project natal
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Rumor: Natal-compatible 'Sonic Free Riders' coming to XBLA [update: it's retail]
Update: Sega has announced that Sonic Free Riders is, in fact, a full retail title. On Sunday, June 13, Microsoft will host its Project Natal event -- you know, the gala event with Cirque du Soleil? We're betting we'll get details on launch price and date for Project Natal (not to mention its real name) there, but ahead of that event we've got some interesting news on an upcoming Natal title, care of our Joystiq Superspy™. We're told that Sega is preparing an Xbox Live Arcade game for Project Natal, titled Sonic Free Riders. As you may have guessed, it's a motion-compatible entry in Sega's racing series. Players will supposedly steer an on-screen avatar via bodily movement, and will acquire weapons by reaching out toward the screen, and attack other racers by motioning towards them. It all sounds very intuitive, but will it be fun? We'll let you know in a few weeks when we touch down in L.A. for E3 2010.
Project Natal retail unit revealed at D8?
Hey -- you know Microsoft's Project Natal? Well we've just gotten an up close look at what appears to be the retail version (though it's clearly marked a developer unit). We couldn't storm the stage while Walt and Kara (and her son!) were showing it off, but no one seemed to mind that we took a load of these shots for your perusal. Check out gallery below for more pics! %Gallery-94197%
Crave announces bowling for Natal
We're sorry if the above headline is misleading, but we feel we should inform you of two things. One, Crave has not announced a game show entitled "Bowling for Natal," so don't expect to see everyday schlubs competing for a Natal on daytime TV anytime soon. Two, what Crave has announced, according to Multiplayer, is a bowling game that will support Microsoft's Project Natal. More specifically, it's actually a Natal-ified version of Brunswick Pro Bowling, the PlayStation Move bowling title revealed earlier this year. While it was essentially inevitable that Natal would receive some kind of bowling game, we can't help but wonder how strange it will be to pretend to bowl without something to hold on to. If only there was some peripheral, something tangible we could use to enhance the experience. But wait, there is!
Project Natal to cost $149 by itself, $299 with 360 Arcade, according to latest rumors
Here we go with those trusted sources again. Edge has it on good authority that Microsoft's midlife rejuvenator for the Xbox 360, Project Natal, will cost a cool 149 bucks when purchased as a standalone accessory, or $100 when bundled together with the $199 Xbox 360 Arcade console. That's a mighty steep hill for early adopters to climb, but Microsoft did warn us that Natal will not be an impulse buy. An October 26 date is also proffered for the official launch, but that might shift, leaving us with the same window of expectation as before. Interestingly, the Natal name is expected to definitely change for the final retail product, which we should be learning a lot more about at E3 in a couple of weeks.
Rumor: Project Natal priced at $150; bundled with Arcade SKU for $300
If a report by Edge proves accurate (wait till E3), then Pachter's estimation that Project Natal will cost less than an average game is off. Instead, a source backed by Edge has alleged a $150 price point (with plenty of room to drop) for the forthcoming Xbox 360 motion tech camera -- or $300 when bundled with the Xbox 360 Arcade console. Additionally, the source has suggested an October 26 worldwide release -- give or take "a few weeks." Of course, both the rumored pricing and release date remain uncorroborated (we repeat: wait till E3). But, hey, that doesn't mean we can't have a bit of fun with the supposed intel. And by "fun," we mean, "host an online poll asking if you'd spend $150 on Project Natal" ... %Poll-47129%
Robbie Bach: Project Natal a 'midlife kicker' for Xbox 360, 'absolutely confident' Courier innovations will appear elsewhere
Now that the proverbial cat's out of the bag, Tech Flash has caught up with Robbie Bach about his impending retirement from Microsoft. In a far-reach interview, the former President of Entertainment & Devices Division says he made his ultimate decision just last Thursday, and that while he and also-gone J Allard "had been talking [Allard's] situation for awhile," the conversation never went both ways and the timing of the departures is "pure coincidence... serendipity." Bach further claims that it was his choice and was not asked to leave, and as for pundits who might've thought he was in line for one day taking the reins from CEO Steve Ballmer, Bach downplays that possibility and says he never had interest and such discussions never took place. But enough business talk, what about some of the projects Bach oversaw? There were a couple choice quotes we noted from the report. First up is Natal, a motion-sensing project that he views as a "midlife kicker for the [Xbox] 360." For those watching a calendar, that would give the console an approximately nine-year perceived lifespan on the corporate side -- from November 2005 to 2014. Of course, we could be reading too much into that, but we could certainly believe it. On the subject of Courier, Microsoft's now-cancelled internal tablet project, Bach is "absolutely confident... a bunch of that innovation will show up in Microsoft products." It's a stronger wording that what we originally read, and given just how excited we were watching that leaked video, we can only hope his prophecy is foretold. Do yourself a favor and take 15 minutes to read through the interview -- hey, you're welcome.
