News: Nintendo Said No to Natal in 2007 Page 1

Nintendo Said No to Natal in 2007

According to sources close to Nintendo, the Wii creators were offered technology similar to Natal for the console back in 2007.

A source close to Nintendo recently spoke to CVG on how company president Satoru Iwata was shown the 3D camera-based technology, now heading to Microsoft's Xbox 360, just over two years ago and how cost and integration factors stopped the feature from being brought to Wii.

Natal is set to launch for Xbox 360 later this year as an additional periperhal at around £50 RRP.

Honestly - I've heard Iwata describe the prototype he saw at length, and it's definitely Natal. What we witnessed at E3 was smaller and the facial [reading] stuff had improved, but it's the same technology. We remain unconvinced Natal will deliver on the more sophisticated elements of what Microsoft is promising at the price they're aiming for.

What do you think of Natal and visual motion capture technology? Do you think Nintendo should have considered it as a peripheral for Wii - perhaps more useful than the Wii Wheel or Zapper?

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NintendoStanley 27.01.2010#1

I struggle to see what kind of games would work with this, i will have to wait untill i see some games before passing judgement on this.

Flapper!

meeto_0 28.01.2010#2

I read on Kotaku that Iwata was unconvinced by what the tech could do and was not sophisticated enough. If true I dont see why nintendo was so taken back by the wii remote without motion plus.

As for the price its called taking a loss. Big multi billionaire companies do this for long term profit.

I still dont get how this would work for FPS, racing, fighting, unless your glued on the spot. I dont want to mimic moving around. A nun chuck is needed.

crackedthesky 28.01.2010#3

meeto_0 said:
I read on Kotaku that Iwata was unconvinced by what the tech could do and was not sophisticated enough. If true I dont see why nintendo was so taken back by the wii remote without motion plus.
As for the price its called taking a loss. Big multi billionaire companies do this for long term profit.
I still dont get how this would work for FPS, racing, fighting, unless your glued on the spot. I dont want to mimic moving around. A nun chuck is needed.

This was reportedly 2007. That's post-Wii. It's not like they went with the Wiimote in favor of this.

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Martin_ 28.01.2010#4

Both Natal and the Sony wand will crash and burn because they're not standard peripherals packed-in with the console. There are no instances I can think of where an added-on peripheral that some games require is released more than half-way into a console's life-span and does well. Impressive tech, but it is just tech. They'd bee better off just continuing development and then launching their next machine with it.

It's too much of a big change this far into a console's life, in my opinion. Can't see either doing very well. Who's going to make games for it? I know Graeme is involved with Milo, but Lionhead are just owned by Microsoft. Can't see any independent developers going anywhere near the PS3 wand or Natal. Wide-births all round, probably.

Canyarion 28.01.2010#5

I see the current-gen project as a training for the next gen. They want to have the tech out to see what sells, what works.

I guess Nintendo has it easier, they only have to include spiffy graphics and they're competing with the big brothers.

Darkflame 28.01.2010#6

Natal is wonderfull, but imho you still need to hold *something*
This is for;

a) You need a trigger button of some sort for generic action.

b) The feeling that your not just waving your arms about. (that wiimote is a sword, or a club etc...without holding something it just isnt the same)

Also, most importantly, without a nunchuck or analogue stick, its impossible to map charecter movement to anything sensible.

Really REALLY you need an analogue stick.

That said, full body and headtracking can massively enhance games. But not on its own.

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crackedthesky 29.01.2010#7

Canyarion said:
I see the current-gen project as a training for the next gen. They want to have the tech out to see what sells, what works.
I guess Nintendo has it easier, they only have to include spiffy graphics and they're competing with the big brothers.

And I sincerely hope they DO it, too. Perfectly said, that's all they have to do. And it'll be easy for them because the technology is there and has been there for a while. If they don't jump on that... that's just a very poor decision.

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