In February of 2009, it was revealed that Microsoft had purchased a 3D motion-sensing camera company called 3DV. In June, the company showed off Project Natal, leading most to assume the two were connected, though Microsoft countered, saying "we built [Natal] in house." That brings us to today, as (a company you probably haven't heard of) PrimeSense has announced that its 3D motion-sensing tech is being utilized for Project Natal.
"Xbox 360 Hardware Engineering teams developed the 'Project Natal' sensor based on the PrimeSensor reference design to support the special requirements of Project Natal," said Aviad Maizels, PrimeSense president and founder.
What we don't know at the moment is just how much Microsoft's baby relies on PrimeSense. As you can see in the video after the jump (which had to have been directed by Tommy Wiseau) and in Engadget's demonstration, the company's focus has been on gesture control for UI navigation, so it's possible PrimeSense could just be supplying a way for users to interact with the Xbox Dashboard and Guide with motion commands. We'll let you know what we can find out.
#xbox360
Steven Spielberg is a Hollywood legend. When not directing highly successful motion pictures, Steven Spielberg likes to make video games. He's also really paranoid, a new book claims. More »
#easports
EA Sports doesn't sound enthusiastic about integrating Project Natal or PlayStation Move motion control into its FIFA series, with the game's producer saying the soccer experience they can supply for such a game "isn't particularly authentic." More »
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If you're waiting for sequels to your favorite Rare games, like Battletoads, Killer Instinct, or Taboo: The Sixth Sense, you should probably shut down your vigil now. Studio head Mark Betteridge told Develop that the company isn't especially keen on returning to old franchises.
Rare "would only go back to older franchises if we saw an opportunity to make the product in a different way that would do justice to [them]," said the head of the studio behind this month's Perfect Dark remake, adding that there "isn't a need" to return to Rare's classics.
Betteridge goes on to classify the role of Rare and other first-parties as "to define the Xbox 360 platform," something he says Rare is also working to do for Project Natal. As for the camera-based control system, it's "the biggest change in how you interact with software... ever, really," he said, "because we've moved to a clean sheet of paper on the user input - it's a huge change creatively in how you build a game."
Peter Molyneux says that the biggest problem with Project Natal isn't the difficulty in programming for a new technology, but the potential users themselves. Speaking with the Times Online, Molyneux says that the Natal tech is "so different and new that trying to get a focus group to look at it and respond is almost impossible." Perhaps it's not just that people aren't responding to the likes of Milo, it's that they don't realize he will respond to them.
Molyneux clarifies that his team is still working on the to-be-announced project, which we saw "glimpses" of at E3, and that they've increased "emotional engagement" since then. "The only way I see you at the moment is through your thumbs," he says. But Natal lets a virtual character see everything from body movement to facial expression, and that, says Molyneux, allows his team to "design experiences that truly resonate with you as an individual, rather than with a mass of people." While its an intriguing concept, such an open-ended design makes for a lot of pressure on the developer to ensure accessible to all kinds of individuals. Good thing there's plenty of time to pencil in more focus groups before Natal's holiday launch.
#xbox360
There has been concern in Japan that only gianormous American living rooms are suitable for Microsoft's upcoming motion control peripheral Natal. No need for concern, says Microsoft. More »
#xbox360
Not the device itself. The Natal peripheral is a small, slender add-on. But Microsoft has apparently told a group of journalists, including Techflash.com, that some space is required to use the motion controls. More »
Ahhh, grammar school -- there was nothing quite like trying to hide that GBA under the desk in fear of Mrs. Rosencrantz confiscating our portal into Pokémon Fire Red. Back then, handheld games were little more than an obvious distraction in the eyes of our ruler-equipped teachers, but Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto plans on changing all of that. Speaking with the Associated Press in an interview recently, the legendary game developer explained his latest devotion: bringing the Nintendo DS and Wii into schools. He said that the DS would be making its way into "junior high and elementary schools in Japan starting in the new school year" (beginning this April).
