Hideo Kojima is All Over That Project Natal Thing

John Funk

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Dec 20, 2005
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Hideo Kojima is All Over That Project Natal Thing



Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima is enamored with the possibilities offered by Microsoft's Project Natal, but doesn't want to leave core gamers in the dust, either.

It looks like Microsoft is making one hell of an effort to sell the possibilities of Natal to the Japanese gaming community: The software giant held a special panel at the Tokyo Games Show featuring three prominent Japanese developers discussing the device and its potential, reports Gamasutra [http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=25388]. The three panelists were Capcom's Keiji Inafune of Mega Man and Dead Rising fame, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima from Konami, and Super Monkey Ball creator Toshihiro Nagoshi of Sega.

All three of the veteran developers glowed with admiration over Natal's potential - what, did you really think Microsoft would have skeptical panelists for something like this? Nagoshi reflected on his initial confusion about the device and his thoughts of "Why is Microsoft showing me a sensor?" but how the first demonstration had won him over, but perhaps the most significant (and interesting) praise came from Kojima and Inafune.

Kojima compared his first experience with Natal to "the 2D to 3D shift, or the first time that I ever played with Family Computer [NES]" - a major leap forward for the industry. In fact, the Metal Gear creator was so excited that he wanted to just go out and share his surprise with everybody, though he managed to restrain himself. Though he acknowledged that there would be gamers that would be "nervous without any physical controller," Kojima thinks that the potential of Natal would be worth bringing core gamers along for the ride:

[blockquote]Particularly, on the type of games he's excited about making on Natal, Kojima commented that he wanted to make "a completely innovative game [with a very new control method] that nobody has thought of in the past.. but I have core users who are my fans, so I do not want to leave them behind."

He said that it is possible to cater to core users but also introduce new ones, and has a longer-term dream that the Natal technology could be used to "truly understand who I am in movements, expressions, and voice" -- monitoring health, fitness, and a lot more alongside entertainment.[/blockquote]

Now, I don't think there's anyone out there that can say that Hideo Kojima has ever been afraid to be experimental - for better or for worse. So it really isn't surprising that the man is psyched for something like Natal, is it? Inafune-san, on the other hand, hasn't ever been quite so bleeding-edge as Mr. Metal Gear Solid: Duck Rider over there, but that didn't stop him from being intrigued by what Natal had to offer, either. Inafune was adamant that he saw Project Natal as "not just being a transitional fad," as some have dubbed the technology.

Though Inafune noted that "we as creators have some reluctance in doing away with the past," he felt that learning to game without a controller - without controlling the action just through our fingers - might be a huge step forward for immersion. "Films have such an impact on our heart... maybe that's what is missing in games."

Boy, Microsoft is really pushing Natal over at TGS, huh? I don't know about this one, though. I think it needs more cute and spunky reporters [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/94937-Hyper-Japanese-Reporter-Takes-on-Project-Natal].

(Via CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=224101?cid=OTC-RSS&attr=CVG-General-RSS])

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Sparrow

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Feb 22, 2009
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Oh god.

The picture! Noooooo!

[small]Although, I would play Metal Gear Solid: Duck Rider[/small]
 

Therumancer

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Nov 28, 2007
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Well I don't think creators have a reluctance to do away with the past, it's just that there have been so many stupid and overhyped gimmicks over the years that it's easy to be skeptical, especially seeing as this one seeems a heck of a lot less practical than most.

Not to mention the fact that we're basically looking at what is going to amount to an expensive piece of hardware anyway you look at it, and especially with the current economy who the heck wants to pay for something like that when your already dishing out several hundred dollars for a console?

I think the surprise success of the Wii (which I honestly expected to go the way of the virtual boy) has jaded developers who want a part of that action, and have gained temporary amnesia when it comes to various attempts like the "Power Glove" and "Eyetoy".

Let me put it this way, I'm retired on disabillity, and manage (right now) to have a bit of money to toss away on gaming since it's what I do. It might hurt, but I could afford a new gimmick like Natal if I *really* wanted one, but looking at this I have to ask "why do I want that"? It seems retarded.

Plus let's be honest, I am not a cute and spunky hyperkinetic girl. I'm fat, lazy, medicate myself for reasons I occasionally go emo about online, and have lots of sore spots from when I was working, my whole lower right side is a bloody mess of old injuries and when it gets damp or humid I'm miserable. I've always been a nerd but I sit around and play games because of my condition.

Everyone has their own reasons, but people come home to play games as escapism and to relax. Things like wiifit are an interesting idea, and sell well, but a lot of people I know who have them have ultimatly wound up with it sitting around like any other exercise gimmick (namely my stepmother). Simply put when your sore an exhausted after working (or just consuming oxygen for some of us) you do not want to get up and flail around like a madman. Sure for bouncing teenagers (and those who managed to remain teenagers past their time somehow) that's fine, but part of the success of gaming is how it's become mainstream, people have grown up with it, and older people who were grown up to begin with are "discovering" it as a viable alternative to just watching TV.

