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No Halo Natal "until it makes sense" - Microsoft

Halo 3: ODST producer Alex Cutting says flagship franchise won't incorporate Xbox 360 motion sensor anytime soon, but feels tech can work with shooters.

At the Electronic Entertainment Expo, Microsoft Game Studios head Phil Spencer revealed that the developers of the Xbox 360's biggest shooters--Epic Games (Gears of War) and Bungie (Halo 3)--were already experimenting with Project Natal. Now, another MGS employee is warning the public not to expect the latter franchise to immediately incorporate the camera-based motion-sensing technology when it launches next year.

Don't expect any Natal-ized Halo games next year.

Don't expect any Natal-ized Halo games next year.

"A lot of people are interested in what Natal's presence in Halo's going to be," Halo 3: ODST producer Alex Cutting told Videogamer.com. "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."

However, sticking to the Microsoft company line, Cutting also said that Natal could be used for virtually every game genre. "I think FPS, there's a lot to be said for dual stick control," he elaborated. "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 form one control scheme to another. I'm not going to bet against Natal. It's a powerful technology."

Cutting's comments are similar to those made in July by Epic design director Cliff Bleszinski. Speaking with British magazine Develop, the industry wunderkind said that "it's likely that the classic control interface is what Epic will be working on in the foreseeable future." He went on to say that a hybrid of camera-based motion-sensing and traditional controls could be compelling. Ironically, Microsoft rival Sony is preparing to launch such a system next spring that combines the PlayStation Eye camera and controls with light-emitting diodes.

164 Comments

  • Aero12lida

    Posted Oct 8, 2009 8:53 am GMT

    no nice

  • pendal18

    Posted Sep 14, 2009 2:51 pm GMT

    natal is BS final answer

  • brendanhunt1

    Posted Sep 14, 2009 10:21 am GMT

    timesplitters FTW

  • richioso

    Posted Sep 14, 2009 4:59 am GMT

    How can this nob attribute dual stick fps controls to Halo, he doesn't remember timesplitters?

    (not sayin' that timesplitters was the first, or the best, but come on)

  • danthegamer32

    Posted Sep 13, 2009 2:19 pm GMT

    The best thing Natal can do is the facial recognition and interation like in Lionhead's showcase.

  • ToddtheT1000 posted Sep 13, 2009 11:00 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    ToddtheT1000

    Posted Sep 13, 2009 11:00 am GMT (hide)

    FPS should be confined solely to its home on the PC. Sure, Halo, Timesplitters et al. have managed it with some success but they are just. not. as. responsive. as. keyboard and mouse. Fact.

    I honestly don't see how Natal can help either. Turning around will still require you to have a controller of some sort, and how are you going to deal with pulling a trigger? I sense Ninty suing MS before long because MS'll want to use a remote trigger to be carried (it would basically a modern lightgun game with more freedom of movement) to overcome that problem.

    I can see the advantages, but...ah well. Wait and see. Who knows? I might be wrong. All us doubters might be wrong. Then again, the Wii and Daikatana give us reason to maintain healthy skepticism about attempted genre-breaking developments like this.

  • TJORLY

    Posted Sep 13, 2009 8:46 am GMT

    Hopefully this Natal BS is never implemented with Halo. If wanted to play a game by waving my arms around like a spastic ape, I'd go and buy a Wii.

    Devs dont seem to realise that people like to play using a controller.

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Sep 13, 2009 6:56 am GMT

    I remember when I watched M$s conference when they unveiled Natal, and I was blown away by the freedom it presented. However, now that I have had a chance to consider its uses, it is actually creating new limitations whilst removing others. Almost every type of conventional game will be almost impossible to play (imagine playing Gears of War 3 using just your body) whereas a very basic game like table tennis would become even more immersing. It is a double edged sword it seems. Still, developers are quite clever so I am sure they will find a way past these criticisms.

  • masterman280

    Posted Sep 13, 2009 2:10 am GMT

    natal anit as good as people say it is

  • Link_Deity

    Posted Sep 12, 2009 3:00 pm GMT

    Natal is certainly a really cool concept, but sadly using your finger as a gun, would be ridiculous, I really don't think FPS will benefit form Natal. The thing that makes me dumbfounded is the fact that how would you make your character run WITHOUT AN ANALOG STICK!!! If you had to move yourself to move the character, what do you do once you do a 180 degree turn?! Again is a great concept, but with no analog stick, I don't believe FPS can benefit from this technology.

  • BladeTrinity114

    Posted Sep 12, 2009 11:58 am GMT

    I don't think Natal should be raved about. Then again I am not saying it isn't going to work. I just think that people need to stop raving about it when it might not be as good as people are expecting..

