Is Natal Being Over Hyped?
Editorials | Admir J. | December 30, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Ever since Project Natal was first introduced at E3 2009, many industry watchers started to anticipate the peripheral. Big networks likes NBC and Fox even showed the device off. The Jimmy Fallon show had Kudo from Microsoft even demonstrate the hardware working with Burnout Paradise; it looked very solid and ready to be used for a wide audience. The technology was convincing and even made some of us that didn’t believe the technology would work change our minds about the device. NBC featuring such a device surely helped the hype as millions (probably more like thousands since it’s Jimmy Fallon) saw Natal in use. Does it seem that Microsoft is doing too much too early?
If you don’t think they’ve been doing enough hyping, have you seen the recently released videos of people playing Geometry Wars 2 or Half-Life 2 on Natal? Yes, now all these videos are surfacing, showing people playing Half-Life 2. Is it real, or is this a stunt by MS to get more attention? Who knows but there are a few reasons to make you wonder about the latest videos that show people playing Natal. For example as you’ll see in the video below. It appears a man is playing Half Life 2 on the Xbox 360 using Project Natal. One apparent thing about the video that makes it seem fake is the lack of the sensor in front of the person. You have to have the device be in front of you, just as you have the Wii sensor when you play Wii games. I’ve looked hard and even paused the video and cannot locate this sensor device, by any means if someone does please e-mail me and I’ll gladly point it out in my article, but still wont change my opinion about the videos being only a hype train (yes, I think it’s fake).
Another thing that makes the video less believable is how the user flawlessly plays the game, making it seems like there is no hassle to it. We all know a project is never that perfect in it’s early stages, especially not with a first person shooter like Half-Life 2. Sure moving side to side or looking up and down may seem fine, but shooting around and reloading, just doesn’t seem real. It’s too hard to determine what movements do what. The player is just swinging his hands up and down for the most part. Either they only recorded the movement because the rest wasn’t going as planned, or they just wanted to show the obvious, we’ll never know.
Lastly, I can understand MS showing of Natal with Burnout Paradise, since it’s one of the newer games in the last two years, but to have Natal run with Half-Life 2, well that just wouldn’t make sense. Why would they use a game that’s been out nearly half a decade instead of something new like Halo 3 or Gears of War 2? Don’t get me wrong, Half-Life 2 is an amazing game and who wouldn’t want to use a gravity gun with Natal motion sensing, but it just doesn’t make sense to use an older game that wouldn’t make any sales since it’s been over played by many gamers. I could be wrong about all these though, maybe MS wanted to use a random FPS to test their motion controls with the genre and picked a great title to do it on. Geometry Wars 2 was also featured earlier showing the guy playing it using Project Natal, while this game could be more convincing to flawlessly work with Natal, it still lacked the sensor that Half-Life 2 video did.
Whether it’s real or fake, we’ll never know. Don’t think for a second that Microsoft will either confirm or deny such videos for hype reasons obviously. While I think it’s fine to use TV network stations to advertise such a great device to come in the future of gaming, going as far as using older games and rehashing them for hype is a bit low. Now I understand that MS most likely has nothing to do with the videos, but even issuing a statement about them would make them look good. Too many gamers are exciting about the device and to see it falsely used could make a few angry and switch sides.
What do you guys think, are the videos of Project Natal being used with Half Life 2 real or fake? Is this all being done for Microsoft to hype the latest in their hardware? Please comment below and let us know. No registration is required to comment.
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fuck microsoft, natal is gay
FIRST
It may be a nice gimmick i won’t buy just like the wii.
I’m not into the whole motion control thing but if I had to pick, I’m more in favor of what Sony is trying to do. I mean, there are definitely things you need a controller for, like moving your character in an FPS, and frankly, it’s a lot less awkward to move your character with an thumbstick and use the motion control to aim (which I wouldn’t do anyway but just being hypothetical) than to try to use motion control for everything and end up awkwardly moving your character with a flick of your hand, which is rather slow for a fast-paced game
like the iphone i wont take it seriously because it is button free gaming, imo butons are necessary for alot of games.
why does natal have to be gay? sony is having something called the “gem” yeah that sounds a whole lot better. go get a life kid
ms nothings to show me about natal.
sony show me a real game.
therefore i thought sony is better than ms.
i don’t want to see any counterfeit about natal
Well put together article.
It’s probably just Microsoft looking to make hype for Natal and to reassure the core fan base by showing off these type of games.
