MS: We’ll only do Natal Halo ‘when it makes sense’

Microsoft has moved to reassure fans concerned about how the company’s new motion sensing technology, Natal, will be incorporated into Halo, saying it will feature “when it makes sense”.

Natal, announced to much fanfare during Microsoft’s E3 2009 press conference, is a new technology for Xbox 360 that detects full body motion and includes voice recognition technology.

Some fans, however, have expressed concern about how the technology will be applied to core-focused 360 games, like Halo, and core genres, like the first-person shooter.

Speaking to VideoGamer.com, Alex Cutting, producer on Halo 3: ODST from Microsoft Game Studios, said: “A lot of people are interested in what Natal’s presence in Halo’s going to be. We are committing to only doing it when it makes sense. We are not going to produce a gimmicky feature that just takes advantage of motion controls when it doesn’t feel right.

“We’re going to make the games we want to play. We’re not going to make a feature that’s not fun. If there’s an opportunity to do it, we will definitely investigate it. If it’s fun we will leave it in the game. But further than that, I can’t tell you any specific plans.”

Cutting did, however, reveal his take on whether Natal can work with first-person shooters.

“I think Natal can be integrated into most genres in some way,” he said. “I think FPS, there’s a lot to be said for dual stick control. But, you know, before dual sticks came around and before Halo: Combat Evolved established it on a console, people were pretty doubtful about that, that it could ever move from keyboard and mouse.

“So we’ve seen it already from one control scheme to another. I’m not going to bet against Natal. It’s a powerful technology. There is a lot that can be done with it.”

Could Halo: Reach, due out next year, incorporate Natal in some way?

How do you feel about Natal and Halo? Can the two work together? Let us know in the comments section below.