14 DAY TRIAL // At a Tokyo Game Show event during which it showcased Project Natal, Microsoft unveiled a pretty impressive list of developers and publishers that were interested in creating video games that took advantage of the new device. The list includes names like Activision Blizzard, Bethesda Softworks, Capcom, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Konami, MTV Games, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ and Ubisoft. The companies provided no details on what titles would support Natal and when they might be available to gamers.
Microsoft is saying that the above-mentioned companies account for about 70% of the software sales generated by third-party publishers for the various gaming consoles. It is certainly an impressive backing for a device that has been only shown to the public this June, and that is slated to be launched at an unspecified date in 2010. Microsoft is saying that, “The announcements at the Tokyo Game Show underscore the swift industry support for the revolutionary controller-free experiences being developed exclusively for Xbox 360.”
Project Natal combines a video camera, a high-end depth sensor and a microphone array in order to track the position of the player in the room and to record any voice commands they issue. The idea is to be able to actually play titles without using any game controller, only by moving one's body in specific ways. Microsoft is using proprietary software to interpret the movements and translate them into input for the Xbox 360.
Sony has also unveiled a wand-like device, which offers motion tracking, but it has not said which publishers are interested in supporting it when it is launched in early 2010. Of course, the Nintendo Wii already has the ability to get input from movement and it has been recently enhanced by the release of the Wii Motion Plus add-on.