Halo: Reach Could Use Natal

[Keane Ng]

Halo: Reach Could Use Natal

Bungie's upcoming Halo game might be one of the highest-profile "core" gamer franchises to make use of Microsoft's Natal technology, according to Bungie.

Microsoft's everything-sensing camera technology for the 360 has been demonstrated to be capable at everything from silly art applications to Burnout Paradise, but to really sell the so-called "core gamer" on the device, Microsoft's going to need something of a killer app. And these days apps don't come much more killer than Bungie's Halo franchise.

While this year's Halo 3: ODST obviously won't support Natal in any way, the same may not be true for Halo: Reach, the upcoming prequel Seattle Times [http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/990/990787p1.html]. By "it" he means Natal, by the way.

Microsoft has already declared [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/92270-Natal-Will-Have-Real-Hardcore-Games] that Natal will not only have "arcadey games, but real, hardcore, triple-A titles." Reach would certainly fit that billing, but how might it work? The Natal team has probably already thought about it. "Think about a first-person shooter where I'm using the controller but I'm doing tracking by just moving around and looking around corners," Natal project director Alex Kipman said earlier this month describing a potential "core gamer" title using Natal.

Kipman even dropped the Halo name when he made those remarks, describing a hypothetical Halo-Natal experience with someone throwing grenades or driving a Warthog using Natal. Which, along with the new Bungie remarks, would suggest to the speculative mind that the Natal team and Bungie have been in cahoots this entire time. I wouldn't be surprised.


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[messy]

Quite glad he mentioned that the controllers still there, a full natal FPS would be too hard and just annoying. Also means you don't need it to fully enjoy the game

 

[Armored Prayer]

I highly doubt that a hardcore shooter like Halo could work on Natal. I cant imagine playing online multiplayer with just my hands and feet.

 

[Kilaknux]

How precisely do they propose having as walk around in these games? I'd really like to avoid walking on the spot, looking like a total jackass as I do so.

 

[Geo Da Sponge]

No, it's a good idea. Basically, have you ever been playing an online FPS, someone fires a rocket at you and you subconsciously move your head? That's how this will work; by the sound of it, Natal will only be used for tracking head movements, which is the best setup in my opinion.

Also, we know Natal won't be essential, as the beta for Halo: Reach is coming out with Halo: ODST later this year.

 

[Mackinator]

Well, even if it is good - there's just going to be the new "anti-halo" fanboys who will condemn it to death.

 

[Motiv_]

Hopefully this will work. Who knows?

 

[lostclause]

Wasn't a hardcore shooter with motion sensor tried and failed in conduit? Maybe they'll do it better.

 

[AdamAK]

Wasn't a hardcore shooter with motion sensor tried and failed in conduit? Maybe they'll do it better.

Wait, the Conduit failed? I thought it was received quite well.

Anyway, I don't really see how Natal could be incorporated into a game like Halo, but if they do it right it could be quite cool, and perhaps even groudbreaking.

 

[Baby Tea]

I think this is a pretty freaking great idea.

Think about it: You use the controller to move your guy as per the norm, right?
But you come up to a corner, and lean right on the couch and your guy leans right to peak around the corner. Lean left to peak left!
You run up behind an enemy and, while sitting on the couch, you kick your leg! On-screen, your characters leg comes up and boots the enemy right off a cliff.
Get a sweet kill in multiplayer? Press a button to enter 'free taunt' mode, which allows for 3 seconds of your character mimicing your 'booyah' happy dance.
(That last one would also be sweet for machinima)

As long as they don't over do it, and use to add and enhance an already solid mechanic, I think this could work very well.

 

[Bigeyez]

Meh I'm thinking this is going to turn out to be one of those things where the game can "Technically" use Natal but it will be optional and used in like one or two things in the game. Kinda like how some of the very early DS games didn't really know what to do with the second screen so it ended up being something you used for like one or two things. Of course it'll be advertised like zomgz you need Natal to get the full Halo experience!

 

[sneak_copter]

Wasn't a hardcore shooter with motion sensor tried and failed in conduit? Maybe they'll do it better.

Wait, the Conduit failed? I thought it was received quite well.

Anyway, I don't really see how Natal could be incorporated into a game like Halo, but if they do it right it could be quite cool, and perhaps even groudbreaking.

