EA will annouce a big bucket load of new games at E3 in Los Angeles in June.  The slew of new releases will also be available for the PS3 Move toy.  E3 is the biggest gaming extrvaganza on the planet and EA wil use the platform as a showcase for their new addtions.

John Schappert, EA big boss, said: “We’ve only announced Tiger Woods for Sony Move to date. We have more announcements at E3, inclusive of demos of some of this technology. That said, we’re bullish on these new controllers and the new technology.”

Schappert didn’t go so far as to announce which games would be available but Need for Speed is a likely candidate. Another big games manufacturer throws it weight behind Natal super cool.

What do you think, which games are you waiting for for Natal?

Ste

Not unexpected but we learned today that Microsoft will unveil the entire Project Natal project to E3 in Los Angeles in June. The big event, being called the ‘World Premiere’ will occur on Sunday 13^th with a press follow-up on Monday 14^th. Whilst not exactly a surprise this is good news for those of us who await Natal with bated breath ‘cos it means that MS have got Natal back on track. We were slightly concerned (:-O) after the no show at GDC. 

Project Natal Full Demo at E3

Microsoft claims that the show will be the worlds ‘first look at the future of fun’ so it’s likely that this will be the final iteration and hopefully some completed games.

What I want to know Bill… is ‘where’s my invite to E3?’… maybe it’s lost in the post.

Did you get yours? Let me know

Soon

Steve

Everyone wanted a Lightsaber game for the Wii, Nintendo kept drip feeding us the promise of a Lightsaber game for Wii, but it never arrived… Now though, it looks like Lucas Arts are seriously considering the idea for the 360. Darrell Rodriguez, head-boy at LA told MCV that the new improved Natal Camera might just provide the precision that the company needs to make rumors behind the much-vaunted Lightsaber game come true.

Rodriguez, in an interview with MCV, said: “I’m very excited by the new interfaces, either Natal, Move or iPad. It’s something we’re definitely watching and we will consider in the future,”  ”The regular suggestion of a lightsaber game is one of the reasons why we are excited about it — but we’ll keep looking at it and see what we can do”

Coming soon to your games room, XBox 360 Natal Lightsaber Battles

I have no details to add, and there doesn’t seem top be much else floating around the web BUT a Lightsaber game would make complete sense for Natal, imagine jumping around your games room, cutting bits off your mates arms and legs… hilarious. Lets hope they do it, may the force be with them….

Which bit would you chop first? I’d go straight for the head, try and call that just a ‘flesh-wound’

L8rs

Ste

After demoing Natal, British TV gobshite Jonathon Ross tweeted that the performance ‘wasn’t quite there’… like he would know. Ross is well known in the UK for opening his mouth without engaging his brain. The Natal unit that he demoed was a Summer 2009 version, do us a favour Jon?…. Keep it it shut…

Jonathon Ross TV Airbag Rubbishes Natal Camera

Hosting an  event in London with various media bods a few days ago Molyneux showed his disgruntlement being blocked from demonstrating the latest versions of the Natal sensor and software. He claimed “It’s always a huge frustration as a designer when you see somebody play a version when you know it’s been exceeded many times over” That’s good news cos I, as well as many others, were a wee bit concerned… More good news, Molyneux also said:

‘So very often you get a position that what a person’s looking at is two, three, four months, a year old and you kind of want to go, ‘no, no, it’s 10 times better than that!’ So it is very, very frustrating; it always is – there’s just countless revisions of cameras since the one at X10 and countless revisions of software’

Another source, probably from Microsoft itself, claimed that the sensor in circulation was only 10% as sensitive as the current version. We’ll see when the ultimate iterration is released, along with a full line up of games, at E3 in July. Peter Molyneux will also reveal details of the much anticipated Fable III at E3.

Fable III for Project Natal

Anyone else think Jonathon Ross is a jumped-up brainless airbag? Do PM’s words fill you with hope for Natal?

Head Honcho Simon Prytherch of Lightning Fish Games, is suggesting that both Project Natal and the Sony Move Toy will probably lure non-core gamers who use their games consoles for recreational play in addition to health and fitness routines rather than for simply blasting aliens and building super-hero’s.

Talking to MCV, Prythrch said he think that these types of consumers may “benefit more” from the innovative movement sensors than traditional hardcare gamers, the more typical XBox 360 audience.

“The non-games sector will benefit more than any other sector from Natal and PlayStation Move,” he explained. “These devices are suited to non-core audiences. The important element of these gadgets is the capability to precisely observe user positions.

“We will see new ways of interacting and new genres emerging as creative minds get to grips with the technology.”

Health and fitness game titles for the revolutionary sensor would certainly not be unexpected, given that games of this genre generate oodles of cash for Nintendo through the Wii.

Use your Xbox 360 and Natal to get from this . . .

To This . . . Believe us, Natal will do this to you ... just buying one makes you slimmer

For Sony’s Move, there is the likelihood that EA Sports Active 2.0 will be available for Playstation 3 and will function with the new controller, and as we’ve reported previously there’s also the prospect of a yoga game for Project Natal and the 360 (Ommmmm ).

