Why Natal and PlayStation Motion Control are Doomed to Fail

PS3Blog.net writes

This year Sony and Microsoft plan on tackling Nintendo's WiiMote with their own motion sensor devises. Microsoft's Natal enables users to control and interact with the Xbox 360 without the need to touch a game controller. Sony's still unnamed devise consists of a handheld wand that will require the help of the PlayStation Eye webcam to track the wand's position, and inertial sensors to detect its motion.

[Bungie]

PlayStation Motion Control = wiimote with big ball

NATAL = innovation

that's my opinion and i'm sticking with it

people already have wii

natal sounds more exiting

[yoghurt]

NATAL = advanced playstation eye

not innovation by any means

I'm not really into the motion control thing, but after seeing the natal vids and demos i can't think of anything worse. Seriously, playing burnout with an invisible steering...really?? why?!

[darkmurder]

I really hate the way this gaming trend is pointing towards, I come home from work knackered I dont want to flail my arms around like an idiot I just want an ol fashioned controller.

[Bazookajoe_83]

Natal is very cool, but i dont see it working so well. What kind of games will you play with it except from the typical eyetoy games?

The wands isnt as impressive in theory but can on the other hand be very well implemented in all games. And if you have seen the demo from E3 were he fights the skeletons you know what kind of precision we can expect.

Overall i think both natal and the wands will struggle compared to wiimotes because they arent implemented in every bought console.

[Montrealien]

I would also predict that they are both doomed to fail, sadly I can`t predict the future and neither can the writer of this crystal ball reading gipsy peice.

[nycredude]

Bungie

Seriously can stop nutthugging for one minute to actually have a decent conversation about gaming.

Natal is nothing but another Ps EYE. The tech is years old and it brings nothing new to the table. It's alot of hype and Ps2 has been doing what they are trying to do. Not to mention Ps3 already has game that uses nothing but the eye to play since year one.

Sure both Natal and the "wands" are gimmicky but Nintendo has proven there is a huge market for this stuff so it will all boil down to software. Now I know somewhere in that skull of yours lies a brain, albeit probably a small one, so take a wild guess which company out of the three has the most first and second party developers?

The other important thing is the price point. How much will Natal or the wands cost? I already have the eye so if the wands are reasonably priced (more than likely) then I am on board. Natal however, with MS's penchant for ripping people a new assh0le with their ridiculous peripheral prices, will probable cost somewhere between $100 to $200. You can get an xbox360 for $199, in my case $100 with Halo 3, Fable 2, Topspin 2 and Madden 07.

[Aquarius]

I see NATAL as very backwards and with M$'s name slapped onto it, it's the last thing I want to see.

Even though it uses different technolgy from the EYETOY it is using the same concept. DS has touch but it still has buttons. Wii is basically an enhanced DS with the touch now transformed into motion but it still retains its buttons.

NATAL=thin air

SONY has innovated from the original playstation. Nintendo has lost the majority of their fans and the xbox already has one foot and arm in the grave, so don't get too happy.

Nintendo lied that the Wii remote is 1:1. The wands is what the wii remote should have really been.

"PlayStation Motion Control = wiimote with big ball"

oh really Bunjie? are you really that thick?
I've never seen a Wii remote do this(especially @5 mins):

http://www.youtube.com/watc...
they are also ahhs, ohhs, claps and laughter- something that was almost absent in M$'E3.

[Optical_Matrix]

Stop Bungie. I don't care if it's your opinion but you're obviously stealth trolling. Neither are innovative. Natal is just Eyetoy but with a CPU and more advanced body tracking. Even then, the tech they show in Natal is exactly the same as tech Sony was demoing 2004-2005.
And yes, Sony's controllers are Wii Motes but more precise. Just like Natal is Eyetoy but more precise. But as usual, Microsoft hypes their products so fangirls like you trick yourselves into thinking what they are doing is second coming of Christ himself.

[Montrealien]

lol...I pinched myself to make sure I was not dreaming but it hurt so, sadly I did just read someone say...get ready for this...

Stealth trolling.

If you guys don`t like his trolling I would suggest you ignore it because lets face it, if you take more then 30 seconds to respond to it or even dissagree in mass on his flamebait comments, he wins, and you lose, end of story.

N4G will never change.

[bjornbear]

you = biased

neither are more or less innovative than the other.

both are motion controllers, and only a fanboy will praise one over the other.