Microsoft's Robbie Bach and J Allard leaving as part of broader shakeup; Xbox and Windows Phone teams now reporting directly to Ballmer
Well, it looks like the rumors were true. Not only is Microsoft's J Allard now officially leaving the company, but so is Robbie Bach, President of Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices Division, amid what's described as a broader restructuring that will effectively dissolve the division and give CEO Steve Ballmer more direct oversight of Microsoft's consumer initiatives like Xbox and Windows Phone as of July. Contrary to earlier reports, Allard says that he's not leaving due to the cancellation of the Courier, but instead says that after nineteen years with the company, he simply wants to devote more time to his personal interests, "particularly adventure sports." Allard also insists that he won't be moving on to Apple, Google or any other Microsoft rivals -- in fact, he's staying on as an advisor to Steve Ballmer. Robbie Bach's departure is equally curious -- despite being just 48, his move is being described as a "retirement," and he says that the decision was his own and that he wasn't encouraged to leave. He'll also apparently remain with Microsoft through the fall to aid in the transition. When all's said and done, mobile communications VP Andy Lees and interactive entertainment head Don Mattrick will each separately report to Ballmer -- both have headed their divisions for some time now, so we'd assume that things will otherwise proceed as planned. Still, the loss of talent at the top is certainly noticeable -- we'll see how Microsoft responds now that Ballmer is firmly driving its mobile and gaming efforts. We've got Ballmer's full letter to the company and Microsoft's official PR after the break, so take a peek. Update: Mary Jo Foley has J Allard's parting email to his employees.
Ubisoft remains refocused on Xbox 360, PS3 in new year
In January, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot told investors that the company would "refocus"' its development efforts on Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2010, with particular emphasis on iterating its major franchises on the HD consoles. Today, as Ubisoft reported its earnings (actually, losses) for the fiscal year ending March 31, the company remained committed to the ongoing strategy outlined earlier this year. "We will have more 360 [and] PS3 revenue this [fiscal] year than we had last year," Guillemot said during an investor call today. "The big franchises -- seven of the eight franchises -- will be on 360; and six will be on PS3. And we will have around six or seven on the Wii." CFO Alain Martinez put last fiscal year's combined sales from PS3 and Xbox 360 software at "about 45 percent" of revenue for the publisher, adding, "I wouldn't be surprised if we are over 50 percent on these two platforms" at the end of the current fiscal year (April 2010 – March 2011). Martinez noted that Wii software sales accounted for "about 26 percent" of revenue in the last fiscal year and hopes sales to be close to that percentage again this fiscal year. In total, Ubisoft is looking to draw "about 77 percent" of its revenue from the three console platforms over the next four quarters.