Miyamoto didn't get too specific on how his company's consoles would help Japanese students with their education, only detailing it as part of Nintendo's initiative to expand the audience for gaming consoles. We have to imagine that the kids won't be using them to decide whether or not Resident Evil 4 on Wii is the best version (besides, we all already know that it is). Thankfully for our unborn children, Miyamoto didn't mention any amorphous plans to bring gaming consoles into North American schools just yet. Presumably they'll have to play it fast and loose like we did -- keeps 'em sharp!
Sega Super Stars (PS2)
Sega is hard at work on software for both Project Natal and PlayStation Move. And to prove it (at least the first one), Sega America/Europe president Mike Hayes told Eurogamer that a "prototype" Natal game will be on display at E3. "We asked our Japanese studio to create something for [Natal] which we'll show off at E3," Hayes said. "They had a brilliant prototype up and running within six weeks. I mean a genuinely entertaining prototype you could just play."
Of course, Sonic Team created what could be seen as a prototype Move/Natal game in 2004. Sega Super Stars was a minigame collection that paired modified "lite" versions of classic Sega games like Space Channel 5, Virtua Fighter and Samba de Amigo with motion sensing from the EyeToy, which happens to be a direct descendent of the Move's PlayStation Eye camera. Our guess is that this "prototype" will bear some resemblance to Sega Super Stars. Not that that will necessarily translate directly into a new retail product, of course.
The fact that Hayes sees these motion controllers as best-served by "things that are more about multi, party gaming" only reinforces the idea that Sega plans to revisit Super Stars.
#xbox360
Sony has already showed its hand in the upcoming motion control battle, debuting playable PlayStation Move games at GDC last week. Looks like we'll see Microsoft's response with at least one Sega game in tow at E3. More »
#clips
The PlayStation Move controller may have only been officially named last week, but PlayStation VP of Realistic Movements Kevin Butler already has his commercial ready. How? This spot is from The Future, when Sony's already trolling the motion control competition. More »
You hear that, developers? You should be shakin' in yer boots -- motion-based gaming is going to force you to throw away everything you've ever learned about game design and start anew. At least that's what Lionhead's Peter Molyneux (not so exaggeratedly) had to say when quizzed on the subject of the "arms race" between the big three for waggle supremacy. "All of this stuff is making all the designers sweat -- I've met lots of designers at GDC, and we're all very bleary-eyed at the moment because every rule we've got, we're having to throw away," Molyneux told Eurogamer.
And understandably so. Between WIi's established console dominance (not to mention last year's MotionPlus add-on), this week's unveiling of PlayStation Move, and Microsoft's Project Natal this holiday, there's a lot to work with. It's this problem, though, that Molyneux believes will forge new types of game experiences in the years to come. "I don't think the first wave of these motion-control titles will be what you expect .... just as with every hardware chain, it's the second wave where they usually come up with stuff that's interesting ... so the second wave could be really cool."
And as far as Natal in Fable 3 goes, the eccentric developer kept mum on the specifics, only offering, "You can expect us to use Natal to make you laugh and to surprise you and to give you this feeling of power -- there are some very obvious things we could do, like controlling the GUI in Natal, and it doesn't really excite me." Tom Cruise will be so disappointed.
GDC 2010 is the hotness this week, but according to Microsoft's Mindy Mount (speaking at a tech conference in NYC), E3 should be fun this year, too. As you might expect, Microsoft is bringing "the full lineup" of Project Natal titles to the convention in June.
We know there are a whole bunch of developers working on Natal titles, including EA, Capcom, Forza Motorport's Turn 10, and SpawnPoint Studios. Mount promises that Microsoft is "putting some of our best people on coming up with great game ideas for this, and we're going to have some great stuff." We'll start working out now to make sure we have enough stamina to flail our limbsall week long.