[Guido]

Yes, an innovative update to the PS Eye.... Good call.

Once again, Sony paves the way for MS to free load.

[Raf1k1]

I don't see why people keep thinking Natal is only for games.
If you look at what MS is you'd realise that Natal is being developed for the future of human computer interaction in general and not just games as MS is a huge software company and since the way we interact with software is extremely important for us and for MS.
I'll be very surprised if Natal is not PC compatible.

[NiiGhTx]

LOL. Yes, Natal sounds more exciting. /sarcasm

Cause im gonna wake up and freaking talk to a TV (Milo) because My life sucks and i have no friends.

[OmarJA-N4G]

Natal = retarded way to play video games, there you go.

[Anon1974]

The PS3 wand thingy seems to be low key. They launched it, showed it off and Sony probably hopes it will lure over a few casuals if they put out a few party games for it. That seems to be the extent of it so far, and I'm sure it will sell enough to justify the decision to release it.

Now that's quite a contrast to Natal. Microsoft is billing Natal as the second coming, and desperately need to reinvigorate the 360 which has always struggled to maintain sales momentum. Analysts speculate that Microsoft is still losing money on every 360 sold at these price points, and even though they took that billion dollar hit on the books back in 2007, that money is actually being lost now to the warranty issues, and when you take that into account even with software sales and XBL fees, the Xbox 360 most likely isn't making Microsoft a dime.

They seem to think they can rebrand the 360 by slapping an expensive addon to lure the Wii audience over, but why would you buy a notoriously unreliable 360 and a new camera thingy when the Wii is still cheaper and more accessible to casual gamers. And if you want more than just a Wii, then the PS3's built in Blu-Ray player and reliable hardware would trump a buggy 360 and a camera for most consumers.

I think Microsoft may gamble big and lose big and this one. Sony doesn't have nearly as much on the line as the PS3 at $299 is flying off the shelves now worldwide, not just in one region.

Time will tell if I'm right or not, but I just can't see potential Wii owners suddenly picking up a 360 with a camera to play with Milo when they can spend less and play Mario Kart or Super Mario Brothers, and god knows hardcore gamers aren't going to suddenly switch from blowing up the masses to make elephant shadows and throw virtual paint on a wall.

[rezenu]

Obvious troll is obvious. :/

I'm not sure about either one but we should wait and see when they come out and stop waving the crystal ball around.

[Kurylo3d]

@darkride

hey darkride, hate to tell you, microsoft doesnt lose money just cause you say they lose money. They have been making profit on every 360 sold since it was first released at its highest price point... so how are they losing money now thats its 199 lol

Obvious fanboy.

[Bigpappy]

No need to read the stupid blog. The answer is: because you say so. I hit the easy button to get that answer. We know that 5 or 6 people on N4G get to decide what will fail and what people want. Too bad the people who care what you think don't even buy games.

[ico92]

both will fail because the wii has been out for 4 years and is familiar with the casual market it continues to sell millions every month, these new motion techs from microsoft and sony will have no effect on the casual market let alone the wii, the only reason why i might buy the pswand is because of RE5 alternative if sony could intergrate the wand onto games like LBP and killzone 2 or future HARDCORE ps3 games i might have more of a reason to buy it until then i might just pass

[Deputydon]

I want them both to fail. But I suspect Natal will breakthrough. Mainly only because of MS's endless pockets and ability to market anything. (except their best product, the Zune...)

Sony's Wand will fail because it just looks so... 80's?

Seriously it reminds me of Back to the Future's take on what Pepsi bottles would look like in 2015. Something designed for the future, but made in the past.

http://www.yourprops.com/vi...

[jerethdagryphon]

heres some 'inovations' that are around and never made it big 2 points each if you actually know what they are

NPU: promised to change te way you game.

dreamcasts memory unit.

Intia processor

all inovative ideasthat havent made the waves expected

[cyberwaffles]

sony's motion controllers look a hell of a lot better than NATAL, main reason being that you actually have a controller in your hand along with motion sensing (which is the only thing the NATAL can do). one thing sony and nintendo have right with their motion controllers is that they actually have a controller. how the hell are you supposed to move forward in an FPS or reload? you're going to be looking like a bigger jack ass than playing Wii fit.

