THQ Has Plans for $40 Million Natal Game

[Sevre]

I have plans not to buy it.

 

[Saerain]

I was worried that the only games for Natal would be as sanitized as most of the games for the Wii, squandering the immensely enabling capabilities of the technology, but having THQ interested gives me hope.

 

[Trivun]

That's a waste. Natal itself won't even sell enough to make $40 million. If there is a gaming god, that is.

Don't be so quick to judge. That thing is getting way too much funding and advertisement to be a mere gimmick that'll see a shelf life of a few months. Microsoft wouldn't have made billions if it can't predict the failure of a product when an average gamer can do so.

True enough. I'm just saying that since gamers aren't taking it seriously...Well, you know. It'll become a novelty. Do you see how badly that hardcore Wii titles sell? Even PUNCHOUT sold like shit. I have high hopes for Natal to be used right, just not the consumers.

Hardcore gamers won't take it seriously. The Xbox 360 long targeted a mainly hardcore player base, what you're saying is exactly what Microsoft is hoping to get out of Natal: a slice of the casual market.

Take us, for example. I love fragging people online in Halo; I can't imagine doing that in Natal so unless I see some hardcore development in terms of fragging people online on Natal I'm not going to be buying it. Take everyone else, and you've got the reason the Wii is making shitloads.


Edit: People here seem to be underestimating the casual market. Look at the Wii sales, guys. If Natal is anything decent it'll make shitloads.

I also do take Natal seriously. I'm a hardcore gamer. I've stuck with Microsoft because they make great games, I love the Halo series and I love things like Gears of War, Lost Planet, Oblivion, L4D and other games that are best played on Xbox 360. I have no problem with the PS3, but from a purely gameplay perspective, the Xbox is a better console, even if it's graphically not as good.

I think Natal will be used correctly. I can't judge for the PS3's 'wand' thing (whatever it was called), because I don't know enough about the project itself. But Nintendo were able to focus more on the casual market because that's what they do best. I still like the Wii, my mum has one and I love playing a few rounds of bowling or disc golf with her on a boring Saturday afternoon. But Nintendo focussed on a casual market because they make casual games best. And that's not my words. That comes straight from their own mouth. They admitted it, and the article is right here on the Escapist for all to see.

Microsoft are more traditionally a developer for hardcore titles. Their games division has put out the occasional casual game, I guess, and of course there's XBLA, but they focus on hardcore titles mainly. That's what they do best. And I find it hard to believe that Microsoft, and their 'allied' studios like Valve and THQ, would risk losing a considerable hardcore fanbase and risk losing millions of pounds in revenue because they want to get a slice of the casual market. They must realise that casual gamers aren't going to easily turn to a hardcore system without plnty of support, something that the Xbox 360 does not currently have.

For these reasons I reckon that developers for the Xbox are going to stick to what they know - hardcore games. However, Natal promises to be another cash cow fit to bursting with money milk for Microsoft, and developers will want a piece of that. So they'll make games for it. Natal will be supported, there's no doubt about that. And since Microsoft acts so closely with developers like the aforementioned Valve and THQ, among other big name studios, we can expect the games that will be made to be big name, hardcore titles. Valve and their kind won't suddenly switch from hardcore to casual games just like that. So they'll still develop for Natal, for the money, but they'll develop hardcore titles, for the gamers.

That's what makes me have complete trust and support in Natal. It promises to be something completely different to things like the Wii, and if developers like THQ are pledging their support then we have nothing to worry about. Microsoft won't let a flood of casual games hit it, because they'll realise the potential damage it will do to their main userbase.

 

[Trivun]

"The concept I have uses every corner of that tech and maybe in a couple of years we'll do it."

Only problem: In a couple of years the Xbox 720 will have to come out to compete with Sony's PS4.
I wonder if Natal will be compatible with it.

Can't remember the corresponding plans for the PS3, but I happen to know for a fact that when the Xbox 360 was released Microsoft announced they had at least a ten year plan for it. Natal is part of that ten year plan. So we won't be seeing a next-gen console from them for a good few years yet. And I highly doubt that the PS3 or Wii will be updated soon either, since they both have a good few years left in them. The PS3 especially, given how on release it already surpassed any of it's rivals in terms of technological capabilities...

 

[Mr. Mike]

At least he's being smart and waiting for the install base to grow; however, I reckon that 360's Natal will go the way of the early PS3; very few games, not that many adopters, and takes a couple of years before it truly starts to prove itself as a competent piece of hardware. That's my guess anyway.

 

[phANT1m]

I think that is a damn lot of money for a game which I am sure they are not positive will rock and make plenty sales.

 

[oppp7]

Why do games cost ths much? Have they always cost this much? I don't remember bhearing about Star Fox 64 breaking Nintendo.

 

[Jared]

Do they realise that the install base probably won't be big enough unless they make the game.

Its like been stuck between a rock and a hard place...heh...although makes me curious if it is enough to draw people in

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

Unless your a casual gamer (I don't say casual in any mocking fashion) I can't see Natal being of much interest

Do they realise that the install base probably won't be big enough unless they make the game.

Chicken n egg scenario

 

[Mrsoupcup]

I just want them to anounce Saints Row 3

 

[Gamegodtre]

so their announcing a game that will never see the light of day hmm.

 

[GodKlown]

I guess I miss the point of this announcement. What I got out of it is:
"Hey, Microsoft is going to release a new device that emulates a WiiMote, and a year or two after it comes out and it is successful, we here at THQ intend to release a $30/$40 million dollar project that will fully utilize this new device!" So... if Natal sucks, then THQ can say what? "Ha ha, 2010 April Fools in 2014!"
And they already announced that Saint's Row 3 will be coming this year.