MS: 70-80% of publishers working on Natal games

NewsPosted 12/01/2010 - 1:14pm GMT

First-party studios also 'very focussed' on Natal.

Microsoft's motion controller, Project Natal, has the backing of up to 80 per cent of the world's publishers, Microsoft's Robbie Bach, president, Entertainment & Devices Division, has revealed to financialpost.com (via cbc).

"We have something like 70 or 80 per cent of the publishers in the world already doing Natal-based games. Our first party studios are [also] very focused on this," said Bach. "We want to have a few titles from Microsoft that show the way and then we want the breadth and power of the ecosystem from our partners to bring lots of new ideas, new innovations, new concepts to the marketplace."

Bach also moved to reassure Xbox fans that the introduction of Natal in holiday 2010 won't bring about an end to traditional Xbox games.

"Xbox games don’t go away; you have to think of all this as additive. I think it adds to the beauty of what’s going on," he concluded.

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guyderman @ Endless

Don't forget The Warriors - That I'd like to see on Natal - real fighting, swinging my baseball bat all paited up as a Fury - Smashing windows and nicking my own stereo!

Posted 17:14 on 12 January 2010

Endless @ SexyJams

Rockstar have done games other than the GTA series right. I mean i know thats what they're famous for but every game they release doesn't have to be in that genre.

Course the only other games that spring to mind at the moment are Table Tennis, Beaterator and Manuhunt.

The biggest strengths of Natal will be it's use in conjunction with some form of controller if you ask me. I mean any object it can recognise can become a controller. Toilet roll tube becomes baseball bat?

Imagine a game like Scribblenauts where you use everyday objects in your house to solve puzzles. There's oodles more potential than simple recognising body movement.

Posted 17:09 on 12 January 2010

Karlius @ SexyJams

Don't discount anything.

Posted 15:23 on 12 January 2010

SexyJams

I can't imagine Rockstar working on Natal games to be honest.
An open world game with interactive abilities is nye on impossible to do well.
I think Microsoft have finally done something to earn a bit of respect though guys, we have to give it where it's due.

Posted 15:16 on 12 January 2010

Karlius @ Endless

Lol the saving grace was not upsetting the gamer that wants to play his FPS or RPG, the user that has shifted 360's until the Natal release.

If MS can get SEGA to make a good Sonic game they could combat the plumbers. Whats stopping Nintendo doing a MS and allowing their games to be released on 360 just like MS did with Rare and the DS. Can't see it happening but don't discount it. I mean there is supposed to be a massive rivalry between MS and Sony yet are working together to advertise Windows 7 and the Sony Touch Tablet. I still don't discount a single console release from the two next gen.

Posted 15:14 on 12 January 2010