@bungie

sony's eyepet, which was around since the ps2 mind you, would have been innovative to you as well, right? NATAL is doing nothing new compared to sony's eyepet and it doesn't even have true 1:1 motion tracking yet! it doesn't matter anyways, i'm not a big fan of either motion controllers but sony's look a lot better.

[Anon1974]

As far as I can tell, Microsoft has never, ever claimed the 360 was profitable. Ever. Microsoft Entertainment has had two profitable fiscal years, but the 360 is only a part of that division.

It was analyst Curtis Shauger of Caris & Co. who warned in September of 2009 that slowing Xbox sales had the potential to start impacting Microsoft’s bottom line. He trimmed his forecasts for Microsoft and also noted that the hardware sales were dilutive to profits as Microsoft was still taking a loss on the hardware at current pricing levels.

That certainly explains how in the six months after the 360 price cut last year, revenue was up, sales were up but Microsoft Entertainment posted almost half a billion drop in profits. Look it up.

My point was that Microsoft has a lot riding on this rebranding, and I think it's a very risky gamble for them, but what have they got to lose. At the rate that Microsoft Entertainment has been making money, the division won't break even from what they've lost on the 360's development and consequent warranty expenditures before the 360's run is finished. Microsoft isn't running a charity for gamers. They need to make that money back, and they're betting Natal will help. I say, we'll have to wait and see.

[Pennywise]

Dooomed!! I love it!.

[Zeevious]

...The 'Blue-Rayy is D00m3d' people had to find SOMETHING to be doomed again!

[jerethdagryphon]

eye pet is creepy,

walking in to a shop with it demoing seeing it on screen around yor feet.... creepy

[Sonyslave3]

HAHAHAHAHAHH the droids know sony lame dildo is doomed to fail lol natal is going to be huge .

[Bungie]

ps3blog.net

nuff said

[young juice]

perhaps if sony marketed their wand a little more it would atrract more devs and hype. oh and bungie stfu we both know reach is gonna suck but your still gonna make millions. if only sony would have made A FAKE advertisment showing actors dancing around like idiots and pedophiles revolutionizing their sick fantasies.

but no and because of that lack of hype gem will fail and xbox 360 will now focus on casual gamers cus thats where the money is. while ps3 owners will continue to get hardcore games.

EDIT:
EA
Capcom
Vavle
Crytek
Sega
Activision Blizzard
Bethesda
Disney Interactive
Konami
MTV Games
Namco Bandai
THQ
Square Enix
Ubisoft
Bioware
Rare
Lionhead

nuff said. as bungie would say

[4point7BillionLoss]

Sony spent $4.7 billion on doomed Dildo wand wii imitation ...

[keysy420]

lmao natal is going to be big that i s a joke.

[OmarJA-N4G]

Dildo? ladies & gentlemen we have a homosexual here. :)

[young juice]

4.7 billion!! id like a link to the site youve gotten this information on

[Omega4]

Natal wont fail because there is far too much support for it and their will be a massive ad campaign for it.

PSWand will fail because it lacks support, most likely wont have an ad campaign and if it did i dont see how sony will be able to convince a casual buyer to buy:

A PS3
A PSEye
2-4 Wands

That just seems far too much and far too expensive. At least you only need 1 Natal for 4 players plus its likely MS will has a 360 with it built in too.

[Pennywise]

Tell us more about Sony's future marketing strategy... please?

[Bungie]

Sony ? ... marketing strategy ? lol

[Omega4]

Pennywise i think deep down inside you know im right because seriously do you really think sony is going to spend money advertising their wand when they could be spending their marketing money on potential system sellers like GOW3 and GT5? Plus i doubt they are going to want Heavy Rain and ModNation Racers to bomb which they will with no advertising. I mean come on now they are releasing it in spring did you get that, SPRING they obviously dont care much about it.

[Alcon Caper]

Anything with as much developer support as Natal should be somewhat successful. MS should be more interested in making a product that will last in the "long run," something that Nintendo has arguably failed to do.

Really the only key to this is developer support and marketing. MS has the marketing part pretty down, but until we see something absolutely solid and exciting and new, there will always be doubts.

These developers are currently working on Natal-based games:

* Activision Blizzard
* Bethesda Softworks
* CAPCOM
* Disney Interactive
* Electronic Arts
* Konami
* MTV Games
* Namco Bandai
* Sega
* Square Enix
* THQ Inc.
* Ubisoft

http://www.loadingreality.c...