The problem of input latency is something that keeps popping up in coverage of Microsoft's Project Natal. It's something we noticed when demoing Natal at TGS last year, something Microsoft promised to address before launch. Apparently, certain outlets are still noticing latency issues, which has prompted both Microsoft and Peter Molyneux to come to the peripheral's defense. The comments come in response to reactions from a recent event held in London for non-enthusiast press.
Speaking to GI.biz (account required), Molyneux noted his "frustration" at seeing the press use a version of Natal that has since been "exceeded many times over." Said Molyneux, "So very often you get a position that what a person's looking at is two, three, four months, a year old and you kind of want to go, 'no, no, it's 10 times better than that!'" He added that there have been "countless" revisions to Natal's camera and software since X10, which was held just weeks ago. Furthermore a Microsoft source told GI.biz that the unit demonstrated in London was "one-tenth as responsive" as the current revision.
Microsoft doesn't have any Natal presentations planned for GDC next week, but maybe, just maybe Molyneux will show us how far the peripheral has come during his panel on intuitive game design.
Grasshopper Manufacture studio head Suda 51 is "very interested" in working on games for both Microsoft's Project Natal and the PlayStation Motion Controller, he told GameSpot UK. However, his interest doesn't lie in adapting No More Heroes or other Grasshopper games to the new control scheme.
"I will make some original IP to fit that control system," he said. No More Heroes was the result of experimentation with the Wii Remote, and the same will be required for the other systems. Suda said that the new IP would be designed in response to the control scheme.
Suda also spoke about Heavy Rain, saying that he approved of "designs and anything that gives new experiences to the players." Given his history with mindbending adventure games, his interest in the title comes as little surprise.
#projectnatal
You know those women's magazines like Glamour and Cosmopolitan that promise BIG SEX NEWS every single month? Well, if a report's to be believed, they're going to be delivering BIG NATAL NEWS as the product nears release. More »
When Warren Spector's first Junction Point Studios title, Disney Epic Mickey, was revealed, many gamers were miffed to learn that the game was exclusive to the Wii -- especially after being inundated with some spectacular concept art for the game. It looks like there is still some hope that the game will hit the Xbox 360 and PS3, according to Disney's Graham Hopper.
Hopper tells Gamasutra that one of the game's core concepts is its "ink and paint mechanic", making it ideal for the Wii. However, now that both Xbox 360 and PS3 will soon support motion controls of their own, things might be different. "If we started it 6 months ago we would have potentially thought differently about it," said Hopper. He noted that Disney has "a very large audience base that has Wiis in their home" but that the company isn't ruling out the possibility of a future port to other platforms.
Making all of this a bit stranger, as Joystiq readers will recall, is that Epic Mickey actually started out as a project for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. The game switched to Wii development in 2008 when Disney raised the possibility of a port. At the time, Spector told the company that many of the design ideas wouldn't work on the console, noting that a Wii version would have to "be its own game." Disney apparently agreed, deciding to make the game Wii exclusive. Here we are two years later, and the game just might come full circle.
If you thought the jam-packed Xbox lineup on display at the X10 event was exciting for you, imagine being one of the people in charge of it. Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg got to watch reactions to the lineup at the event all day -- except, of course, for the time he took out to speak to us about the crowded game schedule, Project Natal, and more.
Greenberg remained genial even when faced with familiar questions about the ramifications of the removal of Xbox 1 Live support, and with random, odd questions generated from Joystiq's interview brainstorming session, such as:
Joystiq: Can you make Kudo in Kodu?
Aaron Greenberg: What?
I don't know. Don't worry about it.
So that's what they're doing! A pair of job listings on Microsoft's career site have revealed that the mysterious SpawnPoint Studios is currently hiring for a Project Natal launch title. The listings don't reveal any details about the title, though they do ask specifically for someone to "work on a Natal launch title, built from the ground up in MGS / SpawnPoint Studios." The listing notes further that potential employees will work with "a very strong team fresh off AAA titles, starting a new project in a start-up like environment."