Ubisoft reports $76.2 million operating loss in fiscal year 2009-10
Ubisoft today released its financial earnings report to investors for fiscal year 2009-10 (ending March 31), reporting sales of €871 million ($1.1 billion) with an operating loss of €60 million ($76.2 million). CEO Yves Guillemot softened investor reaction by saying: "The global economic crisis had a pronounced impact on the video game industry in 2009, which contracted by nearly 10 percent year-on-year. Ubisoft's sales were hit particularly hard, falling 18 percent over the full year despite a stabilization in the second half of the year." Ubi's Q4 sales were up 1.9 percent year-over-year to €210 million ($266.7 million), outpacing internal guidance by €10 million ($12.7 million). The company says the inflated numbers are due partially to "a strong increase in sales of Just Dance," the "ongoing exceptional performance delivered by Assassin's Creed 2 which sold-in nearly 9 million units during the year," and higher-than-expected sales of both Red Steel 2 and Avatar. And Guillemot predicts a sunnier 2010-11. "We forecast a return to profitable growth in 2010-11 with positive cash flow generation, driven by a games line-up that is more closely tailored to growth segments based on strong franchises." He also notes his excitement for new technology driving increased sales, saying, "Lastly, the upcoming launches of new consoles, including Natal and Sony Move, should enable us to capitalize on the technology investments that we have undertaken in recent years and re-energize the casual games segment." Source -- Ubisoft FY2009-10 Sales & Earnings Report (warning: PDF link)
Capcom president on E3 2010, new motion controllers
Speaking to the Financial Times (registration required) Capcom president Haruhiro Tsujimoto declared that the success of Microsoft and Sony's upcoming Natal and Move motion controllers depends on sound planning. "If there isn't a strong business model message from the platform holders about how they will develop [motion controllers] with users," said Tsujimoto, "then I don't think it will go well." In other words, Tsujimoto places the onus of success on the manufacturers of the motion controllers, and not necessarily on the games that will be created for them. Tsujimoto also took time to reiterate Capcom's stance on overseas game developers, noting that the company will use them for sequels to established products. Regarding E3, Tsujimoto discussed a shift in the gaming industry toward downloadable titles, devices like the iPad and social networks. He added that Capcom will be heavily pursuing downloadable titles, the iPad and Facebook. As for the likely star of Nintendo's E3 showings, the 3DS, Tsujimoto said he is "interested" to see what the device does "apart from 3D."
Divnich makes E3 predictions, expo to be 'inflection point' for game industry
In his latest Divnich Debrief column at IndustryGamers, EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich has made some predictions for E3 2010. Divnich sees this year's expo as a pivotal one for the industry, noting that new technologies like PlayStation Move, Project Natal and the 3DS must make a big splash. Otherwise, says Divnich, we may see industry funding driven toward sectors like MMOs and social gaming. Divnich sees the expo as an "inflection point" in gaming history, saying, "Either E3 2010 acts as a positive catalyst and boosts industry confidence, or it reinforces the negative notions about the long-term viability of traditional gaming." Divnich makes a few predictions about the show, notably that Rockstar may reveal Grand Theft Auto 5, though it won't announce any hard street date if it does. Divnich believes, however, that you can expect a new teaser for Agent. Nintendo, meanwhile, will announce the official name of the 3DS and announce plans to launch the device in "at least two regions" this November. He also expects the unit will sell 5 million units by March 2011. Furthermore, Nintendo may finally show off its Vitality Sensor in more detail. Beyond that, the show will likely revolve around Move, Project Natal and the 3DS. "Whatever the outcome or your own personal opinion, one thing is for certain," says Divnich, "E3 2010 is a must attend event for anyone with any vested interest in the video game space."
Microsoft's E3 Project Natal event to feature Cirque du Soleil performance
Though Microsoft has already announced it will be doubling up on this year's helping of E3 media showings, we received word this morning that Sunday evening's Project Natal event will feature a "spectacular live performance imagined by Cirque du Soleil." The June 13 event had only been scantly detailed since we first got our invites back in March -- luckily, we always anticipated some kind of media circus. We also expect to see that "full lineup" of Natal titles that Microsoft promised -- only, you know, with super-bendy acrobatic performers outclassing Microsoft execs at stage demonstrations.