[mrv321]

'Natal wont fail because there is far too much support for it'

There is? It isn't even released, all we've heard from developers is that they will support it... not that they are. At the moment it has NO SUPPORT

'and their will be a massive ad campaign for it.'

'PSWand will fail because it lacks support'

The PS wand has not ONLY CONFIRMED games coming out but has shown more tech demos with games/ gaming possipilites.

'most likely wont have an ad campaign' I'd like that crystal ball of your when your done. Fanboyisn isn't the best way to predict the future BECAUSE YOUR BIASED.
' and if it did i dont see how sony will be able to convince a casual buyer to buy:

A PS3
A PSEye
2-4 Wands'

How will you convince a casual gamer to buy

A Xbox
Natal
Xbox Live
HD-DVDS(oh wait they can't)
Re-charge pack
2-4 360 controllers
Wireless adaptor

See what I did their? I applied YOUR logic to THE SAME argument but negative to Microsoft.

'That just seems far too much and far too expensive.' And I agree it is far too expencive to buy a 360 with all those stuff, luckily the PS3 is cheaper feature for feature.

'At least you only need 1 Natal for 4 players' I swear Multiple people have said you will still need controllers... oh wait those people are luying despite working for Microsoft

'plus its likely MS will has a 360 with it built in too.' WHICH'LL COST MORE. You seem to be forgetting that if they build it in THEY'LL more than likely rase the price... like they do if you want a hard drive.

[Optical_Matrix]

Bundle it? Going buy your logic, how do you expect MS to convince consumer to buy an Xbox 360 and a separate Add on when they can just buy the Wii? Lack of support? You know f*ck all about what support Sony's controllers are getting. Talking out of your arse as usual Omega.

[Wh15ky]

I have no doubt that Natal will sell better than the PS wands, I think the interest Natal has attracted since E3 is an indication of this.

However, I don't understand why so many people in these comment sections care? Natal will be aimed at casuals there has been no evidence so far to indicate that it will satisfy real gamers and real gamers are what you all claim to be, right? Natal will probably do well for Microsoft but what do you honestly expect it to do for YOU?

The PS wands will not sell as well as Natal but I am looking forward to trying them out. My sister has a Wii and I enjoy some FPS games, Wii bowling, snooker and the wii version of Pro Evolution Soccer, I assume the PS wand will have the ability to control in a similar way to the wiimote but with higher precision and top notch HD graphics.

[Omega4]

@mrv321
Im sorry but there is so much fail in your comment i really cannot be asked to reply to all of it, but i will correct you on one thing which you claimed i was lying about. Natal doesnt need controllers get that into your head, 1 Natal for 4 players, you do not need 360 controllers to use Natal.

@Optical_Matrix
"You know f*ck all about what support Sony's controllers are getting." Maybe because there isnt any >_>

EDIT:@mrv321
*sigh* fine let me point out more of your fails
1. you say the 360 needs a recharge pack? But wait do the PSWands run on?
2. You say you need Live and Wireless? How many casuals even go online?
3. "Also please NOTE 4 people can go on PSeye... no need to have more ps motion controllers" Im talking bout the Wands
4. To your edit watch E3 again and the Natal trailer to see MANY examples

[mrv321]

You cannot just say

'Your comment fails so much I wont bother.'

Tell me how my comment fails.

'1 Natal for 4 players, you do not need 360 controllers to use Natal. '

You need 4 controller for the 4 players who WILL WANT TO PLAY 360 games. Unless someone forgot to tell me how when Natal is released ALL 360 games will support it. Look If I bought an Xbox 360 and wanted 4 players the MAJORITY of games prior and post Natal launch will require 4 controllers.

Also please NOTE 4 people can go on PSeye... no need to have more ps motion controllers.

EDIT: There's loads of news about PSmotion your just ignoring. Didn't you see it being used IN LBP? Or Resident EVIL 5. Or the tech demos which showed of FPS gameplay something I have yet to see on Natal.

[OmarJA-N4G]

Omega4 buddy please stop embarrassing yourself. :)

[Oner]

@ Omega ~ "Natal wont fail because there is far too much support for it"

If it has as much support as the 360 has support from it's first party studios then it's screwed. Fact is 3rd parties are going to treat it just like the Wii and push out shovel ware after shovel ware with MAYBE a small handful of games that will be "okay".

And MS does not innovate. They lie, steal, copy, and buy their "innovations". Read up on the history of MS to be properly informed.