I have yet to see a single reason why this whole natal thing is something I'd want, and I think the same is true of many gamers. Sure you've got a bouncing and spunky reporter (in that link) but frankly I have about as much in common with her as an adult lion does with a baby housecat.

I play RPGs, fighting games, and survival horror primarily (with the occasional exception). RPGs being my primary genere. How does this innovation make the RPG games I'm primarily going to want "better".

Really the idea of getting up and flailing around with a plastic sword appeals to me about as much nowadays as someone deciding to package a video game with foul tasting and smelling goop so you can nibble on it and experience what "actual dungeon slime is like". That's interactivity too, but not quite what I plan to do to relax.
 

Chipperz

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Apr 27, 2009
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I love that picture of Kojima, but I'll be damned if I can remember what I was gonna type after I see it...

Oh yeah, good that developers are looking at Natal :)
 

ae86gamer

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Mar 10, 2009
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Sparrow said:
[small]Although, I would play Metal Gear Solid: Duck Rider[/small]
I would too. :/

If Hideo Kojima likes it then that means that I have to get it. [/joking]
 

wolfy098

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May 1, 2009
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Natal may still be like Eye-toy

Him sitting on wooden ducks doesn't help express its effectiveness
 

Ben66

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Mar 6, 2009
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@Therumancer: I understand the position you're in, but not all games (Wii games anyway) do or should require you to flail your arms and jump around constantly, games that do are most likely designed poorly. Hopefully Natal doesn't go the same route of having third parties not take development of it seriously enough.

Anyway, on the subject of Natal, it sounds interesting on paper, but I don't know how many types of game genres they'll be able to adapt to it without some sort of controller, optional or otherwise. For First Person Shooters, I'm wondering if Natal would be able to even recognize when you're pulling the "trigger" or not. And how would you reload, would it be able to detect that?

I think the best immersion for games with immersion in mind would really require a controller as a medium between the game world and the real world. In short, I'm still skeptical of Natal.

Also, "Mr. Metal Gear Solid: Duck Rider over there" had me laughing out loud.
 

Canadamus Prime

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Jun 17, 2009
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The opinion of Mr. Too-Much-Cutscene-Not-Enough-Game-Sit-on-wooden-duck up there doesn't exactly inspire me to change my opinion on Natal.
 

hansari

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May 31, 2009
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CantFaketheFunk said:
"Films have such an impact on our heart... maybe that's what is missing in games."
YES!!! Longer cut-scenes!! I've been saying this for years but men like Kojima have been too cowardly to take the leap!
Therumancer said:
Not to mention the fact that we're basically looking at what is going to amount to an expensive piece of hardware anyway you look at it, and especially with the current economy who the heck wants to pay for something like that when your already dishing out several hundred dollars for a console?
It'll probably take a few years for the prices to lower and for its appeal to gain...like with HDTV's...or when pc's first were mass marketed...
 

hansari

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May 31, 2009
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Therumancer said:
I play RPGs, fighting games, and survival horror primarily (with the occasional exception). RPGs being my primary genere. How does this innovation make the RPG games I'm primarily going to want "better".
Combining Sixaxis controls to make huge breasts jiggle with the wave of your hands...
 

Carnagath

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Apr 18, 2009
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Yeah, he doesn't want to leave his core fans behind my ass. He knows it's gonna be a gigantic flop like every other console peripheral in history (but companies keep making them because they cost nothing and are sold for 200 times their cost) and doesn't want to get dragged down with it. When developers and publishers forget how to make games, which means how to tell good, original stories and immerse people in them, they try to pull shit like this, and move gaming forward. Because they have mastered the stage that gaming is in right now and it all feels too confining all of the sudden. Wankers.
 

Eruanno

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Aug 14, 2008
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Ohh, so what he's saying is we get to fiddle around with the controller whilst his cutscenes play... now, we can't actually control what happens in the cutscene, or even change the camera or anything, but it'll be more like twiddling your thumbs.
 

Irishhoodlum

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Jun 21, 2009
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Fucking Project Mime is taking developers away from real games. This is all about money for Microsoft, and being the "next wii" and drawing in casual gamers. But they're not going to be able to introduce any good hardcore games with Natal, and they probably won't even come out with any good casual ones. The whole thing looks laggy/delayed and the game library sounds pretty poor. Now I'm not saying Natal is all bad, the idea for the interface would be fine, and voice command would be decent. But I like a controller thank you very much, and I don't play video games when I'm feeling extremely active.
 

Carnagath

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Apr 18, 2009
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Kwil said:
Yes, the Wii Fit proves that console peripherals fail because games can't tell good stories..

.. on opposite day, perhaps.
The Wii Fit is an exception, it is a software bundle accompanied by an accessory. It's not trying to "redefine gaming". If you want to compare the Wii Fit with something, that would be more the Guitar Hero plastic guitars and not the Natal. There's quite a difference there.