Additionally ultra secret sources maintain that Rare are developing a workout title of sorts, and with the rumours of Microsoft touting for advertising business in magazines ‘for the ladies’ we reckon at least one ‘health and fitness’ title is on the cards. Hopefully MS won’t do too much dumbing down for the general public . . . . Hell I might even start doing Yoga myself . . . OMMMM

‘Til next time

Ste

Sony’s David Cage, a lead developer on the PS3 only Heavy Rain, has been kicking off about Project Natal again. This time it was about the skateboarding demo shown at E3 last year, see below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

“I thought it was a little bit lying to present it that way because it will let (consumers) think that they will (see) something that they are not really close to getting.”

I love this demo and I think Sony should button it, pull on their big boys underpants and stop telling porkies about what is obviously far superior technology to their new “improved” EyeToy.

Cage’s whinging comes 12 months too late, the demo was released a year ago, he also said: ‘”When the kid comes in with the skateboard and the laser ray, scanning the skateboard, and then it’s in the game” and made a sceptical gesture.

I say, “Oi Cage! Shut it dude, stop your barking little doggy, big hat and no cattle…”

Anyone out there agree with Cage? Big hat, no cattle…

Ste

Microsoft’s movement-control device, Project Natal is already gonna be huge but it may get even bigger than I predicted. Toy Head-Quarters, usually known as THQ in the video gaming world, could be designing a brand new game that will include production cost of upward of $40 million. THQ wants to show the world what the Project is all about and a game of such complexity and depth should just do it for the unique gaming system. But $40,000,000 (count the zero’s!)

Saints Row 3 - Worth $40 Million?

Over to Danny Bilson, THQ’s games big cheese:

“I have some concepts and some ideas that use Natal in a core game in a really, really cool way. But I don’t think the install base is there because the game I’m thinking about is a $30m to $40m Natal game and the install base isn’t there yet to support that”.

But we’ll have to wait, Bilson also said that the game delelpment could take up to two years and gave no hints as to the nature of the ‘uber-game’ . . . So don’t hold your breath.

But don’t panic :-O THQ also plans to release an ‘awesome’ Natal enabled game in time for the ‘holiday’ release of Natal.

$30 to $40 Million? WTF are they planning…? Anyway watch this space, we’ll let you know first . . .

Ste

OK just wishful thinking but here’s a list of 29 games that I’d love to play on Project Natal (but probs never will )and also why I’d love to play ‘em.

1. Oblivion - Shooting fireballs from my fingertips
2. Batman Arkham Asylum – Flying with the batcape
3. Modern Warfare 2 – Big guns online!
4. Fable II – Even the blacksmith job would be fun
5. Assassin’s Creed II – Diving off those veiwpoints
6. Pure – Big tricks dude!
7. GTA IV – Might finally understand what all the fuss is about.
8. Saints Row 2 – The firetruck missions…
9. Bioshock – Plasmids man, imagine letting those wasps go Sweet!!!
10. The Darkness – Tentacle powers
11. Halo 3 – Big futuristic guns
12. Dead Space – Choppin’ up them aliens with my bare hands…
13. Fight Night Round 4- It’s boxing, enough said
14. Bully – Doh, just go play it
15. Burnout: Revenge – The best burnout IMHO, imagine those huge crashes with no controller?
16. Crackdown – Flying high baby…
17. Dirt 2 – Driving will just be so sweeeet on Natal – drift man, drift
18. FIFA 10 – They’ll never do this but footie would be ace on Natal, imagine multiplayer in your games room?
19. Guitar Hero 5 – Shreddin’
20. Left 4 Dead 2 – Multiplayer chaos in your own home
21. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga – Would you have to walk like they do in the game?
22. Mass Effect 2 – For the ‘special bits’
23. Resident Evil 5 – Scary man, hope Natal works with the lights down
24. Band Hero – Good for parties
25. Skate 2 – Skateboarding without the scars
26. Street Fighter IV – Nuff said
27. The Orange Box – For Alex .. that butt!!!
28. UFC 2009: Undisputed – Grappling ;-)
29. Virtua Fighter 5 - Best Kung-Fu game on the XBox… you focus on the finger … etc

So there you have it, the definitive list of Project Natal Games that they’ll never make …. if only they could ….

What do you think, did I miss anything?

Ste

Will 2010 FIFA World Cup support project Natal? What’s certain is that 2010 will be an important year for Sports FIFA, the World Cup will certainly boost sales of the football franchise. Football and Natal would seem to be an obvious match and soccer would be great fun with a hand free motion controller.

‘Wow dude, I’m David Beckham’

‘More like Dudley Moore’

FIFA World Cup 2010 for Natal

EA is playing its cards close to it’s chest. Simon Humbler, 2010 FIFA World Cup producer said “Whenever any of these peripherals come out we think about what they could add to the football experience. I think the hard thing in respect of PlayStation Move, which has comparisons to the Nintendo Wii device, is that the type of football you can provide for this isn’t particularly authentic”

Doesn’t sound particularly promising, but the EA team are still considering options. Humbler said:

“As you can see from our Wii version, the game is a lot arcadeier, with the big gestures and actions,” he said. “I think there is a different experience there waiting to be uncovered, perhaps, but personally I think it is hard to integrate that into our football game.”

We hope EA at least do the groundwork to see if FIFA World CUP 10 and Natal could work together, it would be a truly awesome achievement if they could pull it off. However, if it doesn’t work it doesn’t work and hopefully EA won’t release anything that’s broken, we’ve seen that approach on the Wii … and it’s not pretty.

What do you think, will Natal work with soccer?

Ste