Natal's worldwide October launch apparently outed by MS Saudi 'vendor' [update]
In an interview on Saudi television, the marketing manager for Microsoft's entertainment and devices division for the region revealed Project Natal's launch window: October 2010. GamerTagRadio has the clip of Microsoft's Syed Bilal Tariq saying, "We will be in a position to confirm the date after E3, which is in June. But definitely it is going to be October 2010 and we will have it in Saudi Arabia for sure." The last official word we'd heard about the all-seeing, motion-tracking peripheral's launch date was "holiday season 2010." With E3 a little over a month away, we're expecting to learn specific dates soon -- likely at Natal's standalone press conference. Update: G4 reports that according to Microsoft, "Syed Bilal Tariq is not a [Microsoft] employee ... He is a vendor employed through a third-party company on behalf of the Microsoft subsidiary in Saudi Arabia." The company also wouldn't comment on the alleged October launch window. [Via Edge]
Microsoft confirms Natal launch in October (update: Microsoft responds)
We've heard it before, now Microsoft's Syed Bilal Tariq is repeating the October launch date for Natal. Speaking to GamerTagRadio, Microsoft's marketing manager for Saudi Arabia says that the Natal launch, "is going to be somewhere in October and we will be in a position to confirm the date at E3, which is in June, but definitely it is going to be October 2010." So there you have it. While we'd prefer to see an official press release on the topic, there's little reason to doubt what you can hear for yourselves after the break. Update: It's not as clear-cut of a statement as we'd probably, but Microsoft has responded via email, telling G4, "Syed Bilal Tariq is not a [Microsoft] employee... He is a vendor employed through a third-party company on behalf of the Microsoft subsidiary in Saudi Arabia." Sure, that downplays his realm of knowledge, but it doesn't completely discredit. No comment was given as to the October date. At least E3's a few hours closer now, right?
Minority Report UI designer John Underkoffler talks about the future of gestures
Unless you're an engineer who designs cutting-edge user interfaces, you've probably never heard the name John Underkoffler before ... but you've definitely seen his work. Remember the computer Tom Cruise uses by waving his hands around in Minority Report? He designed that. And it wasn't just faked together for the movie, Underkoffler had a working prototype at MIT before that, and now he's designed a version that you can actually purchase. Underkoffler now serves as the Chief Scientist at Oblong Industries, and we spoke with him recently in connection with the now-on-Blu-ray Minority Report, and he talked extensively about the future of computing, how video games are driving technology forward, what in the hell the game Tempest is all about, and why it's time for the mouse to die. Read on after the break for the full interview.
THQ CEO: Move & Natal games shouldn't be ports
During an earnings conference call today, THQ CEO Brian Farrell told investors and press not to expect the publisher to release ports of its existing games for Project Natal or PlayStation Move. "What you will not see is porting of games to Natal, or I don't think you should see that," he said. "I think they should be specific, standalone game experiences that exploit that very new and significant technology. And the Move is the same way: You've got to do something unique and not just an add-on with respect to that platform." Later in the call, however, Farrell did not entirely rule out ports of Wii games for PlayStation Move. When asked about the possibility of "Moving" games like De Blob (future iterations of which have been confirmed as multiplatform), Farrell said that THQ would "take advantage where we can in terms of development environments [and] take advantage of technology we already have," though he noted that because of the HD capabilities of the Xbox 360 and PS3, "just porting over those assets doesn't work." We'll see what THQ is developing with the new technologies next month, as Farrell said, "you'll like what we show at E3." Even without porting, Farrell said that development costs for Natal and Move games were lower than on traditional games, "because, again, it's not about the technology, but it's about the gameplay." The big draw for Natal titles, he said, is the "interaction with digital objects." Farrell even alluded to passing the savings on to the consumer, rather than defaulting to a $60 retail price for future HD motion games published by THQ. He said that the company is "still deliberating internally on that" and "may not even announce those launch prices until much closer to the launch" of the games.
