THQ Already Toying Around With Natal

Keane Ng

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THQ Already Toying Around With Natal



Natal development kits seem to be in the hands of developers already: THQ's developers have been trying to get their heads around the new device for weeks now.

Microsoft's Natal is out in the wild and in the hands of game makers already. Speaking to G4 [http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/696913/THQs-Experimenting-With-Natal-Doesnt-Have-Sony-Kits-Yet-Making-A-Peripheral-Game.html], THQ revealed that they've been toying around with the device for some time now.

"I don't know long we've had them...four, six weeks, however long they've been available," THQ CEO Brian Farrell said. "I'm not at liberty to talk about exactly what we're doing, but kind of like when we first got the Wii kits, some key development people are going, 'okay, what can we do that's really cool here?' So, stay tuned."

Development on Wii has obviously turned toward more casual-oriented fare, and Microsoft seems to be setting Natal down that path, but THQ isn't totally sure they'll be taking Natal that way.

"We're obviously looking at [both core and casual games]," Farrell said. "Our initial take is that it does seem to be more broad, the idea that you're getting new gamers or lapsed gamers away from complex controls, but I don't want to rule out doing something for core because we've got some ideas along that line."

The company also has some ideas for peripheral-based gaming of its own: THQ is planning some sort of peripherally-oriented title for the future. "What we know is input devices matter now, whether it's new controllers, control mechanisms, things like Guitar Hero and Rock Band," Farrell said. "We have a very interesting peripheral idea we'll be rolling out later, so I'm not prepared to talk about it now."

More $120 peripheral bundles [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/92518-Retailers-List-DJ-Hero-at-120]? Sign me up!


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Jamash

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Jun 25, 2008
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I'm hoping for a THQ-Relic Warhammer 40K squad based combat game.

It would play a bit like a rail shooter, in which you play a Commissar or another officer in the Imperial Guard, and you follow your squad around, giving them orders, with 'choppy hand signals' and other funny gestures you see in war films, or by shouting orders and inspirational "For The Emperor!" type phrases.

You could also fire your Bolt or Las Pistol at the enemy by making a gun shape with your hand, pointing it at the screen and shouting "pew-pew-pew" (or "dakka-dakka-dakka" for bigger guns).

You could also use this gesture to enforce discipline by executing the squad member with the lowest morale.

Every so often you could be engaged in 1-on-1 combat with an enemy, at which point you wave you arm around making chainsaw noises.

If a game on Natal could capture and recreate the childhood fun of running around the playground, making machine gun noises and doing grenade throwing impressions, then it would be a best seller.
 

Eric the Orange

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Apr 29, 2008
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If Sony and Microsoft want a peice of the gimmik pie than more power to them. I just hope it doesn't turn out like nintendo where every game seems to be obligated to shoehorn in the gimmik or be built around it.
 

HardRockSamurai

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Zeeky_Santos said:
HardRockSamurai said:
THQ? Oh well, at least it's not EA; they'd just release football games all year long..........
too bad it doesn't have a system to make people really feel the damage, Tekken would suck for the loser. K.O.!
That can easily be fixed. Just play a local game with a friend, and stand a few inches apart facing each other.
 

Therumancer

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Nov 28, 2007
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Hmmm, well unless games come out that use Natal which I *MUST* play (some kind of RPG or action RPG) I'm likely not to care.

Truthfully I think the whole thing is fueled by the mania that has transpired to obtain things like the Wiifit balance boards and such. We're in an era of gimmicks, and like the "Virtual Boy" and "Power Glove" I expect them to die out.

I'd *MUCH* rather see them pumping that money/development into you know, making awesome games, rather than tools which may or may not lead to awesome games.

Considering that I'm probably not alone in that I'd have to redo my whole gaming area to use something like this to begin with, the appeal just isn't there. It's really hard to get excited.

>>>----Therumancer--->
 

theultimateend

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MacDonaldFin said:
Natal's going to burn if THQ makes their usual crap on it, may god have mercy on Natal's future.
Do you remember when THQ made awesome games? The wrestling games on N64 were pretty damn amazing :).

I'd be interested in seeing NATAL used for porn. It would be hilariously bad.
 

