Natal not targeting existing casual gamers

By Tom Bramwell Published 12 June, 2009

For homes where games "don't exist".

Microsoft's Shane Kim has said that Project Natal is designed to target the "60 per cent of households where a videogame console doesn't exist", rather than current casual gamers "or even PS2 people who haven't upgraded".

Speaking to Kotaku, Kim, who handles Microsoft's long-term console strategy, reiterated the E3 mantra that any controller is a barrier to entry for the sort of people the platform holder is trying to entice.

He also said that the arrival of the company's ambitious motion control system will be comparable to the arrival of the console itself in 2005.

That means making sure that there are really good games there from day one. "That's similar to how you would think of the launch of a new console. It's got to have a great launch line-up," he said. "That's the same thing here."

On the off chance you've been away for a couple of weeks, hello! And you can find out what all this Natal nonsense is about by reading the announcement report, our hands-on, and interviews with Peter Molyneux, engineer Alex Kipman and executive John Schappert.

Our main concern with Natal is: how do you throw the controller against the wall if you're not holding one?

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (24) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Freek #1 3 years ago

    In other words: the exact same audience the Wii is targeting, but lets pretend we're doing something different.

  • Beige_Alert #2 3 years ago

    So they're targetting poor people, old people and amish people? Everyone else will have bought a wii by the time Natal comes out.

  • MBar #3 3 years ago

    If this is the case, then say hello to fail, MS. Wii hoovered up all the people who were on the fence about buying a games console. The remaining 60% of people who don't own a games console don't want one, in any shape or form.

    Also: Stop your BS and just admit you want some of what Nintendo now have. Yes, you are that obvious.
    Edited by 1 at 12/06/09 @ 09:05

  • penhalion #4 3 years ago

    It's a silly quote to be sure. I as a dev would love to do a Natal game but, I'm not aiming it at a non existent audience. I'll aim it at people who are already out there gaming. If they get their act together and add Natal support to say the XNA framework, then they would also get a frak tonne of original games and ideas from that community.

    Sometimes you have to wonder if these blue sky future strategists even live on the same planet as the rest of us!

  • gringohairpiece #5 3 years ago

    @ Beige_Alert: ROFL

    I really don't understand what is wrong with them targetting the Wii market, after all it's what the Arcade was aimed at. Personally I've never been overly impressed with the Wii myself but I am genuinely excited at the potential that Natal has. OK it's not going to be suitable as the only control method (again the Wii motion controller demonstrates that issue very well) but the potential for games that are designed with it in mind is immense...Fight Night 4 Natal anybody?

  • Negotiator #6 3 years ago

    What he is saying is Natal transcends gaming, it is so much more, everyone will want this for pure next generation entertainment.
    Edited by 1 at 12/06/09 @ 09:24

  • poopmonster #7 3 years ago

    LoL, they're using the same speech Nintendo used when they first introduced the Wii remote.

    And everyone was laughing at them back then... talk about hypocrisy.

    I don't own a Wii myself but the past few years I've lost all repsect for both MS and Sony, they're as bad as one another. Is it just me, or is Nintendo the only one that shows any honour in all of this? Do you have to be Japanese to be honourable these days?

    Sigh.

  • Widge #8 3 years ago

    "For homes where games "don't exist"

    What a bleak and lonely phrase!

  • mcmonkeyplc #9 3 years ago

    Our main concern with Natal is: how do you throw the controller against the wall if you're not holding one?

    Thow yourself at the wall? After all you are the controller!

  • CaptianScarlet #10 3 years ago

    Sorry, I don't see anyone forking out for a 360 and the Camera. That's going to be outside the casual markets price range for sure. Sounds like someone has a bad case of the "need to justify my job by spouting some crap"!

  • kangarootoo #11 3 years ago

    And there was me foolishly worrying about how much this Natal camera would cost, and what sort of barrier that cost would present to getting a sufficiently large installed base, when in fact the cost barrier is also going to (if we are to believe this latest commentrary) to have to include the cvost of the console as well.

    Shows what I know.

  • kangarootoo #12 3 years ago

    ""For homes where games "don't exist"

    What a bleak and lonely phrase!"