I think he means from a commercial standpoint. Critically, I never heard much about it.

 

[MasterSqueak]

I think this is a pretty freaking great idea.

Think about it: You use the controller to move your guy as per the norm, right?
But you come up to a corner, and lean right on the couch and your guy leans right to peak around the corner. Lean left to peak left!
You run up behind an enemy and, while sitting on the couch, you kick your leg! On-screen, your characters leg comes up and boots the enemy right off a cliff.
Get a sweet kill in multiplayer? Press a button to enter 'free taunt' mode, which allows for 3 seconds of your character mimicing your 'booyah' happy dance.
(That last one would also be sweet for machinima)

As long as they don't over do it, and use to add and enhance an already solid mechanic, I think this could work very well.

That...would be awesome.

 

[Trivun]

I think this is a pretty freaking great idea.

Think about it: You use the controller to move your guy as per the norm, right?
But you come up to a corner, and lean right on the couch and your guy leans right to peak around the corner. Lean left to peak left!
You run up behind an enemy and, while sitting on the couch, you kick your leg! On-screen, your characters leg comes up and boots the enemy right off a cliff.
Get a sweet kill in multiplayer? Press a button to enter 'free taunt' mode, which allows for 3 seconds of your character mimicing your 'booyah' happy dance.
(That last one would also be sweet for machinima)

As long as they don't over do it, and use to add and enhance an already solid mechanic, I think this could work very well.

That could well work. I think as well it could be enhanced to the point where you are literally the character, on screen, but you simply use the existing control system to move. Hence shooting and taking cover would be done through Natal, while walking around and jumping would be done with the Xbox controller. I had this idea for a full 3D arcade game, a light shooter, ages ago. However, I never really talked much about it to anyone and the idea died, but Natal looks like a similar thing. It sounds better in my head, of course, since I'm not that good at translating things I think about into actual descriptions. But yeah, your idea does seem pretty damn good .

 

[Dexomega]

I highly doubt that a hardcore shooter like Halo could work on Natal. I cant imagine playing online multiplayer with just my hands and feet.

It would make me very sick indeed. Besides when I play HALO I want to sit down and game, I don't want to jump up and wave my hands around, if I want to I'll go play some baseball with my friends.

 

[Geo Da Sponge]

I think this is a pretty freaking great idea.

Think about it: You use the controller to move your guy as per the norm, right?
But you come up to a corner, and lean right on the couch and your guy leans right to peak around the corner. Lean left to peak left!
You run up behind an enemy and, while sitting on the couch, you kick your leg! On-screen, your characters leg comes up and boots the enemy right off a cliff.
Get a sweet kill in multiplayer? Press a button to enter 'free taunt' mode, which allows for 3 seconds of your character mimicing your 'booyah' happy dance.
(That last one would also be sweet for machinima)

As long as they don't over do it, and use to add and enhance an already solid mechanic, I think this could work very well.

I think they're implementing the leaning head position thing, I'm not too sure about the motion melee controls, but that 'free taunt' idea is fucking awesome.

 

[VitusPrime]

If they pull it off the next genration will be in full swing,

Up for the free taunt mode, but could see it go wrong at things,

 

[captain awesome 12]

I think this is a pretty freaking great idea.

Think about it: You use the controller to move your guy as per the norm, right?
But you come up to a corner, and lean right on the couch and your guy leans right to peak around the corner. Lean left to peak left!
You run up behind an enemy and, while sitting on the couch, you kick your leg! On-screen, your characters leg comes up and boots the enemy right off a cliff.
Get a sweet kill in multiplayer? Press a button to enter 'free taunt' mode, which allows for 3 seconds of your character mimicing your 'booyah' happy dance.
(That last one would also be sweet for machinima)

As long as they don't over do it, and use to add and enhance an already solid mechanic, I think this could work very well.

I think they're implementing the leaning head position thing, I'm not too sure about the motion melee controls, but that 'free taunt' idea is fucking awesome.

You could get up off your couch and actually teabag!

But yes, exactly like Trivun and Baby Tea said, to enhance a solid mechanic Natal could work beautifully.

 

[Riza]

was just thinking about teabags, but if it gets implemented i think my controller will be flying around the room as i try to melee kill stuff