I think it’s just Microsoft making a Hype for Natal … I am going to buy it but i don’t think you can play Shooters with it very well …
Wow, you must be pretty blind to miss the device on the tripod right in front of the person and under the screen
And you must be pretty thick to come up with such an article. Can’t you see that this is just some developers testing the technology? It’s not as if they’re going to re-release HL2 Natal edition
i think thats just a load of crap really the video clearly is fake!!
Natal will be alot better than Wii but it doesn’t make it worth buying. Its just a gimmick to get those less inclined non hardcore gamers to game.
Is Natal being Overhyped, Thats a given it’s Microsoft end off story.
any hyped is good i bet that natal will sell like crazy comeon fox news 2mill watch it so alot of people know about it
Natal can be a huge sucess, but I think that the Sony Wand
better.
Video is fake he is using the left hand to move the character and to interact with environnment wich i dont think is possible
Of course it will be shown off on those two particular TV stations in America. I’m British, and even I can see that NBC has strong ties with Microsoft (MSNBC) and Fox and Microsoft have worked together in the past to advertise products.
When media companies who aren’t tied with Microsoft, like CNN or ABC, start to show it off I’ll begin to believe it’s real. Great article.
bend the L in NATAL two times and you get a S, and adding that S would make it NATAS. NATAS spelled backwards equals SATAN.
i wont talk bad about natal because i dont know much about it and i would never buy it because i love using controllers . after using the eyetoy i realise that controller -less motion controls can be tiring so natal isnt for me. i love new technology even if its not geared for me but im sure a lot of people will enjoy it . not everything in this world is meant to satisfy everyone .
xbl/psn – dylantalon
ur seeing sony show off the wand or gem games now cuz its coming out 1st. ms has about has 11 months still 2 go. so how can u expect them 2 show games 4 sumthing that is almost a year away. im do agree with people that say they havent seen any games 4 natal but that doesnt mean its shit.
The tracking device is right in front of the guy in this footage, what are you blind? There is no reason to believe the footage we have seen is fake, it is not Microsoft who has a history of showing fake game footage.
Finally, Microsoft does not get to call up NBC and Fox and say, can we put our gimmick on your show, those shows called Microsoft, keep in mind that many are trying to reach the gaming class of consumers, especially a show like Jimmy Fallon.
Your article is unprofessional and stinks of fanboy hate, you dont right an article accusing someone or thing of lying to the public with absolutely no solid proof, that is just sleazy.
” it is not Microsoft who has a history of showing fake game footage.”
It’s not the fact that MS is faking it so much as it could be other technology that people are claiming is Natal.
Anyways, Natal is definitely overhyped. Why does it get so much more attention than Sony’s wand when it isn’t even in the same league. At least Sony’s device can be used for traditional games. Natal is bound to arcade style games similar to the original Eyetoy. I swear I’ve seen idiots claim ownage with this video saying “what happened to ‘it won’t work with traditional games’” yet I don’t see anything in this video other than a tech demo for looking around. When I see an actual FPS or traditional game being played then I’ll eat my words but until I see people jumping, shooting, reloading etc.. it’s a far bigger overhyped gimmick than the wand or wii.
And do not compare it to the Wii either. The Wii also has the ability to play traditional games…
This is coming from a Wii/360/PC owner mind you, but I am much more supportive of Sony’s device. Natal can’t even accurately track wrist motions according to IGN.
Yeah… Natal will be another gimmicky motion controller that will usher in a new wave of shovelware, and casual crap on the 360. For hardcore games, it will be used as a gimmick by using motion control to chuck a grenade here and there…
Either way, I dont think it’s going to revolutionize games like MS wants it to. It might help their sales based on hype, just look at the Wii… but it’ll add very little to the games I already like to play. I really dont see how waving my arms around would make a game like Gears of War or Uncharted more immersive.
It all depends on how responsive the tehnology is. If it lags then Natal will be a complete flop. TBH, i think Microsoft are trying to do too much (Not often you hear that.), instead of going down the same route as Sony/Nintendo they’re trying to make your entire body the controller, which i don’t think the market is ready for.
It could be fantastic for fighting games like Dead Or Alive or Mortal Kombat but pretty useless for nearly everything else.
Natal is nothing more than just an eyetoy. I still would not get one as I do not have the kind of room to play in. If this is the future of gaming and MS is trying to push that on hardcore gamers then gaming would die in an instant. Just like the Wii, natal is something for the casual gamer. If you have the kind of space needed to play more kudos for you.
The reason Sonys dildo does not get the attention Natal gets is because, Sony’s is a Wiimote ripoff all the way, nothing new or fascinating to see. Also Sony tends to be more difficult to do business with, Sony is harder to contact, harder to get a response from, and most of their public figures are boring people, and would not make for good TV. The guy MS had showing the Natal device was made for that sort of work, that guy is a freak, but that makes for good TV.