Credge

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Apr 12, 2008
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"I'm not at liberty to talk about exactly what we're doing, but kind of like when we first got the Wii kits, some key development people are going, 'okay, what can we do that's really cool here?'

Oh yeah, I remember that really cool Wii game you guys put out. That was really cool.

That one.

That never came out.

Sigh. I want to see stuff like this succeed, but without an input device it just won't work.

In related news: A peripheral for a peripheral? How retarded.
 

Iampringles

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Dec 13, 2008
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HardRockSamurai said:
Zeeky_Santos said:
HardRockSamurai said:
THQ? Oh well, at least it's not EA; they'd just release football games all year long..........
too bad it doesn't have a system to make people really feel the damage, Tekken would suck for the loser. K.O.!
That can easily be fixed. Just play a local game with a friend, and stand a few inches apart facing each other.
Yeah, you might aswell just turn the xbox off then. :)
 

BehattedWanderer

Fell off the Alligator.
Jun 24, 2009
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Jamash said:
I'm hoping for a THQ-Relic Warhammer 40K squad based combat game.

It would play a bit like a rail shooter, in which you play a Commissar or another officer in the Imperial Guard, and you follow your squad around, giving them orders, with 'choppy hand signals' and other funny gestures you see in war films, or by shouting orders and inspirational "For The Emperor!" type phrases.

You could also fire your Bolt or Las Pistol at the enemy by making a gun shape with your hand, pointing it at the screen and shouting "pew-pew-pew" (or "dakka-dakka-dakka" for bigger guns).

You could also use this gesture to enforce discipline by executing the squad member with the lowest morale.

Every so often you could be engaged in 1-on-1 combat with an enemy, at which point you wave you arm around making chainsaw noises.

If a game on Natal could capture and recreate the childhood fun of running around the playground, making machine gun noises and doing grenade throwing impressions, then it would be a best seller.
You, sir, are a genius. If natal was capable of even half of that, then it would be the most amazing and fundamental peripheral to any, re, Every gaming system ever. It's sales would be the baseline for millionairedom, and everyone who has even the vaguest inkling of fun would be daft to not participate.

Oh, and I like the part about disciplining the dude with the lowest morale--straight from Blackbeard's philosophy--
"The Floggings shall continue until Morale improves".

Just think of using a shotgun against a horde of zombies in that version of Natal. Make the sound, reload the barrel, thumb in new shells, all with their accompanied sounds. Oh, what fun!
 

Sixties Spidey

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Jan 24, 2008
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HELLOOOOO NATAL SHOVELWARE!

In all seriousness though, they might put out a Smackdown game for Natal, that'd be pretty interesting...
 

undeadfly

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Jun 23, 2009
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What exactly made Microsoft look at Nintendo's sales numbers and decide that they needed to copy them? The wii has carved out a niche for itself for casual gamers, little kids, and soccer moms who want to be cool in front of said kids. Plus, the bloody thing doesnt freaking work! seriously the most absolutely frustating game ive ever played in my entire life is Wii Sports.

Xbox has better graphics, better games, better online capability, and to be honest, better controllers. Aside from being able to control a game by jacking off the wii remote has what? 4 5 buttons? and a d pad? The freaking n64 controller was better designed than that stupid thing.

Xbox, I am not going to buy some stupid ass gimmick just so I can be as frustrated and hateful of your games as I am of nintendos. Now where the hell is dead rising 2! hmmmm?
 

LewsTherin

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Jun 22, 2008
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Eric the Orange said:
If Sony and Microsoft want a peice of the gimmik pie than more power to them. I just hope it doesn't turn out like nintendo where every game seems to be obligated to shoehorn in the gimmik or be built around it.
...I believe that's EXACTLY what Microsoft designed it for. they're just saying otherwise so that you still buy it and then BLAMO! the casual gamers are lured in as well.

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...
 

IamQ

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This got me thinking. Won't Natal only work for racing games and games featuring humans? I mean what if you're playing as an ailien with 3 arms? How are you going to do that?
 

Frank_Sinatra_

Digs Giant Robots
Dec 30, 2008
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Jamash said:
You could also fire your Bolt or Las Pistol at the enemy by making a gun shape with your hand, pointing it at the screen and shouting "pew-pew-pew" (or "dakka-dakka-dakka" for bigger guns).
But what sounds would we use for chains-words and power weapons?