Natal patches for old games unlikely News
Xbox 360 News by Tom Bramwell
Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda has said that we're unlikely to see existing games patched to work with Project Natal.
The motion control system's energetic front-man told Destructoid that it involved significant alterations that would likely involve a complete re-release for any game that attempted it.
As at previous conventions, Microsoft showed Project Natal during the Tokyo Game Show using real games as well as technical demos, and in this case had mapped controller-free controls to Space Invaders Extreme and Beautiful Katamari.
Eurogamer's Ellie Gibson and Friend-of-Eurogamer Keza MacDonald were on hand to try this and said the Katamari controls were actually really good, although they did tell us this over Skype while dressed as a cucumber and a seashell.
The fact that old games won't work with Natal isn't the worst news in the world - of the demos we sampled and videoed at E3 and gamescom, for example, Burnout Paradise was weaker than the Natal-specific experiments and tools.
However, it does come on the back of Sony announcing a number of reworked games for its PS3 motion controller. Although Resident Evil 5: Director's Cut will be a new release, patches are expected for the likes of LittleBigPlanet, PAIN and Flower.
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Comments: 1-21 of 21 in total
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JohnnyWashnGo
28/09/09 @ 07:31
+1
Sounds obvious enough to not need stating to be honest, but its nice to know ;)
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Cpt_McOneball
28/09/09 @ 07:40
-1
Old games that were designed to be used with a controller were never going to work with without one.
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the_dudefather
28/09/09 @ 07:42
0
I wouldn't have imagine it to be that good for most games, but I was expecting something like this to be added to a few (burnout paradise for instance), it's something that's happening for sony's thing I guess which as I said before might not be that good for the games anyway
Stomping around like a giant toddler could have made gears of war 2 split screen co-op more interesting :)
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 28/09/09 @ 08:42
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designerheadache
28/09/09 @ 08:08
+4
and yet all the demos we have seen so far (aside from Milo, but thats a whole different thing) have been with existing games.
Can we see some demos of new games, or even concept stuff like sony were doing with the wand thingy majig. So we can get some idea of how it actually plays. |
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farticusmaximus
28/09/09 @ 08:49
+4
There are quite a few existing games that could benefit from Natal enhancement, and by that I mean worthwhile enhancements, enhancements that actually improve gameplay rather than just make the same game play in a slightly awkward manner.
FPS and racing games could get head tracking, RPG's could get drag-and-drop inventory management, RTS games could get map control and unit selection. Some of these are not huge developments either, and due to the image processing being done on the Natal hardware itself rather than having to dedicate processor time to the functions, it would lead to relatively lightweight title updates. However I would rather see development time being channeled into new titles for the Natal launch. The Minority Report style of interface for the dashboard, game menus and inventory will become the standard for the 360 and it's successor, and this needs to be implemented well from the start. Patching old games will simply divert resources from where they need to be, and lessen the impact of the Natal experience as a whole on launch. |
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donnie080208
28/09/09 @ 09:24
-5
I think this is a good idea,as NATALS true brilliance can only be shown in new games designed for it alone. I think natal will also sell the 360, just as a userinterface, with being able to log in, migrate the dashboard etc.. being all voice intergrated. I think how sonys WII type "wand" will work with existing games shows how far sony are behind msoft,and its more ambitious, headline grabbing motion controller.
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farticusmaximus
28/09/09 @ 09:45
0
"I think how sonys WII type "wand" will work with existing games shows how far sony are behind msoft,and its more ambitious, headline grabbing motion controller."
Well part of the problem is that we already know how a system with a wand-type device as it's primary controller already works. It's the Wii. How can that be marketed except 'it's just like the Wii, only a bit smutty looking!' We've never had a system with it's primary control system being a combination of traditional controller enhanced with motion sensing. The marketing potential is enormous, and as long as they show 'games for kids' and 'lifestyle applications' using no controller at all, alongside enhanced traditional controls then it's going to clean up on both hardcore and casual gaming sides of the fence. |
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0
@ designerheadache:
and yet all the demos we have seen so far (aside from Milo, but thats a whole different thing) have been with existing games. Can we see some demos of new games, or even concept stuff like sony were doing with the wand thingy majig. So we can get some idea of how it actually plays. Concept stuff here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2qlHoxPioM
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 28/09/09 @ 12:20
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+2
If the 360 interface were to use Natal, I wonder how it knows when you're interacting with it? For example, imagine you've just been playing a game and return to the dashboard, you might sit there and look at some achievements or your friends list. You might then have a drink, stand up, tidy up your living room a bit etc, is the dashboard going to completely spaz out and launch all manner of downloads and videos or will it know you're just doing stuff in the real world and not interacting with it any more?
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-2
Comparing Natal to the PS3 wand is like comparing Manchester United to Accrington Stanley
...and 'drag and drop inventory management' is a gameplay enhancement is it? You'd be quite happy to pay 40 quid for the same game but with drag and drop? Like I said, comparing Natal to a motion controller is ridiculous. Natal is a revolution is consumer hard/software. The wand is something that was quite new when the Wii launched.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 28/09/09 @ 14:45
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farticusmaximus
28/09/09 @ 14:02
0
"Comparing Natal to the PS3 wand is like comparing Manchester United to Accrington Stanley"
Knowing nothing about football myself, is this good or bad? Does one of the teams have the AIDS? "...and 'drag and drop inventory management' is a gameplay enhancement is it?" For consoles, yes. " You'd be quite happy to pay 40 quid for the same game but with drag and drop?" Nope, but given a choice between a version that does and a version that doesnt, I'd chose drag'n'drop. "Like I said, comparing Natal to a motion controller is ridiculous." Except for the part where it is a motion controller, obviously. "Natal is a revolution is consumer hard/software." It really isnt. It'll be very neat, enhance certain game types and make life a lot easier in things like the dashboard, strategy games and RPG's, but it won't change a huge amount about playing games in general.
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most recently on 28/09/09 @ 15:03
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Norfolk'n'Clue
28/09/09 @ 14:28
0
I've never understood one aspect of that demo... If the kid has his own skateboard, why is he playing on the xbox, and not outside on it?
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farticusmaximus
28/09/09 @ 14:33
0
@Norfolk'n'Clue
Shhhh, you'll wake the 'play guitar, not guitar hero' Nazis! |
Comments: 1-21 of 21 in total
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