Sure, you may be able to walk around, and control the camera with Natal, that can be true, but, i didn’t see any type of shooting, no motion to shoot or even launch a projectile. Even if Natal can work for certain aspects in a game, its still incapable of being used to control a first person shooter entirely, unless maybe a prephial is added, but then where does Natals marketing campaign go where you are the controller? So, yes the video to me can be true, but strictly to whats shown in the video, walking and movement, but whats the use when you can shoot? I cant wait for Sony’s motion control, seems a lot more better for me, able to do what Natal and the Wii motion controlling systems can do and in many ways better than both can.
N4G Sony assholes EVERYWHERE. And by the way Shooter are not the only kinda games out there, even though thats all the PS3 has, minus God of War. So really, shut up. Pepople thought the controler was stupid too compared to the mouse and keyboard, and look at how things are now. THe PS3 motion control? Sure thats cool, but I mean comeon its pretty much an IPhone with buttons and an analog stick, nothing big there. This is MIcrosoft taking a risk to change the industry and do something fresh wihich Sony has never the balls nor resouces to do. Go home fanboys, noboddy loves you
I am looking forward to Natal. I can’t wait to be able to dance around and wave my arms to play games. My girlfriend and I will enjoy playing Rock Band with air guitars and I’m ready to keep getting up from my chair to do a jump and then sit back down. More hype please, it’s getting my sarcasm pumped!
@ Guy,
You’re blind if you think that’s a real device there on the tripod if it was that camera would have been more clear and more light would have been applied in that room.
yes, pure hype… the wii has already proven that stage one progression to the dorks holodeck fantasy is not only a bad idea but realistically stupid, unwieldy and patently broken.
y dont the people that say either the wand or natal sux wait until they come out and decide then. sony fanboys love the wand cuz its sony and ms fanboys do the samething for natal. stop with all the bashing no 1 knows which 1 is better til they r both out.
I first saw the Natal demo this summer, looks cool enough.
This was a terrible article, you really should not make such large assumptive leaps in your posts. I am a computer science student and can tell you that the technology involved here is simply too complex to guess at from a couple YouTube videos and press release information.
This kind of performance IS possible and is actually related to the software used in Microsoft’s Surface to detect finger touches and other modes of input. Though somewhat difficult it is entirely possible to create software that analyzes video input and extrapolates gestural information accurate enough to result in the activity you saw in the videos.
To so quickly say that this MUST be a gimmick is just plain ignorance; talk about what you know or don’t talk at all. I don’t mean to be mean, just keep an open mind and take it from me; this technology is possible and it is coming!
First, the sensor is on the tripod. look for the light bobbing around just below the screen (from a shaky camera man, not from the sensor moving).
Second, did it ever occur to you that perhaps this guy has played Half-Life 2 using the Natal motion controller a few times already and might be pretty good at it? You think, possibly, maybe? Noah, that would make sense and my second grade education that was barely able to write this article can’t comprehend things making sense.
Third, to all the weenies who think there is no way to control a FPS, maybe you need to be a little more imaginative. According to everything I’ve read the motion controller can sense position of your body and its appendages (arms and legs for those who can’t understand big words) so perhaps you simply need to hold a virtual gun up to your shoulder and the gun aims where you are looking? I’m guessing Microsoft has already done A LOT of testing to figure out all the gestures needed to aim, shoot and reload a gun. Who knows, maybe you can simply switch from using a rifle to a shotgun to a pistol by simply changing your grip and stance a little.
Perhaps you weenies need to do a little more reading up on what Natal really is and how it works before opening your pie holes and letting the bullshit fly.
@mattm: But bashing is half the fun. It’s time to get on the HATE train, buddy! Toot toot! Besides, what’s the whole point of putting comments if you’re just gonna agree with everything.
Anyways, it looks like it can be fun, but just like the wii, if I wanted to move around so much I’d actually go out and play sports or something. No. I’d rather much be pale and pasty and sit on my fat ass with a controller in hand.
They said that the actions would NOT be preprogrammed like the wii, but all the demos have shown otherwise…..
The Simple fact that it will allow my son with Ceribal Palsey to also experence gaming makes the hype on this seem not enough.
It may be for the average gamer but there are many people who will benifit from this and maybe just maybe enrich there lifes a little more.
@ Admir J.