[rezenu]

"Natal wont fail because there is far too much support for it and their will be a massive ad campaign for it."

...Wow.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this statement because logic flew out the window with this guy.

[Alcon Caper]

"If it has as much support as the 360 has support from it's first party studios then it's screwed. Fact is 3rd parties are going to treat it just like the Wii and push out shovel ware after shovel ware with MAYBE a small handful of games that will be "okay"."

Fact, huh? Facts require proof. You guys make me sick.

[Oner]

You can't deny, hide or cover up that MS has but a small amount (less than a handful) of inhouse devs! THAT is fact. Peroid. And since they will not have control over how 3rd party devs use "Natal" the only reasonable conclusion is to go by what they have done with the Wii, although I can concede it is a bit of an educated guess over it being a "fact" (happy now? I doubt you will be since you missed the whole point totally).

[Alcon Caper]

Why such a negative outlook on Natal? And for SOME reason, the PS3 wands won't consist of shovelware? Has there been any announcement of wand-support from Naughty Dog, Insomniac, Team Ico, or Jaffe? If anything, the wands will serve as direct ports from the Wii, which will not just be shovelware, but shovelware-city.

Media Molecule is the only dev to say anything in support of the wand and look how "popular" LBP is. Looking back at the history of PS3 component support, they have had little support for their peripherals. PSEye had that card game and six axis had Lair. So even though they HAD first party devs, few, if none of them ever made anything for those peripherals. What makes people think that this peripheral will receive any support at all?

I personally don't see Natal focusing on shovelware, although I could be wrong. It's a whole new interface, not a copy of an already existing interface. If that recent Half Life 2 footage is accurate at all, then you can see the direction that Kudo Tsunoda is pushing with the hardware.

Make all the assumptions you want. Until these already committed developers announce their games, nothing is set in stone, despite what happened to the Wii.

[Oner]

I never said the PS Wands wouldn't get shovel war so don't try and put words into my mouth because everything I DID say is right here in black and white. But I will answer your question about the negative outlook on Natal...it's because it's nothing really innovative in the genre and any true hardcore gamer won't want to jump around like a fool with no real accuracy in a game setting.

I personally can't see myself getting into the PS Wands either in all honesty, but the fact it has an integrated tactile controller WITH a camera combined will add to the accuracy & control of things in game. Which ultimately makes it by far the better of even the Wii's counterpart. Remember this is not something "new" to Sony. They have been making/supporting the Eyetoy since what 2000? And Dr. Richard Marx has been developing the interaction with a "wand" since before 2002! WAAAAY before the Wii.

So I apologize if I may be a bit "skeptical" with Natal...especially since knowing MS's track record of copying/borrowing/stealing others ideas and claiming it as if they started it all! Sorry MS ain't pullin' no wool over my eyes.

Edit: actually I stand slightly corrected as going over the Wiki I found this about the Eyetoy ~

"The EyeToy was conceived by Richard Marks in 1999, after witnessing a demonstration of the PlayStation 2 at the 1999 Game Developers Conference in San Jose, California.[3] Marks's idea was to enable natural user interface and mixed reality video game applications using an inexpensive webcam, using the computational power of the PlayStation 2 to ****implement computer vision and gesture recognition technologies.****"

The last line is key in that it sounds ever so familiar to Natal doesn't it? So how could Natal be innovative if they didn't "innovate" the technology? Got me?

[Deputydon]

Omega makes a point. I don't see how anyone can argue that 1 Natal works with 4 people and will be overall cheaper than buying enough Wands for 4 people. Sony is showing off a lot of games as best played with two wands or you have to hold a DS3 in one hand? That doesn't sound comfortable at all, not too mention the weight balance would be completely off to actually make it useful during some 'hardcore' games.

Although Natal has no chance of being useful in any real games, so I guess my post is moot.

[Alcon Caper]

It's a bit presumptuous to think that all hardcore gamers won't want to "jump around." Read the Call of Duty Modern Warfare Wii article on Kotaku that was posted today. It talks about the popularity of the game despite bad reviews.

Motion controls may not convert current "hardcore" gamers into jumping fools, but I think it can foster a new breed of hardcore gamers, as demonstrated by these people addicted to Modern Warfare on the Wii.

Sorry for lumping you in with Sony fanboys. You clearly have a brain in your head for this stuff. Most PSFreaks here don't.