    Hehe, nice one.

  • makeamazing #13 3 years ago

    A recent report said 60% of those who dont currently have broadband (or some stupidly high figure), wouldnt want it even if they were give a computer for free. To me this is part of the problem if this quote is to be believed. As those that dont have it a large proportion will not care about it.

    I dont for one minute believe the 60% who dont own a console wouldnt want one if it was free, but hopefully you see my point, by the time Natal comes out, most people who are going to buy a gaming device to see what its like will have already got a wii. There will only be a very small part of that audience who will want Natal, which XBox+Camera = more expensive (Wii could easily drop in price by then). I just dont see it.

    Dont know but they are trying to please everyone in one go, its futuristic look you can have long conversations with avatars and use it in complex games (hardcore), oh look you might get confused and cant use controllers (apparently there are people like that - though my 7 year old son has no problem at all).. oh wii users look its better than a wii remote.

    Its going to be interesting to see what the games are like, but the PR is certainly in full swing... never seen so many new news reports for a product that might be at least another year off.
    Edited by 1 at 13/06/09 @ 12:32

  • RexRunti #14 3 years ago

    On the price side I personally doubt (360 + Natal) < Wii. However, if I know Microsoft we will have (360 + Natal) < (Wii + Balance Board)

  • Bezzy #15 3 years ago

    The Natal IS a controller.

    It requires you to learn interface gestures. It's not a non-barrier to entry.


    FFFFFFFFffffffffffffff!

  • myiagros #16 3 years ago

    "Our main concern with Natal is: how do you throw the controller against the wall if you're not holding one?"

    kick the mother f**king camera instead!!

  • MORZTAN #17 3 years ago

    If they keep the name Natal, it will never ever catch on.

    @beige-Alert
    "So they're targetting poor people, old people and amish people? Everyone else will have bought a wii by the time Natal comes out. "

    All the old people already own Wii.

  • hiddenranbir #18 3 years ago

    Do those homes still exist? I'd have thought Nintendo got everywhere.

  • Skywise #19 3 years ago

    I'm sure the cool image of Microsoft is going to help them a lot in this new market ;-)

  • raion #20 3 years ago

    wait... are they targeting a console addon to people without the console itself...?

    "oooh, look at here! it says that in order to play any games we have to buy an xbox360 as well! that's why we can't make it work!"
    "what a rip off!"

  • jjolley #21 3 years ago

    Every time I read the "entry to barier" stuff, it makes me laugh. If a totally blind person can learn a controler, the buttons, what actions correspond to them etc, etc, anyone can. Pathetic!

  • zedzee #22 3 years ago

    Yes, but I'm sure if someone upgraded from a Nintendo or PS2, MS would not say "sorry, mate, it's really only for your grandma", will they?

    While I can appreciate they're targeting it at a certain audience, it doesn't and shouldn't be restricted in its reach, surely?!

    I'm also assuming that Natal is an add-on to an existing XBox360, right? I mean it doesn't work by itself, so those 'non-gamers', to try and pigeon-hole them, would need to buy and set-up the console as well, I presume?

    If so, then surely it's going to cost a great deal more than the Nintendo console and normally, you start by catering for your immediate/loyal market, as in this case they own the prerequisite to Natal, already sitting under their television sets!
    Edited by 3 at 12/06/09 @ 19:11

  • Ryze #23 3 years ago

    They'd better get the bloody marketing right, or they'll cock this right up.

    They also need to support something to hold on to, for some games, as the lack of a 'wand' controller will also ruin some potential applications.

    But yes - this thing has potential. Can't say I'm too excited until something concrete comes through the smoke and mirrors, though.

  • VMerken #24 3 years ago

    Microsoft's Shane Kim has said that Project Natal is designed to target the "60 per cent of households where a videogame console doesn't exist"

    Did someone just launch the USS Enterprise in Redmond? Is Microsoft boldly going where noone has gone before? And their technology works with all ethnicities? Oh my, the excitement.

    Frankly, I don't give a flying Federation fregate about input methods, just. Make. Good. Games.