Tecmo Koei concerned by motion-sensing tech

In an interview with GameSpot last month, Microsoft Game Studios head Phil Spencer said the developer's new motion-sensing technology would target all gaming audiences, claiming Project Natal "is about everybody." However, the president of fighter game conglomerate Tecmo Koei recently said he's concerned the technology is geared only for casual gamers.

Speaking with UK-based Computer and Video Games, Tecmo Koei president Kenji Matsubara said he doubts that motion-sensing controllers recently unveiled by Sony and Microsoft can reach the hardcore gaming market, saying the new technology is currently too underdeveloped to support the kind of fighting games that attracts gamers to his company.

"We are very excited about the future with Project Natal and Sony's motion controllers. At the same time, we have some concerns over the fact that we specialize in making action games, so we have to explore whether we can achieve real-time response from a controller-free system," he said. "We understand that, for casual gamers playing dance games or some sort of fishing game, this controller-free system can be popular. But for hardcore gamers who like actions games, we have to research and develop games that satisfy our core gamers."

The core gamer demographic is the focus of Tecmo Koei, which was formed by the merger of Japanese publishers Tecmo and Koei on April 1. Combined, the company has published many violent fighting and action series, including Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden (Tecmo), and Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors (Koei).

Microsoft's Project Natal and Sony's motion-sensing device were both unveiled at the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo. Both products enable users to communicate with a video game console through hand gestures. The Project Natal technology is also responsive to voice commands and facial expressions and is even able to sense emotions. Representatives at Sony and Microsoft could not be reached for an immediate response to Matsubara's comments.

Look below for a demo video of Project Natal.