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

More rumors about the super-duper Xbox 360 Slim to be bundled with Project Natal when it’s released in Autumn. Michael Pachter told GameTrailers TV that Microsoft will ship a skinny Xbox 360 with Natal and added that it won’t be called ‘slim’. We reckon they’ll call it the Xbox Atkins ….

Super Slim XBox 360

Pachter also confirmed that the Skinny Xbox will come bundled with Natal and retail at under the $300 mark with a larger hard drive, probably 250GB.

Super fuses, we can’t wait!! But what do you think, will it be skinny, latte or the Atkins…?

Steve

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 Xbox 360 system overseer Aaron Greenberg has forecast that the company’s forth-coming Project Natal movement control system will probably sell “millions and millions” around the Xmas period.

The product, which as decribed numerous times in my blog will make use of sensors and a 3D video camera to manipulate on-screen game activity, has recently been rumoured for an October launch, but will most probably instead get a significant marketing and advertising thrust for the critical festive home market.

Discussing Natal in the April edition of Edge journal, Greenberg stated that the primary emphasis for Natal is generating “original experiences, built from the ground up”.

“We believe that’s important because the first impression has to be a magical one,” he revealed.

“because we expect millions and millions of these things to be sold this Christmas, over time developers will know millions of customers have these sensors so they can add functionality to their games.

“So you may see hybrid approaches, but our initial focus is on those unique experiences.”

Close to two thirds of designers have currently verified plans to build games for the Natal platform, including Sega, Rare, Ubisoft and THQ.

I reckon millions is probably accurate but what do you think?

Ste

A tech company based in Israel has revealed that it’s providing the technology behind Microsoft Project Natal. The company is Prime Sense, out of Tel Aviv, who are primarily into chip design. Prime Sense will provide the 3d sensor technology for Natal.

Prime Sense head honcho Inon Beracha said:

“We are selling the chip for each Natal system, and we also license the reference design for the whole 3D sensor”

Project Natal Camera

What’s less certain are the details of the deal between Microsoft and Prime Sense but MS have likely taken the rights for the 3D tech for games for some time into the future. This gives the Xbox 360 a clear technological advantage over it’s rivals the Wii and Sony’s upcoming Move for the Playstation 3.

But rights are exclusive only for games, and will not cover non-related applications such as televisions, PC’s and GPS systems. Beracha revealed that his company is involved in joint ventures with high-end manufacturers in developing products that will utilize it’s 3d technology. This could be really cool, imagine changing TV channels by moving your arms or scrolling through PC menus by flicking your fingers?

Beracha added:

“Very few people like remotes. They lose them, the batteries die — that could be a dying market,” he said.

Prime sense gave a sneak preview of their 3d magic to invited guest in January at CES in Vegas. Users were impressed with some of the ‘Minority Report’ style demo’s. 

Project Natal Brings Minority Report to Your Home !

Microsoft also re-iterated their previous comments about the release date for Natal ‘It will be released holiday 2010’, WTF does that mean?

Anyways we should see natal this year and some interesting new remote-less technology next year, all good.

What do you think? Will motion control take over the home entertainment world?

Ste

Innovate or die . . . Microsoft is pre-empting massive success with Project Natal by looking at the next version, or Natal II, even months before the release of the original version.

Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald grabbed the scoop from Hsiao-Wuen-Hon, a mover and shaker at the Microsoft Asia Research Facility. Hon remarked:

“And when we do invent something first like the Natal kind of scenario, while we have a researcher working with the product group for the first version, we already have a researcher thinking about the second version down the road so we certainly hope we will continue to be holding that technology,”

Whilst it’s not unusual for companies, particularily software companies, to develop versions 1 and 2 of a product simultaneously this move will surprise many pundits. The danger is of course that gamers get wind of Natal V2 and wait for that instead of V1…

I suspect that, if true, this might push forward the release of the Original Natal though, now that could be good news . .

What do you think, is Natal V2 just a marketing ploy?

Steve

I’ve heard a whisper that a Yoga based game (Yoga based game?) for Natal is in the pipeline? From what I can gather this seems mainly based on a couple of transient listings on Amazon and Game which have since disappeared.

Yoga for XBox Natal - just plain weird

Whilst this may not interest most gamers (ommmm!), the release date is more intriguing…in both cases the release date was October, a full month before pundits expect Natal to be released….

So maybe we’ve all got it wrong, maybe October will see natal on the shelves rather than the November/December release predicted by most ‘experts’ .. hope so!

Steve