  • Sonicplys

    Posted Sep 12, 2009 11:38 am GMT

    Natal is going to be the biggest video game failure since R.O.B. the robot and the power glove. Everyone ready to point and laugh at M$.

  • Inconnux

    Posted Sep 12, 2009 10:27 am GMT

    The dual controller still isn't close to the precision of a keyboard/mouse... Natal would be an excellent addition to any FPS.

  • cockneyscouse

    Posted Sep 12, 2009 8:14 am GMT

    Have a read of the Wiki entry Avenger.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Natal

    It's not a camera, but a collection of, it is able to differentiate all of your fingers.

  • Avenger1324

    Posted Sep 12, 2009 8:07 am GMT

    someone tell me how a camera control with no buttons can deal with pulling a trigger on a gun for an FPS.

    Sure you can use a bow and arrow, or throw an object because those have large physical movements easy to detect. But a small movement of a finger on a trigger is not going to be detected.

    The motion detecting has to massively improved from the likes of the Live Vision camera, as that struggles to pick up full body movements from the background.

  • brendanhunt1

    Posted Sep 12, 2009 7:50 am GMT

    "natal would monitor your head movements allowing the players head to move indipendantly for looking around"

    but you will always be looking at the tv

  • FF_fan2004

    Posted Sep 12, 2009 5:36 am GMT

    Controllers exist for a reason, to be able to play games like Halo, Gears of War, Mass Effect etc. Without physical feedback, motion controls are unimmersive.

    But it would be quite interesting to see how you would be able to shoot, throw grenades ad melee on Natal. I'm more curios to know just how they will be able to program it to sense ones' need to be able to turn around and/or look up/down when you want to shoot something out of your normal line of sight.

  • kamizuka

    Posted Sep 12, 2009 4:19 am GMT

    good i love halo for the multiplayer FPs and it is gnna be weird on natal, and the natal thing is not gnna be that great i mean look at the Wii, the controllers is for hardcore and awesome games but the natal is fun for a few mounths then ends up like a Wii

  • shenron43

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 8:55 pm GMT

    That sounds good to me. They should wait until they get to play around with it more before they just throw it into their games.

  • NoLifeGamin

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 7:01 pm GMT

    meh, i prefer the motion sensing used with the PS3 eyetoy(when its launched) since its a nice balance between conventional and motion-sensing controls...... but i think project natal is awesome! being to pull off some of the crazy stuff you see in sci-fi movies just ALMOST makes me want to buy a 360!, and if it actually works well, then i WILL going to abandon all my years of Sony fanboyism just for this =D until then.....we'll see....

  • alexbartle

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 6:26 pm GMT

    natal could be used quite nicely to allow free head movement. the game would still be played on the controller but natal would monitor your head movements allowing the players head to move indipendantly for looking around, or for cockpit views in driving games, much like track ir tech on the pc

  • otanikun

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 5:32 pm GMT

    Actually it makes alot of sense, anybody seen Gamer? It'd be like that, but without the real people thingy; seriously this would be quite awesome, they just don't want to spend the time revamping old Halo titles for the new software.

  • FF_fan2004

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 4:14 pm GMT

    @iilsSueZ

    Tell me about it! That what you get when your ancestors desert a common sense, liberal country like ours. Sacrificing good sense of humour, proper binge drinking and page 3s.

  • FF_fan2004

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 3:50 pm GMT

    @iilsSuez

    Yes, you have guess correctly. I am actually from Wales (part of Britain). My sarcasm does need a lot of refining to be fair, people are taking it too seriously though. I love reading peoples comments and imagining their faces when they read my comments.

  • iiIsSueZ

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 3:46 pm GMT

    @FF fan2004

    Thumbs up from me for the comedy. You must surely be British with that level of sarcasm.

  • FF_fan2004

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 3:42 pm GMT

    But to be fair, with motion sensing, my arms will drop after so long. It dropped when playing guitar hero, house of the dead overkill and it will definitely drop if it does come out in Halo form. Time for me to duct tape bags of frozen peas on my arms.

  • FF_fan2004

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 3:40 pm GMT

    @lamprey263

    I apologise, none of you didn't know that actually, I'm a woman. I resent the crackhead comment. It's actually the time of the month for me, if some of you probably have enough testosterone to not realise to understand. And I'm trying to manage that pain, so it's not easy.

    Also most of the comments I have are actually pure and utter sarcasm, and I actually take great pleasure in seeing a lot of thumb down on comments I make simply because I found it amusing.

