-horning Natal's control scheme into games that were designed to be played with controllers.
This is analogous to the early days of the Wii, where many games simply replaced a button push with a waggle. And, like with the Wii, I predict that the first batch of games to come out will exploit the novelty of non-traditional control without focusing on designing programs that fit. Established companies are terrified of being upstaged by anything perceived as "disruptive." Professionally speaking, some of the people designing Wii games simply don't have the creativity or ability to adapt to full leverage the platform. They just can't ignore such a huge installed base.
"As a core gamer I think the idea of motion controls are ludicrous, and no controller at all is even worse."
As a core gamer, I think this attitude hinders progress. Some games, though admittedly not many yet, are better controlled by motion, the difficulty is both capturing the input precisely as well as managing expectations of "core" gamers. Analog stick skills do not translate perfectly to motion control, just like mouse & keyboard FPS skills didn't translate 1:1 to consoles back when Halo first came out.
@dOk: The US Military fears no Permaban. By the time they figure it out, it will already be too late. The entire server will be filled with US Ninja Bots.
@Belabras: Hey don't knocking Jem. I used to have a Jem doll with earings that lite up. I think I gave her a buzz cut and tattoos before I feed her to the microwave. :) She really did go with a bang
06/13/09
In SL, perhaps it's more apt to say that you choose your own goals - there are roleplaying game experiences within the virtual world, tho.
I gotta let Pathfinder know one of his pics made it to io9! :D
06/12/09
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I didn't get a chance to try out the more advanced E3 builds but I've had access to a devkit for the past few months. Like Wii remotes, the Balance Board, light guns, analog sticks, triggers, and having more than two face buttons, the success of Natal is inextricably linked to whether game developers embrace it as a gimmick or a legitimate control scheme.
Since almost nothing has been written ground-up for Natal, it's important to remember that most of the demonstrated usages have been shoe-horning Natal's control scheme into games that were designed to be played with controllers.
This is analogous to the early days of the Wii, where many games simply replaced a button push with a waggle. And, like with the Wii, I predict that the first batch of games to come out will exploit the novelty of non-traditional control without focusing on designing programs that fit. Established companies are terrified of being upstaged by anything perceived as "disruptive." Professionally speaking, some of the people designing Wii games simply don't have the creativity or ability to adapt to full leverage the platform. They just can't ignore such a huge installed base.
"As a core gamer I think the idea of motion controls are ludicrous, and no controller at all is even worse."
As a core gamer, I think this attitude hinders progress. Some games, though admittedly not many yet, are better controlled by motion, the difficulty is both capturing the input precisely as well as managing expectations of "core" gamers. Analog stick skills do not translate perfectly to motion control, just like mouse & keyboard FPS skills didn't translate 1:1 to consoles back when Halo first came out.
11/06/08
11/06/08
They will get a permanent ban for that... lol
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11/06/08
Although I can imagine that it's impossible to setup the equipment on the road and to project the image in an instant.
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