Gathering information from Microsoft’s visits with European publishers and developers, MCV has discovered possible pricing and release date info on Project Natal. The site reported:
Our sources say the innovative controller-free 360 camera will be released worldwide in November 2010.
The device should cost under £50 when sold solo. One publishing source says Microsoft is “trying to get as close as possible to ‘impulse buy’”. Another even says the camera could even retail for just £30.
For those of you that aren’t up on current currency conversions, that’s around $75 and $45, respectively.
Any thoughts on the rumored pricing for Project Natal?
I think both M$ and Sony will fail at this motion control fad. I don't think too many people with a PS3 or Xbox is interested in motion controls. Nothing can replace the controller. There's a Wii in my son's room that I have no interest in touching.
@RRODisHere Well, the idea is to get more of the mainstream crowd, not necessarily people that already have these consoles. It's too soon to tell how successful (or not) either will be, but it's certainly a tough task.
Heck the pricing seems fine at either price if it lives up to the promises that have already thrown out there. BUT I doubt it will and with that the price should be much lower. Another big BUT is MS doesn't like to charge so little for there equipment based on past and current prices of the harddrives and wifi, so why would this "revolutionary" item be less than a standard hard drive or wifi adapter.
I think the pricing for the PS Eye is fine too, but I would have NEVER bought one. I was given one for my birthday and gotten plenty of use out of it.
@Raymond Padilla
Do you honestly think that the motion control casual soccer moms and grand parents will fork over another $200 for an Xbox, $60 for a game, and whatever M$ will charge for Natal?
@Ray
I think what RROD is alluding too is that console makers will push these control schemes onto publishers who in turn throw it on developers to integrate in order to get a better cut of sales. I see a slippery slope where one of the 2 "hardcore" machines will break before the other and claim dominance.
Also, Natal is in 2 parts? So you are buying something extra for the machine that costs roughly $132 (assume 10% tax) and that is an impulse buy?
Not too mention they are waiting until November to release the tech? They talked about it at this past E3 though. That is asinine to wait until the holiday season next year. They should throw it out there before summer when nothing likes to release and see how it does there. That way you have ample time to hype, improve, and lower price accordingly. I see this getting burned next holiday.
And don't think for one second that the casuals will pay to play those games online.
I think the game franchises may have a bit of a ray of hope for Natal. If at Natal's launch, say Fable 3 and whatever Guitar Hero they're up to by then support it… it might sell well. If They fork over another 50 mil to Rockstar to support it, then you know the next GTA will make it sell.
It's the same deal as consoles themselves. If there's no games for it, there's no point in buying it.
@N8R
M$ advertises Natal as "Controller Free" and "You Are The Controller".
@RRODisHere I absolutely think Microsoft and Sony will expand their audiences with their motion controllers. Will it be a significant amount of additions? That remains to be seen. It depends on the software and marketing.
I agree with RROD. Most casual gamers aren't going to want to spend the money on xbox live in order to play online. That will hurt it.
I tend to look at what Sony is doing as trying to appeal directly to the Nintendo market with a "better" version of what the Wii can do. I see Netal somewhat differently. I see real promise here if it's done right.
They used to have a game show on old school Nickelodeon called Nick Arcade. They would have some tweens on the show, have them answer silly questions and participate in challenges. The final group would then get to be thrown in a video game. It looked awkward, like they were failing around while looking at a TV screen, trying to interpret where there hands and feet were supposed to be so they could pass the challenge.
That's Natal. It's not nearly as revolutionary as they are making it out to be, and based off of the numerous videos, it doesn't look to have gotten anymore accurate in the way it captures movement. If it pulls in more customers for MS, then cool, I'm glad they are putting out something people will enjoy. But unless it does something like "perform adult services" *wink wink nudge nudge* or tie my shoes and make me breakfast, short of my step-son exploding if he doesn't get one, I don't think there would be anything to make me bring another motion control set in my house. I have a Wii, that handles casual, kids, and shovelware so that I don't have to have them on my other machines (not counting LBP, step-son can't get enough of making non-sensical levels, publishing them, and then deleting the comments that say they are non-sensical. He even laughs maniacally as he does it.).
This technology certainly isn't for gamers like us here but if Nintendo has shown anything it's that motion control is a new market of people. not a fad. Next gen motion will be standard on all systems. they may not be the games we like but the option will be there. I think sometimes we forget that gaming has evolved a lot and reaches a lot more people than it did before. Sure I don't like the wii but I know quite a few people who love it and they were never gamers
I don't think Microsoft and Sony will fail at this per se, but I don't see fantasic results either since Nintendo has held the motion control market for so long. I'm not terribly interested in it myself b/c for one I don't own a 360 and two is I can't get into the fad of flailing around. I've tried, I own a Wii. It became boring quick. And I mostly got it b/c of the 3 biggies of Nintendo. I see the use of Natal and the PS's sex toy for cheap useless gaming for parents and children. Curious hardcores will buy it for the novelty aspect and to add to their collection. I don't think I'll even buy the sex toy, I mean wands.
Wow, looks like Natal made Time's list of 50 best inventions of 09. it actually placed 5th
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/articl…