Guy isn’t blind, he’s right. Natal uses infrared light in its depth sensor, and the CCD image sensors in the camera that is filming the scene is picking the infrared projector. If you want proof take an infrared remote and view it through the camera on your cellphone, you’ll see it light up. Natal uses infrared light to see 3D in extreme low light. Cameras use infrared light to focus in darker environments. Don’t bash the technology just because you don’t understand it.
sure is.
i dont want motion controls for my games, if i did i would buy a wii.
with some games it will work and it suits the type of game, but imagine playing crackdown 2 with natal.
NO THANKS!
same goes for sonys dildo.
i dont mind if they make it a option in games as long as you can play every single game with a normal controller, if they start making games exclusive to these motion controls than i wont be a happy chappy!
First off, just because you dont see the sensor does not mean its not outside the shot. You have no idea what kind of angle is required to make it work properly. Second, who cares that they used HL2 and Geometry Wars in the videos. They are both current gen and good games. Now stop speculating hoaxes and get some real info on this project.
I think the hl2 clip is a fake. Even if it’s not, who cares? Natal is some bullshit gimmick for soccer moms and their 4 year olds.
The source code for Half-Life 2 is readily available, with guides to modification, so HL2 has been used for many technology demos just like this one. Remember, this is equivalent to a “mod”, a different control scheme, so it’s logical they picked games that are easy to mod like HL2 and Burnout Paradise for demos.
I had heard initially that Natal was delayed to 2011 and the launch of the “XBOX 720″, which is being finalized now (it’s basically a overclocked 360). MS remains sensitive to the common wisdom that customers don’t buy add-ons (how well did the Eyetoy do?), which is why we still may not see it stand-alone peripheral.
@ Chris C,
Who said I’m bashing the technology, I’ll Im doing is asking peeps if Natal is over hyped and pointing out that the Half Life 2 videos is fake. I’m very convinced that the technology will take off and be perfected the way MS wants it to be.
@ rsmith,
We all know the code is available, but MS wouldn’t waste time and resources putting an older game over 3 years to be exact with Natal technology.
had to be fake. there’s probably someone right behind the guy with a controller playing while the fairy waves his hands around
IT’S NOT FAKE, AND IT SUCKS! What’s the gizmo on the tripod in front of the screen? (NATAL) “The user flawlessly plays the game”…HUH??? It takes him about 5 tries to press a simple button to activate the plant pot transporter!
Not sure if it’s fake or not, but I will wait until MS starts sending out units for reviews. We’ll see then.
its Not being over hyped they’re just showing what capabilities it has or may have when released. Also why wouldn’t the person doing a taped demo not play HL2 well regardless of not being a final product? You make it sound like this technology has not been around for long and they don’t have a firm grasp on it. This has been around for years now and showing a live demo of this type of tech speaks for its maturity. Natal, you can hate it or love it but its new tech that needs to be developed not just because we need our gaming fix but because this tech can open many possibilities for communications and augmented reality in the future.
I wonder if there will be a NATAL masturbation game…i’d probably 1000 G that in a day.
Hyped, Natal looks good, but not as much as they’re billing it to be.
The sensor device is right in front of the guy, under the screen equipment..see the bright light??
looked cool when I saw the presentation, I’ll wait when it’s final
@mattm: But bashing is half the fun. It’s time to get on the HATE train, buddy! Toot toot! Besides, what’s the whole point of putting comments if you’re just gonna agree with everything.
Anyways, it looks like it can be fun, but just like the wii, if I wanted to move around so much I’d actually go out and play sports or something. No. I’d rather much be pale and pasty and sit on my fat ass with a controller in hand.
yea i agree with u its half the fun. but that doesnt mean that its kind of right. i will be honest i am a huge 360 fan. i dont like the ps3 but i am trying to be peaceful about it. even though u r right it is fun to bash another console.
@ James,
Yea, that could have been a light for anything. Why didn the’ camera man close into the sensor device? Exactly.
Think the little light under the screen is the camera? Could be.
Yea as I told James, until there is a bit light and the camera closing into the senor and showing it, i’ll believe it.
bs
To the OP, In the video see the tripod and the green light? thats natal, nice one, maybe you shouldn’t be so critical
Get real man, the camera is darkened for a reason Yo. You should know that.
I don’t know, this thing looks pretty cool. I mean if it works half as well as it does in the video I will deffinately get it.
looks like it will be a fun device and will save lots of people the money of going out and buying a whole new system and new games for that system. as far as the legitimacy of the videos, it is hard to tell but it is hard to tell either way.
i think natals underneath the screen…thats what the bright white light might be
why the hell wood i want to get up and play games, and u look gay as shit waving ur hands around at a screen also the camera will probs get confused with shit in ur backround and other lights its gonna be as fail as eyetoy same with sonys peice of ass wand