230°

Project Natal: The Savior of Gaming?

I4U writes: "So what does this downturn mean for you, the humble gamer? Only good things. A steep dive in console sales is going to make manufacturers drop prices to stimulate purchases and improve peripheral sales. I think we'll also see a sharp increase in the number of manufacturers that take to selling their products primarily online."

shocky165379d ago

Infact I'm excited about Natal, but please please.. Sony,MS don't let motion controls become standard..

Gamertags5379d ago

Gaming doesn't need saving. Errr Another article written by some kid who needs some hits on his site.

Gaming is good no matter what! Natal is going to be a very awesome addition to gaming and to the 360. Nice addition, interesting new ways to play but not the savior.

Timesplitter145379d ago (Edited 5379d ago )

I threw up when I read the title of the article.

I'm genuinely sad about the direction gaming takes. It feels cheap and boring , and I don't think having no button at all a good thing. Not only the tools used for gaming but the games aswell , I didn't like a lot of the games this gen and I really think Natal isn't going to help.
I remember a time when gaming was about exploration , skill , strategy ,challenge. Not all games had this but it was different. Most games this gen are about innovation and graphics.
I am sad.

CaptainKratos5379d ago

i threw up, then laughed and then i threw up again!!!haha.

CaptainKratos5379d ago

then laughed.^^^ then guess what boys and girls i threw up.lol.

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Sonyslave35379d ago

Don't worry MS said like a 100 times Natal won't be placeing the xbox 360 controller.

lloyd_sr15379d ago

Natal will go the way of the dinosaur. How am I supposed to play COD with no controller?

whothedog5379d ago (Edited 5379d ago )

Ricochet :)

I think Natel is meant for a more casual experience. or adding on some features to hardcore games like maybe facial recognition.

Greywulf5379d ago

FPS/TPS/RPG all need controls.

DevastationEve5379d ago

Voice command can easily replace menu-driven controls in RPGs and RTSs (as proven with End War) that are normally mapped to cramped controllers. In an FPS game it could be used for interacting with NPCs and environment context features (like light switches).

Motion tracking can be used in scope/zoom views as you aim, instead of mapping that to the 2nd analog. It can also be used for gesture recognition (like Minority Report) in video editing and splitting of clips (like how Cruise navigates the precog composite feedback).

It's true that Natal won't replace the controller...but who ever said that it has to? The two can be fused together to make one awesome experience. Afterall it's pretty much just a machine interpreting your movements and voice commands, it's not like you have to put down the controller to use it.

Timesplitter145379d ago (Edited 5379d ago )

Face it : Natal cannot be used to play hardcore games. Could you play Quake 3 Arena with Natal? You better not, because God would probably kill you for doing that.

Natal can be used for small "let's try something with motion controls!" games. Party games, for example. It's just not versatile/precise/fast enough to play hardcore games.

DevastationEve5379d ago (Edited 5379d ago )

4 disagrees...some PS3 fanboys are already feeling the sweat of Natal shoving more PS3's into lonely closets.

That's cool, bring on the disagrees. It won't stop Natal from succeeding.

Yep! One more disagree, one more fanboy silently marking off a pretend victory.

callahan095378d ago

@ Apocalay...

None of those functions even utilize Natal to the fullest (that is, those functions don't rely on 3D spacial tracking). All of that stuff could be done with the Playstation Eye.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 5378d ago
GiantEnemyCrab5379d ago

I'm excited to see what becomes of it but I wouldn't put any "savior of gaming" tag on it. I think expectations and hype need to be tempered until we see and hear more about it. It's still a ways away.

Omega45379d ago

Natal will give the 360 a lot more variety, but gaming doesnt need saving

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90°

10 Weirdest Video Games of All Time

Plenty of unforgettable games have completely messed up their players throughout the years, all the way back from the PS1 days to the dark recesses of the modern internet.

Read Full Story >>
culturedvultures.com
JonTheGod15h ago

Why are the Katamari games not on the list??

130°

70 percent of devs unsure of live-service games sustainability

With so many games fighting for players' attention and interest losing out over time, time sink games are at risk of eventually losing steam.

Read Full Story >>
gamedeveloper.com
thorstein1d 12h ago

It was worrisome to begin with.

It's a niche genre with only a handful of hits that can stand the test of time.

Cacabunga14h ago

I like the sound of that!! I will for sure never support these gaas games.
Sony must be shocked at gamer's reaction, making them cancel a few of these and hopefully go back to the good heavy hitters they had us used to..
now bring on that PSPro reveal and show us some SP 1st party awesomeness.

CrimsonWing691d 11h ago

What’s to be unsure of!? Look at the ratio of success to failure!

DarXyde18h ago

It's pretty ridiculous.

Imagine having a breadth of data at your disposal to see the statistically low success rate of these games, only to be laser focused on the exceptional case studies.

shinoff21831d 10h ago

Yes. Stop all the live service bs.

jznrpg1d 9h ago

Only a few will catch on. You need a perfect storm to be successful in GaaS and a bit of luck on top of that. But a potential cash cow will keep them trying and some will go out of business because of it.

MIDGETonSTILTS171d 9h ago

Helldivers 2 manages just fine…

Keep production costs low… don’t just make custscenes until the mechanics and enemies are perfected first.

Make so much content that you can drip extra content for years, and the game already feels complete without them.

Most importantly: make weapons, enemies, levels, and mechanics that will stand the test of 1000 hours. This might require more devs embracing procedurally generated leveled, which I think separates Helldivers 2 from Destiny’s repetitiveness.

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60°

The Battle Pass Is The Worst Thing To Happen To Modern Gaming

Nameer from eXputer: "Some exceptions aside, I don't think the battle pass is a net positive for gaming with how they're implemented in most live service titles."

got_dam1d 13h ago

Battle passes AND meta gaming both.

DivineHand1251d 11h ago (Edited 1d 11h ago )

I like the way Helldivers 2 does battle passes. It allows you to make purchases on each level of the battle pass and gives you the option of choosing which item to unlock first. The more purchases you make using medals the further you progress. There is no timer and you can earn medals towards purchasing stuff via personal orders and Major orders.

I haven't played much live service games that have battle passes but I remember some games that have battle passes where you progress through it linearly using an exp system. What makes it really bad is that the battle pass will have like 50 or more levels with the cooler stuff being closer to the end. They also have an in-game shop that sells exp boosters so you can reach the end of the pass before it refreshes. Everyone ilse will have to grind their way through.

lucian2291d 11h ago

battle pass in fortnite is perfect; buy one and it buys the rest for every other season as it gives you more money than the first cost. so 8.50 and season ends with you getting 13.00, it pays for the next and you have some pocket change to save up for cash shop. All of which is optional