This is the most we've heard about the studio since Microsoft's Phil Spencer first dropped its name in a Joystiq interview last year. Spencer then intimated that SpawnPoint was "really doing a lot of the Natal work." Later in the same year, we tried to pry some SpawnPoint info from 343 Industries' Frank O'Connor with little success.
So, SpawnPoint remains something of a mystery for now, though it sounds like we're guaranteed to know more come the launch of Natal. Hopefully, we'll hear something sooner.
[Via VGTribune]
Source - Software Development Engineer-Senior-MGS-Project Natal Job Source - Software Development Engineer-MGS-Project Natal Job
It doesn't take much for Fable III designer Peter Molyneux to get going on and on about his latest project. We even managed to squeeze in a few questions for the Lionhead boss, who was on hand at yesterday's X10 media event to unveil his studio's next grand fable.
Of course, it just wouldn't be polite to kick off a conversation with Molyneux without first checking in on the little one.
In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Jamie MacDonald, former Vice President of Sony Worldwide Studios (the company responsible for EyeToy), gave out a few pointers to Sony and Microsoft regarding their respective motion controllers. MacDonald warned that gamers are expecting more from the 360 and PS3's motion gaming than they do from the Wii, due to both consoles' beefier hardware. However, he also warned about implementing "traditional long-form gameplay," lengthy sessions of which would leave players "completely knackered."
MacDonald's wisest words came when speaking about pricing the two pieces of hardware. He suggested they follow Sony's strategy with EyeToy, where the peripheral and a piece of software came bundled for the price of a normal game, which kept consumers from "paying a premium for the hardware." That's a sweet thought, but it's a little presumptive -- after all, we've yet to hear a price for the two devices. (Hell, we haven't even heard a name for one of them.)
Speaking to Gamereactor, Lionhead maestro Peter Molyneux revealed that there will be some big Fable 3 news at the X10 event this week. "There's some very, very big things happening in Fable," said Molyneux, "Bigger than you think, and it's going to really upset people." Molyneux added that he is "really scared" about telling people the news, saying, "They're going to get super pissed off, they really are." Still, he concluded that it's "the right thing to do," and confirmed that he will be demonstrating the mystery announcement at X10 in San Francisco. Joystiq's theory: The entire story of Fable 2 was a dream sequence. Whatever it is, we'll be delivering the news directly from X10, so Joystiq's staff and readers can all get pissed off together.
In the meantime, be sure to watch the whole interview, which also contains some really interesting talk about Project Natal.
Speaking to CVG, MotoGP lead designer Greg Bryant discussed the future of the series on both the Xbox 360 and PS3. Bryant said the development team plans to incorporate Natal support into MotoGP 10/11 in order to implement head tracking. According to Bryant, "the future for [Natal] is through head tracking in racing games." As for future iterations on the PS3, he noted that the team plans to use stereoscopic 3D and "theoretically" enable head tracking with the Playstation Eye.
Honestly, if it turns out anything like this, consider us stoked.
Sure, you could take Bungie's latest foray into Mythbusters territory as full on confirmation of Halo: Reach not having Project Natal support, or you could be like us and remain skeptical of the developers still-not-straightforward wording. In a recent post on Bungie.net, the company attempted to answer a mess of "myths" about its upcoming Halo game, including "Myth: Reach is being built for Natal!" In answering, the post states, "Halo: Reach is NOT a Natal title and is being developed expressly with the traditional Xbox 360 controller in mind."
That said, rather than outright saying, "No, there's no support for Project Natal in Halo: Reach," Bungie instead chose to loosely word the answer. It certainly doesn't help the situation that multiple Bungie employees have expressed interest in seeing Natal incorporated into the Halo series, with Bungie prez Harold Ryan even saying he could "absolutely" see Reach specifically incorporate Natal. So, about that myth ...