As for the Eyetoy...name me 10 eye toy games that you are proud of. For some reason, Wii was able to get their first and third party devs to make some pretty fun motion games, something that Sony was unable to do with their Eye things. So as far as "innovating" goes, they really didn't DO much. Just because you have the tech for a long time doesn't mean you know how to use it. You can stake claim to the origin of motion contol (although it was first implemented in the Dreamcast), but it's how it is used TODAY that matters. When GDC or E3 rolls around, you'll see what I mean (maybe from both Sony AND MS).

[NoBias]

They might bundle it but they're not going to build it into the 360. Think about what you're saying. That's like building the motion sensor bar INTO a Wii. People would have to center their consoles in a certain position.

It doesn't work like that... People aren't going to place their 360's (or any other system for that matter) at the top of their flat screen tvs... Come on

[Oner]

Presumptuous or not it's gonna be a very long time before something of the "caliber" of Natal will replace the tactile fell and accuracy a controller or mouse & keyboard give you. That is the inherent difference when it comes to Natal vs Wands & Wiimote (& plus) and why the latter 2 have a definite advantage of which hardcore gamers will immediately notice and convey vehemently.

I can't name you even a single game on Eyetoy that I am "proud of" because it's not my kind of thing to begin with (as I said)...I am just explaining how the accuracy of Natal vs Others is going to be the main detriment to itself.

I appreciate you not lumping me in with others, but I will honestly admit I *prefer* my PS3 over my 360 for a number of reasons but the main would be reliability. I have had to repair my 360 5 times myself as I am one of the few who MS would not/did not cover. But the bottom line is if ANY company can provide a technology that works as good or as accurate as what movies can imagine...then please don't get me mistaken ~ I'm all for it! No matter who makes it. But it is extremely improbable that Natal will provide or do this.

[Sonyslave3]

Epic game
EA
Capcom
Vavle
Crytek
Sega
Activision Blizzard
Bethesda
Disney Interactive
Konami
MTV Games
Namco Bandai
THQ
Square Enix
Ubisoft
Bioware
Rare
Lionhead

Sony Motion Controller is doom not Natal

[keysy420]

no matter how many developers support it. why becuase they wont be able to sell games you can think that natal will be great but you need to look at some videos online natal sucks balls, its not going to advance gaming just give a annoying affon that isnt accurate. there is no audience for games for natal. hardcore players dont buy causal games. the most you get is wii sports and that comes witha system. natal will sell 5 million units but 1 million games in 4 years.

[OmarJA-N4G]

Watching Sonyslave3 playing Natal is gonna be hilarious... :D

Poor M$ lost 10 billion $ on Natal just to watch it fail. :D

[OGharryjoysticks]

Natal will fail because there isn't a trigger or rumble so the games we will be left with will be lifeless and suck. (Although I can't wait for the gay mime game where we can pretend we are in a box...not)

Playstation's will fail because Microsoft has already paid enough developers to support Natal thus reducing the ammount of people working on Playstation games.

[DelbertGrady]

Rumble is a last gen feature.

[TheBand1t]

And who needs HDMI?

[Baba1906]

i think both wont have the impact of the wiimote, but i thinkwe will get more party games and stuff like that. i would get one if they brought something like mario party =D i enjoy that kind of stuff if you have visit.

[artistadam]

that's the only good thing i see coming out of this whole "motion war" on the horizon... it's the fact that finally, both systems might actually see some fun party games... i mean, these are casual peripherals we're talking about here... these aren't for hardcore gamers... but, these will give us something to break out when a few friends are over... this is for those who didn't buy a wii...

no more guitar hero parties, i want something else... and these new toys might give us some new party games to enjoy with our casual friends... and that's what it's all about, am i right?

[Stationfan]

Yeah sure Natal is going to get support by Microsoft and its 20 or so in house developers. Natal architecture is too unique that in order for 3rd party developers to take advantage of it. It would have to be some sort of exclusive game.

Which this day and age Microsoft doesnt have the install leverage to aquiere without a massive check. And I seriously doubt they are going to spend millions to secure 3rd party exclusive to Casual games.

3rd party developers in this recession are going to take less risk and develop for similar systems which in this case is Wii and Sony Wand. On another note i hope Okami gets ported over to the Wand i would love to play that, seriously i dont see how a game like that can be played without no buttons.

