Tue, Aug 11, 2009 | 10:06 BST

Source – Natal forms “massive part of Microsoft’s business plan”

A UK 360 developer has told VG247 that Project Natal isn’t exactly going to be some wishy-washy peripheral “thing”. Not on your nelly.

“Natal forms a huge part of Microsoft’s business plan going forward,” we were told. “The whole concept’s basically in lieu of releasing a new machine.”

“They’re putting so much behind it,” the source added, saying the launch was an obvious move after Wii’s market.

Motion-sensing system Project Natal was announced at E3 this year, and went undated.

Steve Balmer said in the reveal’s wake that 2010 would see the launch of a “new” Xbox with a “natural interface,” before apologising for his remarks.

Apologies or not, however, next year looked more solid in light of THQ boss Brian Farrell’s recent comments, which said the add-on will launch “late next year”.

Natal’s playable at GamesCom next week.

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10 comments

absolutezero
11/08/09, 10:09 am

Crap. Oh well as long as non-wavy arms games still get released.

SticKboy
11/08/09, 10:20 am

New “Lite” hardware SKU… C-C-C-CONFIRMED!

Tonka
11/08/09, 10:24 am

MS Theme song

Phoenixblight
11/08/09, 11:35 am

Tonka I am not sure how to respond to that. Worse song ever…

Dannybuoy
11/08/09, 1:43 pm

Hit the weak spot for MASSIVE DAMAGE or something

freedoms_stain
11/08/09, 5:37 pm

They basically want a piece of the Wii pie. All those casual gamers willing to shell out hundreds for a waggly sports sim

fearmonkey
11/08/09, 10:39 pm

MS has done alot of things right this gen, I dont know what to think of this though.
If the place to much behind this, and launch its 2nd console after Sony, that could be a big problem for them.

jnms
13/08/09, 9:57 am

This has nothing to do with gaming alone. Now Microsoft have their console in so many living rooms, they are pushing things up a step. Natal will no doubt end up being integrated into all sorts of things. I have a feeling this will end up being about more than just games.

Windows on your TV without a keyboard or mouse for example. No TV remote.

And how long before some clever dick invents an app. that monitors your expressions whilst you are watching a TV show to see if you are enjoying it? Then Natal will be a self recording PVR, keeping only the things it knows you like. Another step into a wonderful future where we won’t have to decide anything for ourselves at all. What corporation out there wouldn’t want to be King of that sort of technology? (Another possibility would be targeted TV ads as Natal would be aware of the sorts of ads you do watch and those you don’t).

I’m pretty sure Microsoft are thinking way beyond all this even…

DrDamn
13/08/09, 10:08 am

@jnms
That’s some scary stuff right there – but I can see marketing types eye light up as they read that sort of thing .