Sega to reveal Natal, Move projects at E3 suited for 'PS2 type' audience
Last September, Sega promised to clue the world into its plans for Project Natal and PlayStation Move in early 2010. Actually, back then, we were still calling it the PlayStation Motion Controller. Oh, so young and naive! Now that we and Sega are both a few months older and wiser, the latter's plans have been pushed back a bit -- in a recent interview with IndustryGamers, Sega West president Mike Hayes explained that the company's Natal and Move plans would be revealed at E3 2010. Though we haven't heard much about Sega's feelings on the upcoming wave of new motion control technology, Hayes explained the company is excited about "the fact that Move and Natal will bring in more of what I'd call the PS2 type of consumer for those platforms, which then suits very much the IP that Sega has." We've hypothesized that the PS2 IP he's referring to is the already motion-infused Sega Super Stars (pictured above) -- in our heart of hearts, though, we're secretly hoping for a motion-controlled Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future.
Rumor: Natal test kit photos reveal 'motorized tilt mechanism,' power cord
Motion camera meta-voyeurism news now, with an alleged Project Natal test kit capturing every movement of a man ... taking pictures of it. According to Italian gaming site Multiplayer.it, the photos originate from a tester, who was tasked with having an unreciprocated conversation with the Xbox 360 peripheral in order to test its speech recognition capabilities. The surprisingly cheerful documentation included with the supposed test kit explicitly warns against tilting the camera manually, as it's already equipped with a "motorized tilt mechanism" -- all the better to see you with, my dear. The "Quick Start Guide" also shows how the early model of the camera connects to an Xbox 360 development kit via USB and a power outlet via a split cable. It's not known how representative these photos are of early Project Natal development kits, nor how much of it will change by the time the final product arrives this holiday. Microsoft did not comment on the veracity of the images, with a representative telling Joystiq: "We announced earlier this year that Project Natal will launch this holiday, and our teams are working hard to bring the best experiences to life. We have nothing further to announce at this time." [Via Engadget]
Project Natal spotted in the wild, user manual and all?
My, how you've grown. Since the day we learned that PrimeSense was behind Microsoft's Project Natal, we've been under the impression that the 3D camera hardware would be a cute little face with three eyes. So why are we staring at another hammerhead shark? Perhaps because this latest leak isn't real -- or perhaps because Microsoft hasn't nailed down (or rightly doesn't trust testers with) the final hardware. Either way, Multiplayer.it has a host of pictures of an alleged Natal test kit, complete with user manual, and if their sources are legit, it seems Natal will have a motorized tilt function and require additional power (via wall wart) as a result. The better to track your body with, we suppose. See more pics at our source link. [Thanks, Skipper]
Natal game 'River Rush' revealed by film writer James Gunn
What is Project Natal's "River Rush" game, you ask? Well, it sounds an awful lot like Wii Sports Resort's canoe-paddling game, albeit minus the whole "physical controller" thing. Hollywood writer James Gunn (Dawn of the Dead, Slither) got to demo the game at a media preview held by Microsoft recently in Los Angeles, where the company was showing off its latest consumer offerings -- from Project Natal to the Courier to Halo: Reach (Gunn says he "was slaughtered instantly and numerous times by the Microsoft employees playing when they're supposed to be working" of Reach) -- and couldn't help but share his feelings about the experience with the world via his blog. Gunn describes River Rush as "a game where you stand side by side in a river raft, so it's two people playing at once ... to move right, you have to step right; to move left, you have to step left." The game also features a jumping mechanic that, as you might guess, involves players actually leaping into the air. "As you rush down right rapids, you have to jump up and slap floating stars in the air -- the whole raft jumps up every time you do." You'll forgive our reticence, but it only takes one life lesson to learn that jumping into the air blindly near friends and expensive technology almost always results in bad memories. We've asked Microsoft for more information, but the chances of that before the company's E3 press event are about as likely as us going upstream without a paddle. [Thanks, Jonathan Dixon]