[kewlkat007]

Ok so these gadgets workout and they gain a few casuals, so what. Games will still be made with controllers in mind.

For one thing Nintendo have shown us there is a market out there these days for new trends and devices with good marketing.

[blackpanther25]

i am personally going to buy a natal
and it will be backed by a lot of devs(mostly 3rd and 2nd party)

Sony learned a long time ago never to truly depend on 3rd party developers. So it will have a mostly 1st and 2nd party games. A lot of games out on the ps3 can become motion control right now and they know it so they are converting them. High velocity bowling, little big planet, pain and etc. Games like wipeout pure, eyepet and modnation racers can be easily get a patch to incorporate the motion controls

[Godmars290]

May have worked with rumble, but that was only a few months into the PS2/Xbox1/NGC gen.

[AznSniper]

Oversaturation of the motion control market is the reason I see them both failing.

[nygamer28]

i dont understand if both of the motions controls are not even out yet how can you judge them,but i do like alot of the developer are behind natel,so you know something decent is gonna come out

[NJShadow]

Well, Natal will fail because it basically uses PlayStation Eye (Perhaps even just EyeToy) technology, nothing really new here. Now, although the PS3 wand controller is very similar to the Wii, the PS3 wans is actually used in conjunction with the camera which can actually place a weapon in your hand onscreen, now THAT is pretty freakin' cool. Natal? No Thanks. PS3 wand controller thingy? Bring it on!

[qwertyuiopasdfghjkl]

If the games suck, the tech will fail.

Now, ask yourself this question, have we really seen enough of either to judge them already? Most of Sony's tech demos have been done before, and Microsofts tech demos were proven to be laggy, or just plain fake.

[Whoooop]

Both are gimmicks...

However, I see the PS3 dildo doing better overtime for 2 reasons.

1) The dildo resembles the Wiimote and people are already familiar with it and most of the casuals like the wiimote style and the way it works and react.

2) The dildo seems much more precise and it promises to bring a Wii kind of gameplay, but with great looking visuals.

Natal IMO will have more initial buzz, but will die out due to uncomfortable style of gameplay and not as precise movement detection.

[Elvfam511]

You love dildos dontcha

[NJShadow]

Need I remind you all...

[mac4u10]

lol funny vid

[hagla]

I think you will find the playstation wand to be the most accurate and responsive of them all... The camera watches the ball and knows how big it should look and therefore where it is, that's all it has to do...

It will cream the wiimote and natal. It will be an accurate wiimote and as for the natal i can't imagine having too much fun pretending to drive with thin air. Especially if it is as laggy as rumours have it.

As for microsoft buying developers??? What are you guys on? Sony has more first party and loyal developers than tinyflaccid will ever have.

[Red Eyed Gamer]

"PlayStation Motion Control = wiimote with big ball
NATAL = innovation"

Natal and innovation is a oxymoron. Natal does have potential, In sales that is. MS advertisement campaign will try its hardest to sell natal as "revolutionary" just like Nintendo with the Wii. Nintendo gave it a fancy name in its campaign the "Nintendo revolution". Likewise MS gave Natal a fancy name "Project Natal".

In a sense the wii is revolutionary (changing the directrion were the games industry is heading). Was it all the wii thougth? No. The Ps2 Eye Toy also sold like hotcakes. Innovation and revolutionizing are very different things. I see very little Innovation in Natal.

Now we look at Sony. Combining the motion controller, The Playstaion Eye and 3D gaming has potential for both the "Hardcore gamer" and the "causal game". Natal seems to be heading towards the later one just like the Wii.

You disagree? Show me prof that Natal can be used for a FPS,RTS and RPG. Not just a racing game and glitchy party games.

[TheBand1t]

Yep. Because they're both peripheral items not packaged with the main console, they shall fail.

The Wii's success was because of the fact the Wiimote was packaged with the console and it was the only real way to play a game.

Tell me, how many peripherals actually do well? (Hint: Not many.

[DethWish]

Yep, I think so too.
It's too late, Wii has already been out for too long.

[keysy420]

they already have the casual market they have a ton of games they will be able to get ahead if they push hardcore motion control

[THC CELL]

what i want to no is how do people no what the wand really looks like and the full launch line up is cause i cant see sony failing to bring games like wii sport and soo on

i am giving full support to sony on this one
natal is stupid and milo kate is a well i look like a convicted P

[Meryl]

I'm going to laugh when natal flops big time, it is just an ps eye with slight improvements. expect to see lots of mini styled games like the ones that showed up on PS2 when the ps eye was first released.
Natal is behind by 10 years lol.