  • lamprey263

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 3:29 pm GMT

    @FF_fan2004

    maybe if you weren't trolling for a fight and actually read my comment you might have noticed I was only joking, and yeah (only because you mention it) I do doubt that you work out because people who do tend to be easy going with the endorphins they produce, you obviously don't as you've displayed you have the temperment of a jonesing crackhead

  • iiIsSueZ

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 3:17 pm GMT

    Jeez. There are some over-exaggorating drama queens on this board today. It's a freakin game system they're developing, not an alternative to running the London Marathon. People need to calm down. The fat people will still get their joy.

  • Oxymandias

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 3:09 pm GMT

    Wow somebody being honest... Do I think that Natal is a fantastic technology.. yes. do I think it can be applied to all games.. nope.

    Oink

  • FF_fan2004

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 2:45 pm GMT

    @lamprey263

    If you want exercise, GO TO THE GYM you lazy b@#%£r! Waving your arms about is NOT exercise! Oh and don't say anything, I actually do go to the gym and spend 2 hours on the bike, treadmill, cross trainer and resistance. And I feel great about it! And after long hours of serving awkward customers and working out, I for one would actually prefer to sit back on a comfy sofa, relax, with a bottle of red wine, and a controller in hand, playing Halo with my friends.

  • bleughyface888

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 2:19 pm GMT

    i am a 360 fanboi ... and i think that the ps3 motion control will be much, much better than natal

  • melty3219

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 2:19 pm GMT

    haha dreamcast failed hard! haha suck it Sega/sonic fanbois Xbox 360, PS3 and WII are the furture!

  • BlueChecker

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 2:18 pm GMT

    I'm trying my hardest to think of something practical that NATAL could be used for in Halo (other than voice commands to NPCs). I thought about throwing grenades, but that would just get annoying.

  • AirBizkit89

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 1:58 pm GMT

    Oh this is great Now when I hear those pu.... talk sh.. I can beat their a.. 4 real now. the controller wont work on people who know who ta throw down lol ... to all the fat kids who spent their days learning the d pad hahahahaha n joy stick... now ur gonna be fat and suck at games lol

  • gladin09

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 12:55 pm GMT

    With the phiscal movements i dont think ill be doin my 15 hour streaks :s
    best get excercisin for some natal games cus only the fitist and fastest will win ^^

  • lamprey263

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 12:46 pm GMT

    it would be a lot of effort trying to teabag people on ODST multiplayer using Natal... might be some good exercise too

  • secretgamer666

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 11:13 am GMT

    natal should be added as a optional feature for games, as i like motion sensing but i prefer 360s current controller as the current controller can give several fun gameplay features, but natal can only have gameplay that will only work for your physical abilities.

  • penpusher

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 11:12 am GMT

    I think natal could be a very good thing for the 360, the wii has already proven that motin sensing controls (when done right) are the most fun way to play a game.

    Though glad to hear bungie wont be using it just for the sake of using it since the wii has also proven that motion sensing for the sake of the gimmick can destroy a game

  • RedCoat99

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 10:28 am GMT

    If I want to play motion sensor games I will get a wii

  • brendanhunt1

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 10:02 am GMT

    "No Halo Natal until it makes sense"
    in the year 2020

  • eid93

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 9:58 am GMT

    looks soooooo goood : )

  • lightwarrior179

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 9:57 am GMT

    I think it's smart for them not to experiment anything as important as Halo with Natal too soon. They should take their time.

  • FF_fan2004

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 9:41 am GMT

    In all fairness, motion tracking would most likely to have improved over the course of decades by now. I mean look at at the nintendo power glove. Thank God it never came to Britain, but after seeing Angry Video Game Nerd's review of it. Nowadays I think it has potential but you need some other games for it. But I'm not sorry for agreeing with Charlie Brooker's criticism on it. Anyone who's over 25 and working just wouldn't go buy it. I know a friend of mine certainly wouldn't either, since he's over that age and working. I asked him, he thought it was just plain daft.

  • alrehani

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 9:34 am GMT

    It sounds interesting, if not necessarily water tight. Motion control doesn't exactly have a great track record, but I think it's a little premature to be either writing it off or to be proclaiming it as the true future of gaming. Essentially, I'm more than prepared to wait, because I don't feel that we should have any rock-hard assumptions about how this will play out. I'm sure I'll give it a go once it's released, though.

  • FF_fan2004

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 9:22 am GMT

    This is just my opinion, smalltime cumudgeons like myself aren't going to reduce employees at Project Natal to tears.

  • FF_fan2004

    Posted Sep 11, 2009 9:09 am GMT

    @red-orc, and everyone reading this

    check out Charlie Brooker Project Natal on youtube. He made a criticism on Project Natal, and I agree with him.

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