[dredgewalker]

They wont fail if both companies can find a way to make it usable on all games with an update. Its the only way that these peripherals will ever be successful.

[hoops]

Amazing how most on this site are judging Natal and even the Wand and NEVER USED IT. This site is a joke...but funny as hell and the reason i come to it to laugh at all the fanboys who claim they are gamers. lol

[hoops]

"My predictions are that both are destined to fail due to lack of support by developers and lack of interest by gamers."

That's one wrong point in this article. Natal has some major support as of now. It's a wait and see game where this goes.
No one has used it so how can we judge it? This and Sony's wand. Too many haters on this site

[mastiffchild]

And the Sony wands/Sphere/Gem doesn't have any support? god knows who sony have working on it in house and we've already seen Capcom using it, know EA is using it and know Ubi is doing stuff too. Both will have software support-that isn't their issue.

The two problmes they face are the fact that I fail to see another decent way of getting around a gameworld witrhout an analog stick held somewhere and neither has shown their real answer to that AND the fact that post launch peripherals tend to die a bad, slow death.

About this site and people judging these things-you're so right it hurts. We dunno if they work, how well they work or whether there's much point in using them over controllers and buttons AND many playing eithet one up have been the biggest MC on Wii critics around so why any interest at all right now? Let alone hating on one or the other. We know NOTHING and both could be amazing or sh1t.

[Gun_Senshi]

Why cannot you agree that both wannabe EyeToy and Dildo-mote are just casual bullcrapbandwagon that need to stop.

Hardcore gamers unite!

[CaptainPunch]

I wouldn't take these types of articles seriously, I'm all for new technology. I hope Sony & Microsoft bring there A game, I really want to see how their motion controls turn out.

[Somnipotent]

at least project natal and the ps motion controller are optional methods of control as opposed as the primary method. i welcome choice in control rather than forced waggle in every single game.

[maniacf40]

.

[Cueil]

Is it me or does this seem similar to what threads looked like for the Wiimote? Want to know something? None of you matter.. you complaining wont affect sales of either of these two products. The company who can most closely target what consumers outside of the hardcore will completely turn this "race" into a joke. The ball is clearly in Microsoft's court regardless of how you feel about Natal it has the highest chance of attracting casuals and Wii owners.

[Rowsdower]

but why wouldnt sony and MS want to cash in on this. Now 3rd party wii games will be thrown into the muliplatform gaming mix. Just more games to choose from, and the exclusive games will be interesting to see. People are so negative.

doomed to fail.

hyperbole is not news

[Dead_Cell]

The way everybody has to argue over ways something MUST fail.
I'm sick of hearing the word fail,seeing the word fail, Either buy the game and enjoy it or stfu and go do something else.

[twdll]

Lets ask this...

Does Natal do Exactly what it says it will do?
I've heard conflicting evidence about Milo, and Natal's latency?
Real Games or just advertising demos?
or
Does the Sony Motion Controller do exactly what it says it will do? :)

Nuff Said.

[BX81]

I'm looking forward to Natal but not the lame looking wand. I really want either sony or MS to make a shooting game like house of the dead but with a weapon with some weight behind it (to hold), like an MP5. I love the arcade shooters that involve a gun that has some kick when you shoot it!

[IWentBrokeForGaming]

I don't think it's executed yet to what it eventually will be...

but eventually all things we know affiliated with gaming has to and will elvolve... and in that regard gaming with controllers will become the long lost fad!

[prodg52]

Especially if they do games like MLB the Show in 3D + motion control. Sony has enough first party studios to support it's products. More so than even Nintendo which means they'll have more quality games.

[Mikeyy]

The Wii's motion controls where total failure for me. My 73" Mitsubishi tv is to big and the sensor bar is aweful, just Unplayable.

im not into this motion control stuff atm. Don't know what you all are expecting, I think you all are thinking Natal will provide a real life Call of Duty experience, but I PROMISE you it wont.

[The Iron Sheik]

I thought 360 was where the "hardcore" gamers play or so you bots like to say. You expect FPS obsessed gamers to all of a sudden switch to casual games like Natal is going to offer? And make no mistake causal games are all that Natal will have.

the sooner this motion control fad goes away the better.